Spiritism Today Rev 16 13 14 And I

Spiritism Today

Rev. 16: 13 -14 “And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. ” – Jon Paulien, “a strong role for spiritualism unifying the world for a common cause”

Definitions Spiritism – “The doctrine or practice of spiritualism, ” according to Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary – A Spiritist: One who believes in or engages in practices regarding the phenomenon called “spiritualism” Spiritualism – “The belief that the living can conduct conversations with the spirits of the deceased”

Spirituality “The concern of human beings with their spiritual relationship to the cosmos” – Depends on how the cosmos is conceived (worldview) – Buddhist, Islamic, Christian, animistic, etc. spiritualities

Spiritism and Spiritualism on the Rise CT 36/15 (1992) “The Return of Spiritualism” – “Dozens of Christian books have decried today’s New Age movement. But many have missed an important historical precedent: A massive spiritist movement in the United States during the 1850 s espoused many of the same doctrines and practices—pantheism, channeling of spirits —that characterize today’s New Age movement” The Lauzanne Committee for World Evangelization, Consultation, Nairobi, Kenya 2000 (Deliver Us From Evil) – “The West has been invaded by occult ideas and practices from the East since the 1960’s. This is seen in the high interest in New Age ideas”

Spiritualism flourishes with a certain cosmology – Above the earth is a zone/s of spirit world – The zone/s although “spiritual” are considered to be part of the natural order as is the earth – Zones are in an ascending order

Ancestors In African (Animistic) Cosmology • Ancestors are the “elevated” spirits of dead – The concept of the “living-dead” (J. Mbiti) • Though biologically deceased, are not deemed really dead. • These are in a state of personal immortality • Through them, the spirit world becomes accessible to the living by virtue of their status. • They are bilingual, speaking the language of humans among whom they sojourned until relatively recently; they speak the language of God and the spirits to whose mode of existence they are drawing closer

African understanding of reality broken into five hierarchical categories – God – A host of superhuman beings and forces, and the human spirits (ancestors) who died a long time ago. – Humans – Animals – Vegetation – Inanimate objects

Significance of Hierarchy 1. Solidarity: to destroy one is to destroy the whole 2. Orders of being are subject to the universal reign of law and universal causation; not necessarily mechanical (causation) • No strict natural/supernatural separation is entertained. Strange and “miraculous” things are not unusual in this system

Spiritualism flourishes with a certain view of humans – By nature destined to a life beyond the grave – Explanation of how this is possible: humans are tripartite beings composed of spirit, soul, body • Body: a crude material envelope enclosing the spirit and soul • Soul: During earthly life connects body and spirit • Physical death is a transition from one level of vibration to another; the breaking away of the lowest elements of the soul from their connection with material stuff

The African View of Humans 1. Humans are partly material and partly immaterial; yet no absolute dualism • • The material: Parts of the body perform both biological and psychic functions The immaterial/spiritual – – Soul: (i) an immortal entity that survives the cessation of the body; (ii) it defines personality; (iii) the essence of being Spirit: the animating principle of the body; the vital life source

2. Death is the separation of the body from its spiritual substance (soul) which is the essential person – the soul, which never dies may linger till it is received in the company of his forbears (ancestors) after the celebration of full funeral ceremonies

3. Essence of the African personality, not entirely individualistic. The being of the African is “being-in-relation” • involved not only in physical relations with extended family, the clan and village, but also in spiritual relations with the ancestors • behavior is governed by an implicit covenant-type arrangement between person to person and persons and spiritual realities

The Worldview of the Emerging Spirituality • Spiritual unimportance of history – History ties people to local beliefs, particular places, and teachers, texts which are largely symbolic or mythic • Elevation of reason (also mind, consciousness, intellect, awareness) – A divine characteristic in humans, and the principal means for apprehending spiritual truth • Highly evolved consciousness=substantial spiritual insight • Spiritualization of science (physics) – The source and test of spiritual truths of what humans have been told by religious traditions • Animation of nature—infused with divine spirit or life force

• Knowledge as hidden – Knowledge is key to spiritual insight • May come from Science or gifted individuals – Shamans and mediums between the physical and spiritual realms • Spirituality as evolutionary – Spiritual attainment through spiritual evolution; goal=human divinity • Religious pluralism, based on mystical experience – Mysticism, the only universal spiritual experience; provides a basis for uniting different spiritual traditions

• Catherine L. Albanese – explores the continuities between the metaphysical tradition in America and new age spirituality, against the backdrop of what she describes as a “contemporary vernacular religious horizon suffused with notions of ‘spirituality. ’” – Albanese comes close to identifying the ontology of the new spirituality when she concludes that both metaphysicians and New Agers have understood spirituality in terms of what she calls “subtle energies. ” • Catherine L. Albanese, “The Subtle Energies of Spirit: Explorations in Metaphysical and New Age Spirituality, ” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 67/2 (1999): 306.

Modern Spiritism: Quest for Power “As an individual you have many facets; intellectual, physical and emotional, and spiritual. Until you are aware of these forces, you will not be fully in charge of your life and destiny but will continue to be a puppet on a string. Realizing that the “you” in “you”, is not a single entity but rather a complex gestalt of experience, biology and intellect, will allow you to go from being the puppet, to the puppet master. ”

Absence of Spiritual Power and Dual Allegiance in ATR • It is argued, “Power that protects from evil spiritual forces is one of the greatest felt needs in many animistic societies” – “A Christianity that talks about and promises spiritual power but leaves out the experiencing in this area. . . is a great disappointment to many. Such Christianity leaves itself open to the problem of dual allegiance” – Unbalanced emphasis on truth and allegiance to Christ

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