Brennan Manning — Infiltrating the Assemblies of God
June 27, 2008
Apparently Brennan Manning has been infiltrating the Assemblies of God since as early as 2006 if not earlier.
The following announcement celebrates the return of Manning to Vanguard University, a long time Assemblies of God institution.
Spiritual Formation Department
Chapel Series Special Events
Vanguard University Welcomes Back Brennan Manning
In October of 2006, our community had the honor of hosting best-selling author, spiritual troubadour and self-proclaimed ragamuffin Brennan Manning as a special guest in our University Chapel Series. That year, as we were beginning to explore “The Furious Love of God”, Brennan brought us a message titled, “Healing Our Image of God and Ourselves.” His words brought a true spirit of hope and recognition of our identity as Abba’s beloved children. We are thrilled to welcome him back once again, this time presenting a week-long series titled: “The Experience of Jesus as Lord.” You won’t want to miss this.
Books and media by Mr. Manning will be available for purchase at all sessions. The morning sessions are closed events and limited only to Vanguard community members. However, evening sessions will be open to the public free of charge.
Dates and Times: October 14-16, 2008
In her Baccalaureate Address to the Class of 2002, at what is now Vanguard University, Dr. Elizabeth Dermody Leonard quotes Brennan Manning no less that three times.
Manning’s book, Abba’s Child, is a key text book in the Vanguard University class ‘ADVANCED PSYCHOPATHOLOGY’. Almost 20 % of the grade for this class is based on the use of Abba’s Child.
Vanguard University even has a Spiritual Formation Department which is normally code for, ‘we have embraced mysticism‘.
If you review Manning’s scheule, you will notice his plans to visit several AG institutions:
- Vangurard University
- Central Assembly of God
Mark Chaplin, Associate Professor, Pastoral Ministries, North Central University (AG School) has this as part of his bio:
He counts among his personal favorites such authors as Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen, Brennan Manning, Gordon Fee and C.S. Lewis, and students can expect to read selections from his assortment of choice writers.
(emphasis mine: underlined names would be considered to be ‘Christian’ mystics and their teaching should be avoided.)
Other Resources:
- CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM AS SPIRITUAL FORMATION AND METHODOLOGY
- SPIRITUAL FORMATION: JUST SAY NO
- WHOM WILL YOU SERVE BRENNAN MANNING?
- Ragamuffin Gospel, Not the Gospel at All.
- Beware of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
Posted in Assemblies of God, Brennan Manning, Uncategorized
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July 7th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Wow! You must be the officially appointed policeman to the Body of Christ! The rest of us just didn’t get the memo I suppose. Must be in the mail.
Just curious…who appointed you? Did Emma appear to you or was it Jesus Himself?
Richard Foster, Noewen, and Manning to be avoided!?! No wonder the church in this nation is stuck in neutral. How can God bless us when we’re more focused on heresy hunting, and giving attention to self appointed “reformed popes” like yourself who have the unmitigated gall to call the work of men like Foster and Manning into question. How do you sleep at night? Can’t be easy. You, Hanegraaff and McArthur must be seeing the same therapist. Are you in SoCal too?
Have you, by any chance, happened upon those subtle verses of Scripture that caution us to withhold judgment concerning brothers in the Body of Christ? Part of the problem is that your ilk fancy themselves as sort of modern day “Apostle Pauls” – Christendom is your Galatia and Corinth I guess. You’re just doing this because you love God’s Word right. Thought so….
What else Shane? Let me guess. Tongues ceased in April of 64 AD. The NT gift of prophecy is not for today, and all claims of divine healings are demonic – unless they come as a result of a Reformed Presbyterian prayer.
I highly suggest you read Foster, Manning, and Nouwen….ironically it’s just what you need! Now ain’t that just the strangest coincidence!
July 7th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Rafael,
As long as you keep it clean you are welcome to share your thoughts here.
Let me answer a few of your questions.
1) I am not from Southern California.
2) I have read the scriptures that caution us on judging others. I have also read the scriptures that point us to rebuke and reproof of error.
3) I am not Presbyterian.
4) I am not a cessationist.
5) If prophets do exists, they are held to the same biblical standard as in the OT.
6) Divine healing is a reality today but not all that is claimed to be divine healing is. The bible clearly speaks of false signs and wonders.
7) I have read Foster, Manning, Nouwen.
So, keep your sarcasm to a minimum or you will not be able to comment on this blog.
Read the following with regard to the sarcasm:
Confronting Error … do it biblically, seriously, and leave the silly attempts of sarcasm behind
Editor
July 7th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Dear Editor;
My sarcasm comes from the sense of outrage I felt after reading your blog. It wasn’t silly, it was angry. You are placing yourself in a position of authority over the Church so you should understand that you are vulnerable to retaliation. “Those who live in glass houses…” and so forth.
The NT injunction to “rebuke and reprove” – from 2 Timothy 4:2 is a word to a pastor who is overseeing a church or a group of churches. He had delegated authority from Paul to do this and he was the pastor – responsible for the care of these souls. Those Timothy was to reprove were sheep under his care. People that he loved, gave his life for, and prayed for. They had chosen to be part of his fellowship. You have no pastoral oversight or relationship here, nor do you have delegated authority over Manning and Foster and the dozens others that you rebuke on your site.
Furthermore, what you are doing is not in line with the 2 Tim 4:2 injunction. You are posting and therefore broadcasting your doctrinal disagreements to the whole world – based as they are on your particular interpretations. And for what reason? What is the end of all this back and forth – are souls being won? Are believers being edified? If you really cared about those you disagreed with you would not address your disagreements in this manner. Why not send them your thoughts privately? Why pronounce them as heretics online. I think I know the answer. I am convinced that most of these “doctrinal gatekeeper” blogs like yours and others accomplish almost nothing. You certainly aren’t going to change Manning, Foster, or even the likes of Bentley.
I would also like to point out that your statement about NT prophets held to the same standard is incorrect. The NT equivalent of OT prophets are the Apostles who prophesied inerrantly when they spoke for God in the Scriptures. The NT gift of prophecy is different. NT prophets are not speaking with an infallible “thus saith the Lord” authority. We are called to judge the words and to retain what is good – discard the bad – not stone them. I recommend Grudem’s chapter on the gift of prophecy in his Systematic Theology.
(By the way. I love John Piper, consider myself Reformed in theology and dislike the McLaren/Bell camp.)
July 7th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Rafael,
I presume you disagree with theologians from time to time and so do I. I agree with much of what Grudem says and have read the chapter you speak of but do not stand with Grudem on all points. I do not agree with Grudem on the idea that NT prophets can be in error and still be considered prophets. I stand with MacArthur in regards to the standard a NT prophet is held to. As I have already stated, I am not a Cessationist, so I would obviously also not agree with MacArthur on all things.
You may want to refer to this or you may not but here it is.
New Testament prophets are to be held to the same standard as Old Testament prophets
July 7th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Rafael,
As much as I would like to think I might have some influence on these men like Manning, Nouwen, etc. I am more interested in warning others of their false doctrine.
If you knew a man was going to jump off a 20,000 foot cliff, would you just let him jump if you had a way to stop him. I trust you would stop him. In the same way, I want to warn others of the jump they are about to make with these guys.
You question what good my blog is and that is a fair question. The only problem is that neither I nor you get to determine the good it will do. That is up to God.
Shane
August 14th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Well personally I don’t think Shane considers himself a heresy hunter or “reformed pope”. I think Shane is asking questions that you should be asking. Am I testing the spirits to see whether they are from God? Am I examining the Scriptures like the noble bereans to see whether it is Bible or not? I may or may not agree with Shane on issues but I certainly am not going to attack him because he is questioning. It’s high time that we in the church start testing doctrine. Heresy is running rampant & it would be a sin not to call things into question as they did in the Apostolic times. As the Bible says “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints” We should correct in love & respect under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Biblical truth is at stake, we must be careful.
January 1st, 2009 at 1:36 am
wow, how very sad that you are so blind that you cannot see that different ministers have been given different messages by God–all of which lead to the same gospel…”Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and though shalt be saved.” Why in the world would you attempt to sow discord among the brethren? you have no idea how much good has come from the works of Brennan Manning, how many people have found a closer relationship to our Lord and Savior, how many people need the message of grace and healing. i hate to see legalism and negativity regarding one of the positive voices in the kingdom to ever divert people from the love of God and the truth of his live for us.