Speaking of the counseling department at Covenant Theological Seminary, take a look at this five-minute video by the man invited to be the keynote speaker at Covenant's Fall 2014 Counseling Lectures...
Now, ask yourself if Curt Thompson's mind-over-matter view has any relationship to the Biblical doctrines of sin, depravity, and sanctification. Last time I checked, even the ESV said self-control was a fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of focused breath-control (Gal. 5:16-23). Did the Apostle Paul mean deep-breathing when he mentioned the crucifixion of the flesh with its passions and desires? Perhaps Dr. Thompson made an honest mistake when he broke one of those common Carsonian exegetical fallacies (no, I'm not going to go look up which one): Spirit = breath so fruit of the spirit = fruit of the breath(ing).
This is buddhism whether or not Dr. Thompson veils it with the language of neuroscience...
What you won't hear from Thompson (or your average Zen Buddhist) is talk of sin, flesh, temptation, conviction, mortification, crucifixion, death, and repentance. And when he does make mention of his sin, do you think there is any mention of God's holiness, Jesus' sacrifice, the Holy Spirit's conviction, or the Christian's repentance? Nope. Take a look at a paragraph from his Anatomy of the Soul: Surprising Connections Between Neuroscience and Spiritual Practices That Can Transform Your Life and Relationships:
Sin and redemption. One way to comprehend the dynamic of sin is to see it as a matter of choosing to be mindless rather than mindful, which ultimately leads to our minds becoming dis-integrated. (I use the term dis-integrated throughout the book to refer, not to something that is decaying or falling apart, but to the opposite of integration, particularly between various parts of the brain.) In fact, the story of Eden shows how, like Adam and Eve, we are more interested in knowing right from wrong (a dominantly left-brain hemisphere function used to cope with fear and shame) than knowing God, which requires the integration of all parts of the brain. Through our redemption, this inclination can be reversed, making it possible for each of us to live with an integrated mind and play a larger role in God’s redemptive plan. We can experience this as individuals and, more significantly, in the context of a community that is a living demonstration of God’s love, mercy, and justice.
There you have it...redemption from the dynamic of sin is the reversal of our inclination to be more interested in knowing right from wrong than knowing God.
What ridiculous, emaciated claptrap...and this man's work is being promoted by the PCA's flagship seminary.
Andrew Dionne is the pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Spartanburg, SC. He and his wife Sarah have six children. Read more from Andrew here.
