Section 12... The New Age/ Root of Evil

Thomas Troward (1847-1916)
a student of the Koran, Hindu scriptures and books of Raja Yoga and all of the sacred books of the oriental religions, which influenced his spiritual ideas. It is said that at one time a vision came to him about the development of a system of philosophy that gave peace of mind and the practical results of physical health and happiness. His writing is a combination of intuitive oriental mysticism filtered into a Western pedantic writing style. Details

Emmet Fox (1886-1951)
Knew and was influenced by Thomas Troward. Fox taught that Jesus had no theology whatever but His teaching were entirely spiritual and metaphysical.. The Plan of Salvation was completely unknown to the Bible and that the Mystic Power that could completely transform lives are found within our own consciousness. Details

Agnes Sanford  (1897-1982)
Worshiped in a Buddhist temple, taught occult visualization; promoted Jungian psychotherapy; believed that Jesus became a part of the collective unconscious of the human race and characterized God as a "life-force" in everyone and in everything. She also stated that she "was conscious of oneness with God, and therefore with the snake which God had made". Details

Modern Teachers
Richard Foster, John and Paula Sandford, Morton Kelsey, Francis MacNutt, Ruth Carter Stapleton, Leanne Payne, Karen Mains, Rita Bennett and David Seamonds, the Vineyard Fellowships (Kenn Gulliksen and John Wimber), Churches of the Foursquare denomination, through Cleansing Stream..Etc. Etc.

Napoleon Hill and Clement Stone
Hill was not seeking contact with spirit beings when he was suddenly confronted in his study by an unexpected and uninvited intruder who informed him that he had been “under the guidance of the Great School” for years and had been chosen by them to give the formula of success, the “Supreme Secret,” to the world...Think and Grow Rich is still popular after 60 years. He later co-authored Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude with Clement Stone
Details

Phineas Parkhurst Quimby
(1802-1866): believed that he had rediscovered the lost healing methods of Jesus, who was to him a reformer who had overcome all his religion before beginning to establish "the Truth or Christ." Quimby was very radical in opposing doctrinal conceptions of Christ. He uniformly called Jesus "a man like ourselves. Details

The Bhagavad Gita
Hindu Scriptures.

Ralph Waldo Emerson 
(1803 -1882):
Known as a Transcendentalist, was the great forerunner to the New Thought Movement. He was the pioneer New World diffuser of metaphysical and transcendental thought and Oriental philosophy, and was greatly influenced by the Bhagavad Gita, which appealed to him with compelling power. Details

Charles Wesley Emerson
(1837 - 1908)
A Unitarian minister said to be distantly related to Ralph Waldo Emerson founded Emerson College where the philosophy of life was taught.. a smorgasbord of the sources underlying New Thought metaphysics: Platonism, Swedenborgiani sm, Unitarianism, and Emerson’s Transcendentali sm. He was a member of the Mother Church of Christian Science from 1903 to 1908. Details

Mary Baker Eddy
1821-1910
The Founder of the Christian Science movement became a patient of the New England healer Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, whose "medicine-free" healing techniques undoubtedly influenced her greatly. Details

Emma Curtis Hopkins:
(1853-1925)
Often referred to as "The mother of New Thought" since New Thought did not formally organize until Hopkins brought together and focused the national movement in 1886-88. She visited Phineas Quimby who exerted a significant influence on her thinking regarding spiritual matters, and also was a student of the Christian Science of Mary Baker Eddy. Details

Norman Vincent Peale
(1898-1993) said of Ernest Holmes “"Only those who knew me as a boy can fully appreciate what Ernest Holmes did for me. Why, he made me a positive thinker." and “I believe God was in this man, Ernest Holmes”. Peale’s discovery of Emerson’s transcendalism, eventually became part of his mental equipment and a lifetime fascination. Peale also endorsed Dr. Bernie Siegel & Eric Butterworth. Details

Ernest S. Holmes
(1887-1960)
founder of a movement known as Religious Science, or Science of Mind, Holmes took his inspirations and information from a variety of sources including Quimby, Darwin, Emerson, Freud, and Mary Baker Eddy, but when he read the essay Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson  a spark leaped into flames. Details

Wallace Wattles (1860 – 1911)
It is said that it was was through his tireless study and experimentation that he discovered the truth of New Thought principles, However he was associated with the Chicago-based school of New Thought that centered around the teachings of Emma Curtis Hopkins and Later in his life he took to studying the various religious beliefs and philosophies of the world including those of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibnitz, Schopenhauer, Hegel, Swedenborg, Emerson, and others. Details

Essek William Kenyon
(1867-1948)
The spiritual mentor of today’s Word-Faith teachers, he was greatly influenced by the metaphysical mind science cults such as Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity, and Church of Religious Science and who apparently received his theological training from Emerson college. Details

Charles and Myrtle Fillmore
(1854-195)
Founders of the Unity School of Christianity. The Fillmores were students of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, while Myrtle was also a follower of Mary Baker Eddy. Charles had a background in Hinduism, Buddhism, Rosicrucianism, and Theosophy. Details

Bernie Siegel
a Connecticut physician became a bestselling author and New Age leader as a result of channeling George, a bearded, long-haired young man wearing an immaculate flowing white gown and a skullcap, who has been Bernie’s companion ever since. Siegel endorsed Neale Donald Walsch’s first book Conversations with God and currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Gerry Jampolsky’s A Course in Miracles-based Attitudinal Healing Center in Northern California. Details

Robert Schuller
Schuller has talked about how Nornam Vincent Peale has been his inspiration and mentor, who he credits with starting  the positive thinking movement. Schuller says Napolean Hill’s Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude is one of the ten books that has most impacted his faith and his philosophy... has hosted workshops for A Course In Miracles at the Crystal Cathedral.. He endorsed all of Gerald Jampolsky’s “fabulous” books and had a 40 year friendship with Clement Stone, who’s seven-figure gift made the Crystal Cathedral a reality. Details

Eric Butterworth
(1916-2003) 
Popular "Unity" Minister, Butterworth was among the leading spokespersons in modern times on "practical mysticism". Author of 16 best-selling books on metaphysical spirituality, including the bestseller Discover the Power Within You, written in 1968 and considered a classic in the New Thought Spiritual Movement. he began his daily messages, which at times went around the world, with the words: "You can change your life by altering your thoughts." Details

A Course in Miracles: A Course in Miracles was channeled through an atheistic psychologist named Helen Schucman from 1965 on. . When Dr. Schucman began to write down and explore her highly symbolic dreams, one day she unexpectedly heard an inner voice say, This is a course in miracles. Please take notes. The method of transmission was a clear, distinct inner voice that promised to direct her very specifically. The voice did just that, and the same spiritistic direction is promised to students of the Course. Details

Kenneth E. Hagin
(1917-2003).
The man most people first recognize as the originator of the word of Faith movement, Hagin has extensively plagiarized the writings and doctrines of E.W. Kenyon. Hagin’s legacy has been secured through the success of the Rhema Bible Training Center which now has over 23,000 alumni worldwide as well as having established training centers in 13 countries. Details

Bill Hybels
of the Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago credits Schuller as an inspiration for his work, has promoted Schuller in various ads in Christianity Today, and is a frequent speaker at meetings organized by Schuller.

Everyone and Anyone
who calls the Crystal Cathedral their church, attends Schuller’s conferences, enrolls in his institute, reads his books, listens to his broadcasts or allows any of his perverted ideas to shape their theology in any shape, form or fashion.

Word of Faith Teachers
Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Paul and Jan Crouch, Marilyn Hickey, Frederick Price, John Avanzini, Charles Capps, Jerry Savelle, Paul Yonggi Cho, Morris Cerullo, and on and on and on… ad nauseum. Details

A Slew of New Age Crusaders.. For example...Marianne Williamson’s book A Return to Love and Gerry Jampolsky’s Attitudinal Healing Center in Northern California are both based on A Course in Miracles. Wayne W. Dyer says the world would be a more peaceful place if everyone was living by the principles of A Course in Miracles.

Rick Warren
The list of Warren’s dubious connections is a mile long (Details) However in the context of this page he learned his ‘Felt Needs’ approach to church building from Robert Schuller. The Purpose Driven Church, carries a recommendation by Schuller, which says.. “I'm praying that every pastor will read this book, believe it, be prepared to stand corrected by it, and change to match its sound, scriptural wisdom....” Warren favorably mentions New Age leader Bernie Siegel on p. 30–31 of The Purpose-Driven Life. Kay Warren attended Schuller’s 2008 Rethink conference.

Oprah Winfrey
Twenty-one years ago Oprah Winfrey introduced the New Age movement to her American audience, by talking about Eric Butterworth and his book Discover the Power Within You. Since then she has had as a guest on her show or endorsed, every New Age leader and concept in existence. If they preach an alternative gospel Oprah, in her infinite ignorance, backs them. Details

Everyone and Anyone
 who watches any of these hucksters on TV, contributes to their ‘ministries’, reads their books, attends one of their healing circuses, listens to their broadcasts,  watches TBN, listens to Oprah’s New Age guests or gets involved in Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Drivel.

Jane Roberts and Seth Speaks(1929–1984)
an American author, psychic and trance medium or spirit medium who claimed to have "channeled" a personality named Seth. The series of "Seth books" eventually totaled ten volumes & established her as one of the pre-eminent figures in the world of paranormal phenomena saying All That Is is within you. Details

Esther and Jerry Hicks
Jerry experimented with a Ouija board... Got goose bumps after reading Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and decided to follow the teachings. After marrying Esther they started reading the Seth books, were instructed by an entity named Theo to start meditating and eventually channeled the teachings of Abraham, said to be a group of non-physical beings. Details

The Secret
Rhonda Byrne, the author of The Secret, read The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace D. Wattles saying "Something inside of me had me turn the pages one by one, and I can still remember my tears hitting the pages as I was reading it. It gave me a glimpse of The Secret and it was like a flame inside of my heart." She  was also greatly influenced by Jerry and Esther Hicks. In the acknowledgements of The Secret, she thanks them for the teachings of Abraham. Details

Jack Canfield
co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series, and New Age leader for more than a quarter of a century, he was featured in The Secret Movie. On his site canfieldcoaching.com he says his mentor was W. Clement Stone. He has also made references to Esther and Jerry Hicks and the Law of Attraction. Details