Several years ago, my mom worked at a Christian school, and the leadership decided that all the teachers would participate in a brief yoga session after their weekly morning devotions. My mom was extremely uncomfortable with this and decided not to participate, but they justified the decision by saying they would incorporate Christian-y phrases or ideas into the session.
Thankfully, these weekly yoga sessions didn’t last long, but they do reveal just how easy it is for New Age practices and teachings to slip into Christian settings, especially the Church. I’ve seen yoga classes held in church buildings, pastors teaching the law of attraction (if you declare something, it will happen), and sermon series based on the Enneagram.
We must be careful to not allow these practices and beliefs to enter the Church because, as Doreen Virtue writes in her book Deceived No More, New Age and Christianity cannot mix. A church’s acceptance of New Age can only lead to apostasy.
The core beliefs of New Age stem from Hinduism, Buddhism, Celtic practices, Native American shamanism, and other various religions. They emphasize positivity and avoid any talk of sin or hell. New Agers believe in universalism and pluralism – everyone will be saved, regardless of what you believe or what religion you practice. Healings, visions, and manifestations are a big deal in New Age. They practice divination, mediumship, yoga, and meditation, and they regularly use crystals and tarot cards. Clearly, New Age cannot coincide with true, biblical, historical Christianity. But many New Agers would consider themselves Christians, and Doreen should know because she was one of them.
In Deceived No More, Doreen shares her story of how she went from being the bestselling New Age author to giving her life to the Lord. Doreen grew up in Christian Science, and she always thought that she was a Christian. Her religious background plus her strong desire to help people and her yearning for love led her into New Age practices. The messages and visions Doreen received were very accurate, and she quickly became a successful New Age author and teacher. She lived a first-class lifestyle and traveled all over the world, speaking at different New Age events and conferences. She even was a guest on Oprah, CNN, and The View. Throughout her entire life, Doreen believed she was doing the Lord’s work, but it wasn’t until she was listening to an Alistair Begg radio show while driving around Hawaii that she realized she was actually a false teacher.
Over time, Doreen discovered that the Bible is true, that Jesus died for her sins, and that she had to leave New Age. She threw away all her New Age objects and items, deleted her old YouTube videos, and begged people to destroy her books. She repented and apologized for her false teachings, but many people did not believe her conversion. She was dropped by her publisher, moved from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest, lost relationships with many friends and family members, and suffered from extreme spiritual warfare. But she also got baptized, read through the whole Bible, enrolled in seminary, made new friends who understood what it’s like to leave New Age, and was given opportunities to teach about the dangers of New Age and the beauty of the gospel. Doreen writes in her book-
“I was very sincere, but I was sincerely deceived. But now, with the Bible in hand and the true Christ in my heart, I plan on being deceived no more.”[1]
Deceived No More is an excellent book, and Doreen’s testimony is amazing. In addition to her story, Doreen’s book includes ten reasons why Christianity and New Age can’t mix, a dictionary of New Age lingo, and common heresies that are found both inside and outside the Church. Throughout the book, Doreen encourages her readers to always compare what they read and hear to Scripture, to share the gospel with their friends and family members in New Age, and to glorify God in everything that they do. And this is what sets Christianity and New Age apart-
“The New Age is all about glorifying and empowering yourself, while Christianity is about glorifying God and praising Him for His power.”[2]
If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about New Age, its beliefs, and its practices, this would be a great book to pick up and read. And even if you haven’t had any interest in New Age before, I do recommend you read this book so that you can recognize when New Age is influencing the culture and the Church.
[1] Doreen Virtue, Deceived No More: How Jesus Led Me out of the New Age and into His Word (Nashville: Emanate Books, 2020), 78.
[2] Ibid., 96.
