Renovare & The Christian Mystic Quaker and Fuller psychologist, Richard Foster is co-founder of Renovaré, and Professor of spiritual formation at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. Foster teaches all the techniques of the New Age such as quietism, mantras, centering, Buddhism, Yoga, T. M., the exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, Eastern religion and so on. An evaluation of Fosters sources of learning is discussed in, 'A CRITIQUE ON THE MINISTRY OF RICHARD FOSTER.

' The ecumenical Foster, a contemporary of Madeleine L'Engle, was trained at George Fox College. (Quaker) and also, "served for a time as a professor of theology and writer-in-residence at Friend's University in Wichita, Kansas."

64. Al Dager writes: "A large part of Renovare's spiritual disciplines involve meditation on the writings of selected spiritual masters associated with the "Christian" contemplative tradition. Most, of course, are Roman Catholic, particularly those mystics from the fourth through the fifteenth century."

65. John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Like Kabbalist sages, and other occultists, Foster encourages his followers in 'astral projection," the ascension to heavenly places and into the "Presence." "Foster take his followers on spiritual journeys up beyond the heavenly places and into the "Presence of God", face to face with the Creator of the universe through the use of Eastern meditative techniques. His book, Celebration of Discipline,'using guided imagery' occult practices of visualization, meditation and even astral travel'"

66 Media Spotlight gives a long list of those supporting Foster's Renovare including: RENOVARE'S STEERING COMMITTEE *Sister Thomas Bernard, Director. The Spirituality Centre, CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE of Los Angeles. *Isaac Canales, Ass. Dir. Hispanic Ministries, FTS* *T. Eugene Coffin, Counsellor, Memorial Gardens, CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL. *Richard Felix, President, AZUSA Pacific University. *David Allan Hubbard, President of FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY. *Anne Huffman. 'Harbour Community PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES. *Jerry Johnson, Ex. Pastor, Lake Avenue CONGREGATIONAL. *H. B. London Sen. Pastor First Church of the Nazarene. California. *Robert Munger, Prof. Emeritus evangelism and Church Strategy. FTS* *William E. Pannell, Dir. Black Ministries. FTS*

*Robert A. Seiple, Pres. WORLD VISION, Inc. *Slang-Yang-Tan, Direc. Dr. of Psychology Program. FTS* *"REV. MSGR. ROYALE M. VADAKIN. Direc. COMMISSION ON ECUMENICAL & INTER-RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS, CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE of Los Angeles. (*FTS: Fuller Theological Seminary). (...List Shortened) *H. B. London, Sen. Pastor First Church of the Nazarene. California. is none other than than James Dobson's cousin, who works for Focus on the Family. RENOVARE'S BOARD OF REFERENCE [Late] JAMIE BUCKINGHAM, G. Raymond Carlson, Ted W. Engstrom, Gary Fawver, TONY CAMPOLO, Richard Felix, Faith Forster, Roger Forster, William C. Frey, Millard Fuller, Henry Gariepy, MICHAEL HARPER, Roberts Hestenes, Jerry R. Kirk, Clarence A Kopp, Sr., David LeShana, Peter Lord, Carl H. Lundquist, DAVID & KAREN MAINS, Martin Marty, AMONGST MANY WHO ARE OF RENOVARE'S SPEAKING PLATFORM ARE: Sister Thomas Bernard, Catholic. Isaac Canales, Fuller Theo. Seminary. (Fuller has many speakers for Renovare). Eugene Coffin, Crystal Cathedral (Robert Schuller's "cathedral"). Richard Foster, President of Renovare. Jack Hayford, Sen. Pastor, The Church on the Way, California. Bob Seiple, World Vision, Inc. William Vaswig, of Renovare. Jane Willard. Professional therapist (offered for prayer and counselling during seminars)...(list shortened)

67. One writer wrote: "Included in the extensive list are Lloyd John Ogilvie, Jack Hayford, G. Raymond Carlson (General Superintendent of the Assembly of God, USA), David Hubbard (President of Fuller Theological College), Jamie Buckingham, TONY CAMPOLO, I. J. Packer, JOHN WIMBER, C. PETER WAGNER"

68 Perhaps the endorsement of Richard Fosters teachings by such notables as the late Jamie Buckingham, John Wimber and other 'Christians' can explain some trends. Jamie Buckingham, supported Kathryn Kuhlman and Bob Mumford, and through the magazine Logos helped introduce many of the Charismatic leaders to a wider audience. Leaders such as: "Dennis Bennett, Bob Mumford, Harold Hill, Merlin Carothers, Iverna Tompkins and Judson Cornwall, to name a fewŠ He edited the Logos Journal for a time and wrote 14 books for the company, including the best- sellers Shout it From the Housetops (1972), written with CBN founder Pat Robertson, and Daughter of Destiny (1976), the story of Kathryn Kuhlman. Jamie also served on the original board of directors for Logos, alongside such charismatic leaders as David du Plessis, Bob Slosser and Gen. Ralph Haines."

69 Buckingham also worked with Stephen Strang of Charisma and Christian Life Magazine, from 1979 until 1992. Strang was a featured speaker at the Messiah99 Conference. Of the many Evangelicals who have endorsed Richard Foster's 'Celebration of Disciplines,' in the "Spiritual Disciplines" (Second Edition ,pp 203-210) we find, "Jamie Buckingham; Gary R. Collins, professor of psychology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Tony Campolo, speaker and author; Leighton Ford, Leighton Ford Ministries [Chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization]; William C. Fry, bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Colorado; Mark O. Hatfield, senators; Caroline Koons, author; Judith C. Lechman, author; Madeleine L'Engle, author.; David L. McKenna, president, Asbury Theological Seminary; Calvin Miller, author; John and Paula Sandford, authors; Luci Shaw, Harold Shaw Publishers, author; Ronald J. Sider, exec. Dir., Evangelicals for Social Action; Lewis B. Smedes, author Howard A. Snyde, professor., United Theological Seminary; Tommy Tyson, evangelist; C. Peter Wagner, professor Fuller Theological Seminary; Robert Webber, professor of theology, Wheaton College; Macrina Wiederkehr, author; Dallas Willard, author; and John Wimber, [late] pastor and founder, Vineyard Christian Fellowship."

70 Foster reciprocated John Wimber's endorsement by commending Wimber's honesty in the forward to "Power Healing." He affirms Wimber's apostolic role and claims that "John speaks with the confidence of one who is living out of the divine center."

71 That "divine Center" is an Eastern mysticism term, meaning "God is a universal consciousness, residing within everyone, guiding them on the path to evolutionary perfection."

72 Foster, like other Quaker quietists believe that "God is within." In fact, Foster declared in 1991 that a "Quiet Revolution" was coming and like Rick Joyner and others, declared the coming incomparable 'harvest.' " withŠQuiet Revolution" "the new move of the Spirit" will come the greatest harvesting of souls in the history of the world. Foster sees Vineyard and Kansas City FellowshipŠas the greatest hope for what he called "this God-ordained Harvest."

73 There is a difference in understanding that the Holy Spirit indwells us when we accept Jesus Christ and the occult meaning behind the concept of "the god within", "the light within" or "the Christ within." The authors of Trojan Horse, defining this "revolution" write: "Cuietist revolution [involves] promotion of the same esoteric practices found in Foster's books, but also a strategy for ecumenism, without regard for doctrine." "Renovare is the organization behind this movementŠOut of the traditions of Quakerism, Richard Foster and William L. Vasivig, co-directors of RenovareŠ[are] offering spiritual disciplines well know to the pagan world to induce deeper spiritualityŠ"

74 Renovare is merely one of the many avenues for incorporating this mysticism and ecumenical teaching into society, and specifically, Christianity. Foster and Vasivig have held many conferences and in 1991 held their second "National Conference on Personal Spiritual Renewal of Christian Leaders": "with more than one thousand pastors and leaders in attendance, the directors praised occultist/psychiatrist Carl Jung as a great psychiatrist emphasized personal renewal through 'meditative prayer' involving 'centering down' to become quiet and passive, then used guided imagery and visualization of Christ" "ŠFoster called for unity in the body of Christ through the "five streams of Christianity, the contemplative, the holiness, the charismatic, social justice and vangelical."Vasivig recalled that his first experience of "meditative prayer" using visualization was taught to him personally by Episcopalian mystic Agnes Sanford. He explained the contemplative aspect of Renovare's spiritual disciplines, the attainment of a state of mind that is totally passive and uncluttered by rational thoughtŠPracticing the "Presence of God" is actually a form of Zen Meditation."

75 Roman Catholics mystics, particularly of the fourth to the fifteenth century are associated with these same teachings. Besides Jacob Boehme and George Fox, some like-minded mystics include Thomas Merton, St. Ignatius Loyola Henry Suso, Dorothy of Montau, Julian of Norwich and so on.

References:

65. as cited in: A CRITIQUE ON THE MINISTRY OF RICHARD FOSTER. Wendy Howard, editor of Despatch magazine, Queensland, Australia.

66. op.cit., p. 111-112, Trojan Horse

67. as cited in: A CRITIQUE ON THE MINISTRY OF RICHARD FOSTER. Wendy Howard

68. Ibid.

69. 1932-1992 Jamie Buckingham (A Special Tribute) Prophet With a Pen; Compiled by the editorial staffs of Ministries Today and Charisma. http://www.strang.com/wwa/jamie/index.htm

70. op.cit. p.113, Trojan Horse

71. p.4 Media Spotlight; Special Report: The Vineyard: History, Teachings & Practices, p.7; Albert James Dager; 1996

72. Ibid

73. op.cit. Trojan Horse, p. 119

74. Ibid

75. Ibid, p. 120

76 Ibid, p.xi

77. Ibid. p. 84

78. Ibid. p. 75

79. Ibid. p77 80.

Ibid. p. 78 81.

Ibid. p. 85 82. Ibid. p. 77