mark anderson September 12th, 2009

One of the reasons I like to listen to your show is that you have guests on that I don't encounter on the other Christian websites I go to. I enjoyed the Pete Scazzero interview– so much, in fact, I went to his website to get more information. There I read several helpful articles, then e-mailed the website address to two friends, one my former pastor, the other my current pastor. Thanks again (Kathy?) for scheduling another interesting guest.

Trusting God Makes Me Have a Happy Face (and Other Myths) « adventures in mercy September 14th, 2009

[…] Steve Brown Etc had a fantastic podcast just recently that, if the subject of emotional maturity is interesting, you'll want to be […]

pilgrim September 23rd, 2009

I've spent a good deal of time reading Scazzero's book - our church used it for a "Bible Study" on emotional health.

I'm sorry to say that I can't agree with Mr. Anderson or any one else who praises this book. I've come to the conclusion that the essence of Mr. Scazzero's teaching is heresy - namely that Mr. Scazzero is catering to our pride in order to make us believe that we can be holy without God. It is a method for being good without depending on God.

I ask you, if you're in a situation when you are being tempted with one of your favorite sins, are you going to wip out your genogram and find out which great uncle or aunt had the same problem you're now struggling with? As for me, I hope I call out to Christ for the mercy and grace not to sin and to depend on His promises. And if I do sin, I hope I He gives me the grace and mercy to run to Him for forgiveness.

Also, consider, Scazzero's rule of life - a trellis (ladder) that "helps us abide in Christ and become more fruitful spiritually" (p.196). Really now, what did Christ say to Nathanael about the ladder that Jacob dreamt about? Was it that if you find your rule of life you will become more fruitful spiritually?

There are many more comments that I could make but think about this: If we really needed the material that Scazzero talks about for us to grow spiritually, then it logically follows that Christ didn't have to die for us: all I needed was Scazzero's emotionally healthy spirituality to save me from my sins!

Steve, I hope you can help stear people away from this teaching. I can find no good in it!

P.S. Calling the study our church went through a "Bible Study" was also quite a joke: very little of the Bible is in Scazzero's book, while there is much of secular and mystical thinking. What reference was made to the Bible is greatly infused with eisegetical remarks that really helps you see more of Scazzero's heart than God's heart.

chris giammona September 29th, 2009

Pilgrim

You obviously do not understand Pete Scazzero or EHS. I am a ruling elder in the PCA and a personal friend of Pete. If you ahve concerns about the book or material, why not write the author and ask him rather than drawing conclusions that are not accurate.

Regards,

Chris

rick December 13th, 2009

I've been using Pete's material for six months in my church. I saw the lack of a deeper transformation in Christians and was attempting to write the essesnce of his work myself when I encountered his book. It's not a book to read, but a journey to begin.

It's starting a real revolution in my church. Pete nails it. It's the real deal.

I highly encourage churches to get turned on to this material.

pilgrim February 1st, 2010

Chris

Since when did being an RE in a PCA church make one infallible? I hope you aren’t bringing up the fact that you are an RE as a mark of infallibility or as being pertinent to the issue I’m bringing up. But just in case you are, I’m challenging this statement as being irrelevant to the issue.

Is it possible that Scazzero has misrepresented his thinking in his book? Yes, but since I don’t know him, all I have to go on is what he has written and therefore, that is what I’m commenting on. As for Scazzero responding, he does so on his blog and facebook account. As such, when he continues to say the same things as he does in his book, then you have to conclude that if he means otherwise, then he is at the least an incompetent writer.

Chris, why, pray tell, do we need EHS when

(1) the sacrifice of Christ is presented in Hebrews 7 as being so effective that it purifies our lives and HEARTS!?
(2) the promises that flow from God’s glory and goodness, the ones spoken about in 2Peter 1, are said to enable us to escape the corruption that is in the world due to our evil DESIRES and to enable us to participate in the divine nature?
(3) any system of becoming righteous that is not dependent on Christ’s work on the cross, his advocacy for us before the throne of God, and/or trusting in His promises is condemned in Galatians? (cf Gal 3-5)
(4) any experience or method that gives you some sort of knowledge of “God” apart from His word is condemned in Colossians as being unable to restrain our sinful passions?

Scazzero presents our sinfulness as being so incapable of being reached by Christ’s righteousness that he says, on p. 44

“Few Christians committed to contemplative spirituality integrate the inner workings of emotional health. At the same time few people committed to emotional health integrate contemplative spirituality. Both are powerful, life-changing emphases when engaged in separately. (begin emphasis) But together, they offer nothing short of a spiritual revolution transforming the hidden places deep beneath the surface. (end emphasis) When emotional health and contemplative spirituality are interwoven together in an individual’s life, a small group, a church, a university fellowship, or a community, people’s lives are dramatically transformed. They work as an antidote to heal the symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality described in chapter two. (begin emphasis) Moreover, they provide a means to decisively conquer the beast within us and in our culture (end emphasis).” (emphases are mine)

Chris, I don’t know how you understand that passage, but when I read that someone is claiming that I will be dramatically transformed (a spiritual revolution) by a METHOD and that I will conquer the beast within me, (the beast is defined on p. 42 as “the culture of their generation” and on p. 43 as “the chaotic blur of energies, the seemingly uncontrollable forces of sinful nature.”), then according to God’s word (Gal 1:8-9), that person is preaching a different gospel and as such, at the very least, their teachings are anathema.

You claim that you and he are good friends. As his good friend I enjoin you to fight for his soul and the souls of others who believe and practice this sorcery because if he is not incompetent as a writer, i.e. he means what he is saying, then he himself is accursed if he continues to believe, practice and teach this aberration which is a deviation from God’s revealed word.

One final point, look at Rick’s comment (the one after yours): “I saw the lack of a deeper transformation in Christians.” Do you really want to lay this lack at the feet of Christ, blaming him for not giving us all that we needed to be transformed? (cf 2Pet 1:3)

I pray that God blesses you with courage and understanding so that you know how to deal with this teaching and to not be found with a form of godliness, but having denied its power.

Pilgrim