New Age Holistic Health: Implications for Seventh-day Adventist Faith and Practice

Summary

New Age holistic health therapies are rooted in Eastern mystical religious philosophies—Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism—as well as the occult, and are therefore spiritually and sometimes physically dangerous for Seventh-day Adventist Christians. The research examined primary and secondary New Age sources, the Bible, writings of Ellen G. White, and other Christian authors, and interviewed Chinese acupuncturists and New Age practitioners. It found that pioneers of New Age holistic health were often associated with occult parapsychology and psychic phenomena. The conclusion is that Christians cannot separate these practices from their nonbiblical worldview philosophies without compromising loyalty to God.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Problem. Alternative New Age holistic health therapies can be physically and spiritually dangerous for Seventh-day Adventist Christians because these therapies are based on nonbiblical worldview philosophies, universal energy forces, astrology, the occult, and Eastern mysticism. Method. Primary and secondary New Age holistic health sources, as well as the Bible, the writings of Ellen G. White and other Christian writers were researched. Interviews were conducted with Chinese acupuncturists and New Age holistic health practitioners. The intent was to discover the roots of New Age holistic health therapies and practices and the sources that the recent New Age holistic pioneers drew from in developing their characteristic modalities. Results. The findings of this research dissertation are that New Age holistic health roots are deeply embedded in Eastern mystical religious philosophies, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism, as well as the occult. It is shown that typically New Age holistic health pioneers were either associated with or practiced occult parapsychology and the psychic phenomena. Conclusion. New Age holistic health therapies and practices are based on nonbiblical worldview philosophies. Eastern mysticism and the occult. It is spiritually dangerous, and sometimes physically harmful, for Christians to participate in these therapies or to think that they can separate the practices from their nonbiblical worldview philosophies and still remain loyal to their God and Savior.