A Crash Course on the New Age Movement

The winds of change sweep across us from every direction, and with the recent terrorist activities and the war on terrorism filling our minds and television screens, new challenges seem to come from every direction. One of the changes that has taken place in America in the past 30 years that continues to be a struggle for many people is the New Age movement. It has become a part of the universalism that is being preached throughout the world today, and it offers a major alternative to denominational traditions. We have been getting an increasing number of questions about the New Age movement, and even though the book we are reviewing here is over 10 years old, we still feel it is a good source for people to be aware of.

Elliot Miller was a part of the New Age movement earlier in his life. Because of his involvement with the New Age concepts, the book offers some unique perspectives. The book starts out defining the New Age movement and showing its association with Hindu mysticism and explaining how it was integrated with the "hippie" movements of the 1960s and 1970s. This is followed by a discussion of how the New Age has clashed with science and with science methods. There are two chapters in the book outlining New Age ideology followed by a discussion of New Age evangelism and how New Agers integrate evolution as well as many pseudosciences into their approach. Most of us know about channeling from Shirley McClaine's claims and book. Miller has a detailed treatment of the who and what of channeling.

After 182 pages of discussion, the last 80 pages of the book is devoted to appendices in which specific areas are explored. How to identify New Agers, David Hunt's work, crystals, music, Constance Cumbey's conspiracy theory (the Dangers of the Rainbow), how to discuss with New Agers, and the author's own story are covered in these pages.

Back to Contents Does God Exist?, JanFeb03.