Die esoteriese aard van die New Age

Abstract

Christian literature about the New Age seldom accentuates its esoteric character. Yet, esotericism has been part and parcel of the new world view since its inception in theosophy. In dispensing occult knowledge, New Age adepts confront Christianity with an alternative religious knowledge: experiential knowledge versus revelational knowledge. This esoteric knowledge claims to unveil the hidden background of present world developments. Its cultivation needs different, anti-ecclesiastical forms of worship and Scriptural interpretation. The inherent pantheism of New Age, however, doctrine implies an irrational dialectic, rendering it questionable. A Christian compromise with the New Age, a virtual mirror image of Christianity, is not possible.