Evangelisation and the New Age: A Challenge To The Church?
The Church has always been faced with the problem of having to adapt to new problems and controversies. At significant periods in its history, the Church has been forced into making its opinion on new ideas known. The Church has been continually focussing what it has been about for years. In its earlier years it was missionary, and evangelical. In later years it became institutionalised and yet again had to face problems related with that. As we move towards the end of the second milenium, the Church is again is having to refine its answers. The Gospel was supposed to be preached to the ends of the earth, yet the reality is that many who have heard of Jesus Christ have turned against what He has said. Popular atheism has come and gone. Spiritualism is now one of the modern trends. People are beginning to become more spiritually aware of themselves, out-side the Church. I propose to look at the whole area of evangelism in the Church. Rather than being institutional, the Church needs to remember that it is evangelical at its core. From its conception, the apostles have been sent out to preach the Good News. Somewhere* the power of this message has diminished due to various challenges. I intend to look then at why people favour ideas such as the New Age, which we are apparently living in, to the Gospel. Many Christians and Catholics have been influenced by the New Age. Confusion exists around what it exactly is and stands for. Christians are divided on the subject of what it is; some reject it, others welcome it and in so doing sometimes reject the Church. The Church has therefore been forced into coming to an understanding of what people are drawn to. I intend to look at some of the pastoral responses made by the Church and the relevant advice offered.
National University of Ireland - Maynooth
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
Pontifical University, St Patrick's College, Maynooth