[Dan Boone likens Bible believing Christians to Islamic fundamental “jihadists”; Dan Boone believes that parts of the Psalms were borrowed from the Pagans; Dan Boone promotes pagan prayer labyrinths, contemplative mysticism and false teachers; Dan Boone is an ecumenist who compromises with a false religion.]
Dan Boone: “Religious fundamentalism is one of the hot topics in the world today and this website has given me the best model, other than Islamic fundamentalism, to demonstrate to students how religious fundamentalism works.”
Dan Boone: “I only argued with them in the first place because they were making false claims about Trevecca, and to expose them for who they really are—religious fundamentalists. But you can’t have discussions with people whose minds are already made up… Rational conversation with them is not possible”
Dan Boone “Hinduism. I even reminded the writer that God’s people have often taken elements of other religions and sanctified them for Christian use—Canaanite songs became Jewish psalms, pagan feasts became Christian meals, and so on.” (email to a concerned Nazarene)
Dan Boone: “Now, I must confess a sin. I did not listen to some friends who told me that I would not find a rational conversation here. I am most likely viewing these websites for the last time and would urge all thinking Christians to join me in the exit. Maybe we can stun them with our silence.
Dan Boone: “My concern is that we have diminished God by elevating the Bible.”
Dan Boone: “I believe that God is pained over the tenor of the discussion between the literalists of seven-day creation theories and the evolutionists of the slow creative-process theories. To prove either one correct is not a saving act. God is not wringing his hands hoping we defend the literal interpretation of Gen. 1.”
Dan Boone: “What I find more exciting and authoritative is the thought that the people of God were exiled in the pagan land of Babylon, listening to pagan stories about the origin of the universe, and the breath of God spoke through a prophet giving them a different understanding. They hijacked the Babylonian tale of creation and declared God to be the one who, in the beginning, created creation and came to take up residence with us in the cosmic temple. Now that’s authority” (from letter to area pastors in response to Sue and Don Butler’s article)
Somewhere in his Christian journey, I believe Dan Boone (and the many Nazarenes who believe the way he does) took a detour down the wrong path. It is evident in his writings, and it is evident in what he believes, practices and defends. Although we must continue to expose the lies of the emergent church, we must also pray for those who have been deceived by satan into believing the lies, such as Dr. Boone. Remember that their primary goal in relation to us is not to educate us, but to shut us up.
When it comes to folks who challenge the things he teaches and believes, there is nothing charitable about Dan Boone. In spite of suggesting a few years ago that people like me should be “stunned with our silence”, he just could not resist again. President Boone of Trevecca Nazarene University wrote a book a few years ago called A Charitable Discourse, although the content is far from charitable. Who can take the book seriously when the author suggests that fundamental Bible believing Christians are no better than fundamental Islamic jihadists?
Now he has written an article in Holiness Today entitled The Screwtape Letters Meets A Charitable Discourse. If you are not familiar with the fictional book by C.S. Lewis, it is a series of 31 letters written from the perspective of a senior demon, Screwtape, addressed to one of his underlings. In the letters, Screwtape acts as a mentor to Wormwood, his nephew, giving advice and counsel on how best to lead to damnation a man referred to as “The Patient.” It is a cleverly written series of letters which among other things, suggests that even intellectuals are susceptible to demonic enticement and trickery.
The article seems somewhat clever, and it never mentions anyone in particular, but to those of us that it is directed at, we understand. In my opinion, it has no business being published in a magazine whose purpose was originally to write on holiness and other uplifting topics. I wonder if the editor of HT would give equal time for someone to respond to yet another attack piece on Bible believers (remember Rev. Kevin Ulmet’s article?).
This is simply another old attempt to send a message to Bible believing Christians that we are the problem in the church, and that satan is using us to divide the body of Christ. Perhaps Dan Boone has never given one thought to the possibility that satan is using him and others to divide the body of Christ, not us. Keep in mind that the difference between many of us and the Dan Boones of the church is that we always point out the specific teaching or practice, and let the word of God condemn it or uphold it. The strategy of folks such as Dan is to employ personal attack and unsupported accusations. This is their only viable weapon.
Here are a few excerpts from the article, which should be online now:
“By enticing them with the wonders of electronic media, you have whetted their appetites for religious blood in the water.”
The tactics of Dan, as well as that of Rev. Kevin Ulmet in his “loving” article in Holiness Today a few months ago, are exactly the same. They practice the very “jihadist attacks” Dan mentions in his book, while at the same time promoting a “holy conversation.” In his book, he talks about “speaking truthfully without fear of reprisal.” Yet he compares Bible believers who dare to speak truthfully as nothing more than equivalent to “jihadists.” I have now seen that this is the only reliable defense they have.
“As the dominant conversation of their gathering centers on the trivial…”
Perhaps Dr. Boone is complaining that focusing on such things as his promotion of prayer labyrinths, mysticism, and re-writing of plain Scriptural teachings, will reveal the falsehoods that he so tenaciously clings to in spite of clear Biblical teaching to the contrary. But if anyone thinks I am picking on just Dan Boone, let me be clear. He is just one of the upfront spokesmen for a movement which many church leaders, pastors, and district leaders have wholeheartedly bought into. He speaks for them, and so what is written here is just as much about them as it is about Dan Boone.
Let’s take a look at some of his beliefs again:
Dan Boone believes that parts of the Psalms were borrowed from the Pagans
Dr. Boone believes that the Psalms were just different renderings of Babylonian myths, and that parts of the Bible were just the Israelites copying what they heard the pagans say. Here is what he sent in an email to a concerned Nazarene:
“The Hebrew creation account is a re-telling of the Babylonian tale. Their Hebrew feast days are re-interpretations of the Canaanite days. The Royal Psalms in the collection of Psalms were once Canaanite songs.”
If that is the case, then Dr. Boone clearly does not believe that the scriptures are wholly inspired by God, but that some parts come from pagan traditions! Who else believes this stuff? Has Dan Boone ever shown us through the word of God that what he says here is true?
Dan Boone promotes pagan prayer labyrinths, contemplative mysticism and false teachers
Trevecca Nazarene University has had a prayer labyrinth on campus for years. After we brought that to light, he changed the name of it to “prayer walk.” It’s still a pagan practice, yet Dan Boone and others think that Christians can “redeem” these pagan practices for their own use. Trevecca also allowed the advertising of a yoga class on their campus, and part of Dr. Boone’s response to me was that he had no opinion about yoga.
Dr. Boone promotes one of the leading teachers of contemplative mysticism, false teacher Richard Foster (see the attached letter to pastors). See also the article Richard Foster: Evangelicalism’s Mystical Sparkplug, and decide if his teachings reflect sound Biblical doctrine. Foster, for instance, makes the amazing claim that non-believers can also practice the Christian spiritual disciplines: “We need not be well advanced in matters of theology to practice the Disciplines. Recent converts–for that matter people who have yet to turn their lives over to Jesus Christ–can and should practice them” (Celebration of Discipline, 1978, p. 2).
In the same letter, he called both Thomas Merton and Ignatius of Loyola spiritual giants. Merton was not a spiritual giant- he was a monk who said that he was “deeply impregnated with Sufism” because he believed that Eastern mysticism was compatible with and could be incorporated into Christianity. He placed Mary high on a level equal to Jesus, he prayed to many catholic saints. He was influenced by Aldous Huxley, who found enlightenment through hallucinogenic drugs. Quote: “I see no contradiction between Buddhism and Christianity. The future of Zen is in the West. I INTEND TO BECOME AS GOOD A BUDDHIST AS I CAN” (Source: Way of Life) Yet, Dan Boone calls him a spiritual giant.
Ignatius of Loyola was no wiser, and as the founder of the Jesuits he brutally persecuted Christians and swore complete submission to the pope. As most Roman Catholics do, he venerated Mary. He practiced extreme asceticism, living in a cave for a year and never bathing. He also promoted and taught visualization prayers, breath prayers, and other unbiblical practices (Source: Way of Life). Yet, Dan Boone calls him a spiritual giant.
Also, in his profile at Nazarene Theological Seminary, which is no longer posted, he said the following:
“…I am deepening in the mystical forms of prayer..”
Can anyone point me to any Biblical instruction on the mystical forms of prayer?
Dan Boone is an Ecumenist Who Compromises With A False Religion
In a Letter to Pastors he wrote in 2009 he not only erroneously claimed that the Roman Catholic church was the only church for 1500 years after Christ, but he also exposed more error along with his ecumenical get along with everyone philosophy. How is it that we can “be one” with the Roman Catholic Church?
“While Nazarenes are different from Catholics in very significant ways, we believe that we will share eternity with them in the presence of the Christ who prayed that we might be one.”
And for years Trevecca has sponsored a trip for students to the Abby of Gethsemani, a monastery in Kentucky which was home to Thomas Merton. They openly promote practicing the silence, which Dr. Boone has erroneously justified by twisting the meaning of Psalm 46:10 totally out of context. (Read article here)
So could it be that Dan Boone and his intellectual friends have succumbed to demonic enticement and trickery, to the point that they are blinded to the truth and now believe a lie? Has he been duped by another Wormwood into believing a lie? Or is it that myself and other Christians who are opposed to his ideology and the practices he promotes, are the ones who have succumbed to demonic lies? For you see, it is either the one, or the other. Dan Boone cannot be right, and at the same time, we who oppose his philosophy cannot also be right. Truth is truth, and the rest is doctrines of demons.
I just ask again for anyone to contrast with Scripture, and make up your mind.
Related Articles:
https://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/conversation-with-a-university-president/
http://sadnazarene.wordpress.com/category/dan-boone/
https://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/a-charitable-discourse-or-compromise/
https://reformednazarene.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/a-response-to-dan-boones-report-on-soulforce/
Dan Boone sermons at College Church of the Nazarene:
Gods That Must Be Carried (9/18/2012)
Revival Chapel (9/18/2012)
The Neighbors (9/19/2012)
Overwhelmed (9/19/2012)
Overprotected (9/20/2012)
Former Nazarene 
I wonder how Mr. Boone views Martin Luther and the spiritual successors of the reformation, which would include one John Wesley, who concurred with Luther, Calvin, et al, that Rome was on the wrong side of many doctrines and in particular seriously wrong about the gospel. It’s amazing how much damage is being done to the Reformation and the evangelical denominations it has developed in the name of “spirituality.”
Both Wesley and Arminius preached hard against Rome. We need to stand with the Reformers, both Arminians and Calvinists, for the truth of God.
In Proverbs [9:10] Solomon said; “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” I can’t help but question some of our leadership’s wisdom, and from whom they received it, giving what they teach and uphold as Biblical truth.
In the first thirteen verses of Job chapter twenty eight, Job contrasts man’s ability to mine precious stones and minerals from the land to ones search for wisdom. Job demonstrates (v.3) that in man’s search for treasure, showing their skill and perseverance, even the hidden places of the earth is not withheld from them; wisdom cannot be found in the same manner. In verses (12, 13) Job asks the question and provides us with the answer. “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living.” If it is not among men, where then can it be found?
Job goes on to declare that it is more valuable that precious stones and cannot be purchased or exchanged with earthly possessions. After a long comparison of its value above expensive stones Job asks again, (v.20) “From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? And in (v.23) we get our answer, “God understands its way, And He knows its place.” In truth we must go to God to obtain wisdom not the cleaver devising of man who, with some, given the opportunity will distort the truth and lead people to believe a lie. In closing (v.28) Job gives mankind a strong warning, “And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.”
If understanding is to depart from evil, then how can the Church in any form endorse anything that even remotely resembles pagan worship especially since God forbids such practices of worship? I ask this question, Are we replacing God’s wisdom with man’s wisdom and calling it understanding?
The problem with Boone and other Emergent proponents who dont believe scripture is that they think it all started with the Reformers. That there was no church in place before the Roman Catholic church. Thats historically just not true. Plus even with the Reformers they did not reform enough. The early church father taught sola scriptura as well as sola fide simply because thats what is taught in scripture. Not because one of the Reformers got this great epiphany. Dont take this as a negative toward the Reformers. I think they had a lot of great things to say and were wonderful to get the church back to the basics so to speak. However Luther did not want to leave the Roman Catholic church and Calvin clung to Augustine who was one of the Roman Catholics biggest thinkers (or stinkers as some would say).