⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 2 min read
Why Contemplative Spirituality Undermines Biblical Authority
Show Summary:
What is contemplative spirituality, and why has it become so influential in many churches today?
In this episode of Equipping You in Grace, Dave Jenkins is joined by Marcia Montenegro to discuss contemplative spirituality, mystical experience, biblical meditation, and the authority of Scripture. Together they explain why these practices often sound biblical while ultimately shifting Christians away from the sufficiency and clarity of God’s Word.
The conversation explores contemplative prayer, silence and stillness practices, spiritual formation movements, subjective spiritual experiences, biblical meditation, and the growing influence of mystical spirituality in evangelical churches.
Dave and Marcia also explain why Christians must test every teaching by Scripture and why God’s Word, not mystical experience, must remain the believer’s ultimate authority for faith and life.
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Episode Notes
- What the contemplative movement teaches and why it appeals to many Christians
- The difference between biblical meditation and mystical meditation
- How mystical spirituality elevates experience above Scripture
- The misuse of silence, stillness, and spiritual formation language
- Why biblical discernment matters in the local church
- The sufficiency and authority of Scripture
- The danger of subjective spiritual experience
- How Christians can remain anchored in God’s Word
Key Scriptures
- Hebrews 1:1–2
- Psalm 119:160
- 2 Timothy 3:16–17
- Colossians 2:8
- Psalm 42
Recommended Resources
- The Means of Grace — Theology for Life Magazine
- Contemplative Spirituality and Biblical Discernment
- Marcia Montenegro Articles on Contemplative Spirituality
About the Guest
Marcia Montenegro is a former New Ager who now writes and speaks on biblical discernment, mystical spirituality, the New Age movement, and spiritual deception through her ministry, Christian Answers for the New Age.
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Call to Action
If this episode helped you think more carefully about biblical authority, mystical practices, and discernment, please share this episode with a friend and leave a review to help others discover the show.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.
Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.
He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).
You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.
When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.
Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
