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 PrintableVersion The pressure's offAs you feel?THE PRESSURE’S OFF Over the years many of us have benefited immensely from Larry Crabb’s approach to biblical counselling. His well-grounded understanding of human nature as presented in the Scripture, his presentation of the way in which we develop ‘protective layers’ and the search for significance and security have provided valuable and lasting insights. It therefore came as both a surprise and disappointment to read Crabb’s latest book in which he claims to have discovered ‘a new way to live’. The ‘old way’ is the way of ‘striving’ which results in ‘enslavement’. It is described as the way of Moses; following principles in order to procure blessings and keeping at it. This is the ‘law of linearity’. The consequence, according to Crabb, is self-inflicted pressure. This way of life is programmatical; follow such and such a way and blessings will come, deviate and they won’t. On the other hand, the new way is described as the new way of Christ which is the desire to be near to God. This is achieved by pleading mercy, discovering grace and experiencing rest. The result is that the pressure is off. The law of linearity is replaced by the law of liberty. At first sight, this appears to be no more than basic Christianity. But such appearances are deceptive. In fact, Crabb ends up presenting something which is a new form of the very thing he is condemning. Christianity for mysticismBy a combination of woolly thinking, sloppy argument and bad exegesis, Crabb is substituting biblical Christianity for mysticism. He engages in creating false and absolute antitheses. So, he lumps prosperity — health and wealth — teaching with the good and godly desire to live out a Christian marriage and raise a Christian family, as if the main motivation in all of the latter is following biblical principles in order ‘to achieve blessing’ (something seen as selfish and to be deplored), when in fact it might be doing these because (a) God calls us to, (b) it is right and the best, and (c) it brings glory to God. These are not to be set off against the ‘higher desire’ to ‘experience God and enjoy him for who he is’. Indeed, it could be argued that this desire could also be motivated by less than worthy noble elements Ð namely, to ‘have an experience’. Seeking an experience?In fact this appears to be what Crabb wants most of all. It is not so much God that is the focus but a particular experience of him. What this amounts to is remarkably similar to the visio Deo or beatific vision beloved of Catholic mystics. It is therefore no coincidence that such mystics are quoted with approval. To argue, as does Crabb, that what these people (like John of the Cross and Teresa Avilla) were advocating is the same as that advocated by John Owen, Jonathan Edwards and John Bunyan is nothing short of ludicrous. The latter’s spirituality was ‘Word-centred’, the former’s experience-centred. Ironically, the ‘new way’ of Crabb is nothing less than the ‘old way’ of works-orientated mystical Catholicism with its use of spiritual directors, techniques and the like. This invariably raises such questions as: What is the experience of God that Crabb craves? How will he know he has achieved it? Will he want to again? Presumably the answer will be ‘yes’ and so he will need to employ more techniques, more emotional intensity, and more ‘wanting to not be wanting’ anything but God. The result? The pressure will definitely be on! The very thing Paul condemns in Galatians (which Crabb refers to but misunderstands), the loss of liberty in Christ, is the destination to which Crabb is heading and leading others. Crabb badly handles Scripture throughout this volume. For example, he quotes 1 John about the ‘anointing of the Spirit’, which Crabb argues is something we should seek, while John is reminding Christians that this is what they already have. Such a loose handling of Scripture is surely lamentable. It is difficult not to conclude that Dr. Crabb is undergoing a mid-life crisis of sorts. His desire is a noble one (to put God before all things), but it is being misdirected. It is an experience of God (not quite defined) which he is seeking above all things — which in reality may not be the same thing as experiencing God. To live out our lives in holiness, seeking to raise a Christian family, working for Christ according to his Word can result in an experience of God just as real (maybe more authentic) than the apparently exciting devotional way of the mystics being advocated here. This is a book not to be commended except as a warning of what happens when subjective experience replaces the objective teaching of the Bible. Melvin Tinker.
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