Pantheism’s Popularity: A Comparison of New Spirituality and Postmodernism

Note - I score the highest for New Spirituality when surveyed on worldviews. My belief in "God" doesn't really change this, as I believe there is room for both worldviews.

Pantheism and New Age spirituality aren’t just fringe beliefs anymore—they’ve woven their way into mainstream culture and even some corners of the church. When combined with the rise of postmodern thinking, these worldviews offer alternative ways of understanding truth, meaning, and the divine—or deny the existence of a personal God altogether. This week’s video, Seven Ways to Recognize New Age Spirituality, really opened my eyes to how common these beliefs have become in everyday life. I’ve heard phrases like “I’m a spiritual person” or “sending good vibes” so often, without realizing they reflect a worldview completely different from Christianity. And when postmodernism tells us that there’s no such thing as absolute truth, it’s not surprising that more and more people—even those who believe in God—are drawn to these flexible, feel-good perspectives.

         As I went through the reading and video, I started to understand why these worldviews are so appealing. They promise personal freedom, empowerment, and the comfort of creating your own truth—but they also subtly pull people away from a biblical understanding of who God is and how we’re meant to relate to Him.

         New Spirituality, as described in Understanding the Times, sees God not as a personal being but as a universal energy that flows through all things (Myers & Noebel, 2015). It teaches that everything is divine—humans, nature, even our thoughts—and spirituality is about awakening to that divinity. The video also pointed out how common it is for people to use terms like “manifestation,” “energy,” and “law of attraction” instead of prayer or Scripture (CCU, 2024). This worldview is attractive because it feels inclusive, empowering, and nonjudgmental—but Romans 1:25 warns that people “exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (New American Standard Bible, 1995). When everything is god, there’s no need for repentance, grace, or a Savior.

         Postmodernism, by contrast, emphasizes uncertainty and relativism. It claims that truth is not absolute but socially constructed, and that personal experience is more valid than any overarching truth (Myers & Noebel, 2015). While that may sound open-minded, it creates confusion and distrust. If everyone has their own truth, how do we navigate ethics or justice? According to John 14:6, Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (New American Standard Bible, 1995). The Christian worldview centers on a truth that is not only knowable but personal and redemptive—something postmodernism rejects.

         Both New Spirituality and Postmodernism elevate the self—either by declaring the self divine or by making the self the source of truth. Christianity, on the other hand, says that we’re not God—and that’s actually really good news. Instead of endless self-focus or vague energy talk, Christianity offers forgiveness, clarity, and real peace through the Christian Bible.

References

Colorado Christian University. (2024). Seven ways to recognize New Age spirituality [Video].

Myers, J., & Noebel, D. A. (2015). Understanding the times: A survey of competing worldviews. David C. Cook.

New American Standard Bible. (1995). The Holy Bible. The Lockman Foundation. (Original work published 1960)