Erwin McManus is a pastor, author, and speaker known for his emphasis on mysticism, creativity, and the contemplative prayer movement. As the lead pastor of Mosaic Church in Los Angeles, McManus has gained a following for his focus on spirituality, self-discovery, and living out one’s faith in a way that engages with culture and creativity. However, his teachings often reflect elements of the mystic and contemplative prayer movement, which diverge from confessional Christianity in several significant ways, particularly concerning the nature of prayer, the role of Scripture, and the emphasis on personal experience.
Key Beliefs and How They Differ from Confessional Christianity
1. Mysticism and Contemplative Prayer:
- Erwin McManus's View: McManus emphasizes the importance of contemplative prayer, meditation, and mystical experiences as a means of connecting with God. He often speaks about the need for believers to engage in spiritual practices that help them experience God’s presence more deeply, encouraging a form of prayer that is focused on silence, stillness, and inner reflection. This approach often includes practices borrowed from Eastern religions, such as centering prayer, which focuses on achieving a sense of inner peace and connecting with the divine within.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that prayer is a means of communicating with God, grounded in the truths of Scripture and characterized by adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 6:9-13). Prayer should be guided by the Word of God and directed toward the triune God, not as an exercise in self-discovery or mystical experience. Reformed theology rejects the incorporation of non-biblical practices and emphasizes that prayer is about seeking God’s will and provision, not achieving a mystical state of consciousness.
2. Emphasis on Self-Discovery and Personal Potential:
- Erwin McManus's View: McManus often teaches that Christianity is about discovering one’s true potential, creativity, and unique purpose. His messages frequently focus on self-expression, personal growth, and tapping into one’s inner strengths and gifts. He encourages believers to pursue their dreams and embrace their God-given potential, suggesting that the journey of faith is about finding one’s true self and living a life of purpose and impact.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that the purpose of the Christian life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (1 Corinthians 10:31; Westminster Shorter Catechism Q1). True fulfillment and identity are found in Christ, not in self-discovery or personal achievements. The Bible unambiguously teaches that believers are called to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ, finding their identity and purpose in Him rather than in personal ambitions or self-realization (Luke 9:23).
3. View of Scripture and Authority:
- Erwin McManus's View: McManus often treats the Bible as a source of inspiration and guidance but tends to focus more on storytelling, personal experience, and creativity than on doctrinal teaching or systematic exposition. He encourages believers to engage with Scripture in a way that is more experiential and reflective, rather than adhering strictly to its doctrinal teachings. This approach can lead to a more subjective interpretation of the Bible, where personal experiences and insights are given equal weight to biblical truth.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God, providing clear and sufficient guidance for all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17).Scripture is the ultimate authority and must be interpreted through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, within the context of the church’s historic teaching. The Bible is the final standard for truth and personal experiences or mystical insights must be tested against its teachings.
4. Engagement with Culture and Creativity:
- Erwin McManus's View: McManus frequently encourages Christians to engage with culture, the arts, and creativity, suggesting that God has called believers to be creators who influence society through their talents and gifts. He views the church as a place where creativity and cultural engagement should be celebrated, and he often incorporates elements of art, music, and storytelling into his teaching and ministry.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that while believers are called to be salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-16), their engagement with culture should be grounded in a commitment to biblical truth and the proclamation of the gospel. The church’s primary mission is to preach the Word, administer the sacraments, and make disciples, and do good to our neighbor rather than focusing on cultural expression or creativity as its main focus. Biblical Christianity encourages the use of gifts and talents for God’s glory but insists that the church’s worship and mission must be centered on Christ and the gospel.
5. Beliefs about Spirituality and Experience:
- Erwin McManus's View: McManus often emphasizes a spirituality that is deeply personal, experiential, and mystical, encouraging believers to pursue encounters with God that go beyond intellectual understanding. He speaks of faith as a journey that involves risk, adventure, and discovering one’s inner calling, often prioritizing subjective experiences and personal revelations as key aspects of one’s relationship with God.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that the Christian faith is grounded in the objective truths of the gospel, which are revealed in Scripture (Romans 10:17; John 17:17). While believers may often experience God’s presence in various ways, their faith must be rooted in the unchanging truth of God’s Word, not in subjective experiences or emotions. We must, therefore, caution against seeking spiritual experiences apart from the means of grace—Scripture, prayer, and the sacraments—which God has provided for spiritual growth and maturity.
Summary
Why Erwin McManus should be regarded as a false teacher and why his teachings should be avoided:
1. A Distorted Understanding of the Gospel: Self-Actualization over Repentance
Erwin McManus frequently emphasizes themes of self-actualization, personal growth, and self-empowerment rather than focusing on the core message of the Gospel: the need for repentance, faith in Christ, and salvation from sin. His teachings often promote the idea that Christianity is about discovering one's potential, unlocking inner greatness, or fulfilling personal dreams and aspirations. This perspective presents a man-centered gospel that appeals to the desires of the flesh rather than pointing to the transformative power of the cross.
The true Gospel calls sinners to repentance, acknowledging that we are utterly incapable of saving ourselves and that we are in desperate need of God's grace. Jesus said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). The apostle Paul affirmed that "the saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). By emphasizing self-fulfillment instead of the need for repentance and submission to Christ, McManus promotes a false gospel that fails to address humanity’s deepest problem: our sin and separation from God.
2. Downplaying Essential Doctrines and Biblical Truth
McManus often avoids discussing essential doctrines such as the sinfulness of humanity, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and the need for repentance and faith in Christ alone for salvation. Instead, his messages frequently focus on general spirituality, creativity, and personal development. This approach downplays or ignores the foundational truths of the Christian faith, leading to a diluted version of Christianity that lacks the power to save or transform lives.
The Bible is clear that sound doctrine is crucial for the health and growth of believers. Paul instructed Timothy to "follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 1:13) and to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:2). McManus’s avoidance of essential doctrines undermines the integrity of the Gospel and leads people away from the truth that sets them free (John 8:31-32).
3. Elevating Human Potential Over God’s Sovereignty
Erwin McManus frequently speaks about the greatness and potential within each person, suggesting that individuals possess inherent abilities to create their own destinies and achieve their dreams. This teaching contradicts the biblical understanding of God’s sovereignty and the human condition. The Bible teaches that apart from Christ, we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), enslaved to sin (Romans 6:17), and utterly dependent on God’s grace for any good thing.
The focus on human potential often leads to an overemphasis on self-effort and self-reliance, neglecting the biblical truth that it is God who works in us "both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). The Bible teaches that our ultimate purpose is to glorify God, not to exalt ourselves (1 Corinthians 10:31). By elevating human potential over God’s sovereignty, McManus shifts the focus away from Christ and places it on the individual, leading to a theology that is fundamentally man-centered rather than God-centered.
4. Syncretism and Incorporation of Secular Philosophies
McManus often blends secular philosophies, motivational speaking, and pop psychology into his teachings, which dilutes the distinct message of the Gospel. He frequently incorporates language about creativity, personal success, and self-expression that aligns more with self-help ideologies than with the teachings of Scripture. This blending of secular ideas with Christian themes results in a message that is more about personal empowerment and achieving worldly success than about following Christ in humility and obedience.
The Bible warns against conforming to the patterns of this world and calls believers to be transformed by the renewing of their minds through God’s Word (Romans 12:2). Paul also cautioned the Colossians, "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8). By incorporating secular philosophies into his teaching, McManus presents a distorted version of Christianity that is not rooted in the truth of Scripture.
5. Lack of Emphasis on the Authority of Scripture
Erwin McManus frequently prioritizes personal experience, intuition, and creativity over the authority of Scripture. While he speaks of spirituality and the Christian life, he often neglects to ground his teachings in the clear, authoritative Word of God. This leads to a subjective, experience-driven faith rather than one that is anchored in the unchanging truth of Scripture.
The Bible teaches that God’s Word is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12) and that "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). By failing to emphasize the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, McManus leads his followers into a form of spirituality that lacks a solid foundation and is vulnerable to error and deception.
Conclusion from Scripture
The Bible consistently warns believers to be vigilant against false teachers who distort the Gospel and lead others astray. In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul writes, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." Erwin McManus’s teachings, which emphasize self-fulfillment, human potential, and experience-driven spirituality, align with this description of "itching ears" theology.
Jesus Himself warned that "not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). The will of the Father is that we repent, believe in Christ, and live according to His Word. McManus’s message often lacks this call to repentance, faith, and submission to God’s authority, leading people into a false sense of spirituality that is disconnected from the truth of the Gospel.
For these reasons, based on the authority of Scripture, Erwin McManus should be regarded as a false teacher, and his teachings should be avoided. Christians are called to "test everything; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and to remain grounded in the truth of God’s Word, which is "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Any teaching that shifts the focus from Christ, downplays the seriousness of sin, or elevates self over God’s sovereignty is a dangerous deviation from the true Gospel.
The true Gospel calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). It is not about self-actualization but about surrendering to Christ as Lord and allowing Him to transform us through His Spirit and Word. Therefore, believers should reject McManus’s teachings and remain steadfast in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone has the power to save and transform lives.