Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 1988 Page 107
mentioned as one of the authentic mystical figures in history, expressed his relationship to God in
loving service to others. In contrast to this, much of what passes for spiritual life and growth in
the context of this book never seems to go beyond an elevated form of narcissism, no matter how
intricate and subtle it appears. Can one really transcend the ego without reaching beyond one‘s
self? The answer to this question may have a lot to do with what one‘s real spiritual choices
should be.
Timothy Brauns, a former member of a ―totalist‖ spiritual group, is completing a master’s
degree in theological studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. His area of concentration
is New Testament studies, and he maintains an active interest in new religious movements.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1988, Volume 5, Number 1,
pages 145-148. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound volume.
This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
mentioned as one of the authentic mystical figures in history, expressed his relationship to God in
loving service to others. In contrast to this, much of what passes for spiritual life and growth in
the context of this book never seems to go beyond an elevated form of narcissism, no matter how
intricate and subtle it appears. Can one really transcend the ego without reaching beyond one‘s
self? The answer to this question may have a lot to do with what one‘s real spiritual choices
should be.
Timothy Brauns, a former member of a ―totalist‖ spiritual group, is completing a master’s
degree in theological studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. His area of concentration
is New Testament studies, and he maintains an active interest in new religious movements.
This article is an electronic version of an article originally published in Cultic Studies Journal, 1988, Volume 5, Number 1,
pages 145-148. Please keep in mind that the pagination of this electronic reprint differs from that of the bound volume.
This fact could affect how you enter bibliographic information in papers that you may write.
