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Christos Anesti!
Maybe this is the wrong forum but anyway...
Do you think that Europeans/Westerners who practiced New Age and Hinduism will be more interested in Oriental/Eastern Christianity than Latin Christianity?

No. They're really into solipsism and navel gazing.

I am talking about those who converted to Christianity!

Alithos Anesti!

If they were attracted to the mystical, then the answer would probably be yes, since Eastern Christianity has a profound mystical component--especially in monasticism.

Speaking from personal experience, this is exactly what happened to me. I independently went East at a very young age (11), because I was yearning for that mystical component, and was not finding it in Western Christianity. At that time, I didn't even know that there was such a thing as Eastern Christianity. Instinctively, I seemed to know that I needed to go East, but, initially, I overshot it and went too far East When I finally came to Eastern Christianity, everything about it resonated for me immediately, and in a way Western Christianity had totally failed to do. And I understood many things quite easily because of having lived for almost 40 years in a very Eastern mindset, spiritually speaking. There was much that had to be learned, as well as unlearned, of course - a gradual and ongoing process - but there is something that really does distinguish East from West, and certain shared aspects can be seen even among radically different Eastern spiritual traditions.

This topic is interesting for me, in as much as it raises a question I have heard many times here in Britain.

Differentiating between New Age and Eastern religious practioners, I would say that in Britain older New-Agers are often hostile to any form of Christianity whatsoever, sometimes because they had negative experiences of Christianity themselves - often in radical protestantism or pre-Vatican II Roman Catholicism. The continuing unfolding of Roman Catholic abuse scandal, the St Paul's cathedral debacle and tales of violent and murderous 'exorcism' by African 'Christians' just buries Christianity deeper and deeper in a very dark mire.

Secondly, I would say that on this side of the Atlantic the New Age umbrella is an extremely individualistic, pick-and-mix syncretism often cobbled together to meet the whims and fancies of individuals who want to do it their way - not the way of the Church, the way of the Fathers, the way of the babushky, the way of Tradition. Bits of Christianity may meet yoga, reincarnation, the 'godess movement', neo-paganism, neo-druidism, sufism and goodness knows what else - all in the same me-made package. What we end up with is pseudo-spirituality, pseudo-mysticism centred on the ego. Some New Agers may belong to several different groups - Wiccan, Druidic, 'godess'... combined to provide for their 'chosen path'.

This does not sit well with faith centred on Scripture, Tradition, spiritual discipline, obedience, hierarchy and an accepted magisterium (in the broadest sense of the world).

Yes...Eastern Christiainty may be more attractive to seekers coming from a New Age background, but I would be very cautious in examining the motives of New Age seekers here in Britain, and take time. Bits of Eastern Christianity might be very appealing to them, particularly the wrapping, but New Agers carry a massive amount of personal and personalised baggage that they don't like shedding. It's hard enough already with the 'New Russians' who've arrived with folk magic, fortune-telling and dabbling in spiritualism... and yet consider themselves very pious ultra-Orthodox!

New Agers are often more inclined towards Neo-Gnosticism or some 'Christian' package muddled together under a neo-pseudo-celtic guise, or the Christian veneer of Steiner/Anthroposophical beliefs.

henrihank:

I can't speak for Stuart, but many New Agers I know occupy the pews of Latin parishes in my region. They see nothing wrong with combinign New Age practices with their Christianity. The only thing they like is the mysticism of Eastern Christianity so they take up icon writing and keep icons, though they know little about them or the context from which they have come. In fact, many are hostile to Eastern Christianity at the same time adopting practices from it. For example, many think that Centering Prayer practice is nothing more than what Orthdoox monks do with the Jesus Prayer.

Bob

I like what Fr Mark has said, and have seen something similar in some Ukrainians as what he describes among the 'New Russians'.

The only thing I would add is that I know of one Orthodox priest who was exploring Buddhism as a young adult when he met Bishop Kallistos. 'That's good,' Bishop Kallistos said about this young man's exploration, 'Just remember that Orthodoxy has it all.'

Indeed, that was my experience of Dungeons and Dragons in the early 1980s. Candles, mystery, 'magic'... I realised that they were all present - and much more real - in the Church.

The important thing for a New Ager is that they understand that whatever it is they experience in the Church - Eastern or Western - that appeals to them, it is absolutely *real* as compared to anything else they may have experienced.

As someone who used to be interested in New Age things, and who - even after conversion to Protestantism - continued to feel drawn to Wicca (and sometimes Islam), I can in some sense say that Eastern Christianity resonates with me in a way that the modern day West (including Rome) did not. Pagans like the idea of self-transformation, which necessarily includes mysticism. Problem is that, in the West, mysticism is either totally suppressed (as in Protestantism) or at least severed from the mainstream (as in Roman Catholicism). In the case of Rome, it's seen these days as something for the holiest of people, and if you want to get into it you have to deal with a lack of support - both in the form of your local community and in the form of contemporary texts guiding you in way you can understand. There's a risk of getting lost that isn't there as much with the Eastern Christians, because in the East people at least know that it's supposed to be in the "normal path of sanctity" as it's the logical outworking of theosis. And on top of that it's easier to practice Eastern Christian mysticism because even introductory texts to the Faith mention it, thus there's a lot more contemporary guidance. The idea of theosis (and the Psychotherapy and hesychastic practices that come with it) keeps the focus on inner transformation, whereas many perceive Western Christianity as having fallen into a "niceness and clean living" rut.

Not to mention there's a sort of iconoclastic trend in modern Roman Catholicism, to the point where all that "D&D" stuff is suppressed or even seen as embarrassing. At least as an Easterner I won't be looked at funny if I believe that my blessed prayer rope is actually a channel of grace.

Of course, when it comes to parishes... the more Latinized are going to give you a hard time, naturally - seeing as how they've picked up on these attitudes.

I think that we need to be very careful in talking of mysticism, especially in relation to western spiritual seekers. Very often, what is being sought is not mysticism - inner Christianity, with all of the tears, struggling and hard work - but mystery with all the props of other-worldly exoticism: the soft light of icon lamps, ancient icons, wreathing clouds of incense, gorgeous vestments and beautiful chant.

Also, there are those who seek some instant internal gnosis, which sets them apart from the lesser beings who don't find St Symeon the New Theologian easy as bedtime reading (and the cacadox they left behind). These are the people who come to Eastern Christianity and rush out to buy the Philokalia and within a year of initiation are lecturing the community on 'mysticism' as well as how to pronounce Slavonic correctly and how one should really make kolyva/kutia.

Believe me... we see a lot of these folks in Britain... and some end up as clergy!

Often just sending them to a parish worshipping in a converted garden-shed, with no-one who can read music, icon prints stuck on boards and not enough room to swing a cat brings them down to earth with a very great bump.

Dear Father Mark,

Hristos Voskrese!

Hehehe...I can't resist: how exactly would that be?

Thanks,
Alice

... Alithos anesti o Kyrios!

Dear Alice - it would of course depend on your village!

In our village...

Actually, I'm not so sure that this is the case. When I studied Hinduism, i.e. see if it something for me which it wasn't, I longed for something universal. Hinduism is something very Indian whereas Christianity is universal. Most people, I guess, just long for something universal. Europeans can find mysticism in their own European tradition so many may actually become Roman Catholic. According to Journey Home on EWTN this is the case. I myself actually thought of become Coptic Orthodox but I guess the Latin mysticism is wonderful and my tradition. Most of the people who follow New Age and Hinduism are actually often reading about Latin Christianity.
In New Age many people talk about Celtic spirituality, mostly the pagan part of it although some are interested in the Celtic Christian tradition. Some historians believe that Celtic Christianity was influenced by Coptic monks from Egypt and I think many former New Age followers would want something Coptic and something Latin at the same time.

Unfortunately, I think you're right.

you mean like practicing "Centering Prayer" and "Zen meditation"?

Exactly.

Many people who enter eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism do so not only for a yearning for mysticism but also for a quest of trendiness and a freedom to pick and choose their values. I think later, still looking for mysticism they then also find a need for being grounded and a need for something more substantial that is missing from their life. They will then seek what someone mentioned earlier in this thread, being "real". When they reach this stage they may be drawn to eastern christianity. They will be amazed that all the things they were seeking, were there all the time in Christianity.