New Thought in the Church
- Krista Bontrager
- May 2
- 6 min read
New Thought is a very influential idea that shapes the way a lot of people see the world. Even if you've never heard the term "New Thought" you may have heard of Oprah Winfrey, who is one of its biggest advocates. But what you may not know, is how the vocabulary and ideas behind New Thought have penetrated many sectors of the church. We talked all about it with our friend, Melissa Dougherty, author of Happy Lies.
On tonight’s show, Monique talked to our friend and fellow apologist, Melissa Dougherty. The ladies discussed the New Thought movement, its infiltration into culture and the church, and how to discern its influence. Melissa shared her personal journey from embracing New Thought to rejecting it after encountering biblical truth.
Q. Tell us about yourself and how you got into thinking about New Thought?
Melissa Dougherty introduces herself as a YouTuber and content creator focusing on theology, apologetics, and satire, with a particular emphasis on New Thought and New Age. She grew up immersed in New Thought teachings, though they were not explicitly labeled as such, often framed as "metaphysical Christianity" or positive thinking with a Christian facade. Her exposure began in childhood, but she didn’t critically examine these beliefs until she became a Christian at 16. After facing disillusionment with shallow Christian responses to her questions, she initially reverted to New Thought ideas but later researched their origins, leading to her book Happy Lies. She highlights that New Thought is pervasive in American culture, even among non-Christians, influencing self-help movements and prosperity teachings.
Q. What is New Thought, in a concise definition?
Melissa defines New Thought as "metaphysical Christianity" or the "positive thinking movement in America with Jesus as its mascot." It emphasizes a spiritualized view of reality where thoughts, words, and feelings have divine power to shape the material world. Unlike New Age, which draws from Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, New Thought cloaks itself in Christian terminology, making it more deceptive. Core beliefs include the law of attraction, affirmations, manifestation, and the idea that humans are divine or co-creators with God, often misusing scriptures to support these claims.
Q. How does New Thought differ from the biblical view of spirituality, given Christianity acknowledges a spiritual realm?
Melissa acknowledges that Christianity recognizes a spiritual realm but explains that New Thought distorts this by prioritizing the spiritual over the physical, viewing the material world as secondary or illusory. In New Thought, physical issues (e.g., sickness) are seen as spiritual problems solved through right thinking, rooted in philosophical idealism (the material world is an extension of the mind). Biblical Christianity, however, affirms the goodness of the physical body and material creation, emphasizing resurrection and God’s sovereignty, not human mental power, as the source of transformation.
Q. How do teachings like “your healing depends on your faith or thoughts” relate to New Thought?
Melissa confirms that such teachings, common in some churches, stem directly from New Thought. They attribute divine power to human thoughts and words, suggesting that faith or positive thinking can manipulate outcomes like healing. This contrasts with biblical teaching, where God alone has the power to heal, and outcomes are subject to His will, not human effort or mindset.
Q. What are the historical origins of New Thought, and how did it influence both culture and the church?
New Thought traces back to figures like Emanuel Swedenborg (1600s–1700s), a scientist who claimed spiritual revelations, teaching the "law of correspondence" (material things have spiritual counterparts). This evolved into the "mind cure movement" led by figures like Phineas Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy, and Warren Felt Evans, who promoted healing through mental power. These ideas birthed the positive thinking movement, influencing self-help gurus like Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich) and Dale Carnegie (How to Win Friends and Influence People). In the church, New Thought merged with elements of the holiness and Pentecostal movements, contributing to the Word of Faith and Prosperity Gospel movements, which emphasize health, wealth, and human empowerment as divine rights.
Q. Why do New Thought practices seem to “work” if they’re not biblically sound?
Melissa attributes the apparent success of New Thought practices to several factors:
o Common Sense: Positive changes (e.g., better relationships or health) often result from practical decisions (e.g., stopping negative behaviors), not spiritual power.
o The “It Works” Trap: People equate results with truth, leading them to embrace false teachings without questioning.
o Occultic Influence: Some results may stem from demonic forces, as the Bible warns against false miracles and wonders (Matthew 7). Melissa notes that these practices “work” because they tap into real spiritual dynamics, but this doesn’t validate their truth. She shares her own experience of being drawn to New Thought because it seemed effective, only to realize it opened dangerous spiritual doors.
Q. How is New Thought’s concept of manifestation different from biblical prayer?
Melissa contrasts New Thought’s manifestation with biblical prayer using the analogy of a child demanding something from a parent. In New Thought, manifestation involves commanding or decreeing outcomes as a divine right, assuming God must comply. Biblical prayer, however, is submissive, seeking God’s will, and accepts that God may say “no” for reasons beyond human understanding. New Thought’s focus on human power and immediate results lacks the humility and trust in God’s sovereignty central to biblical prayer.
Q. How does New Thought appear in contemporary Christian music, and is it problematic?
Monique reads lyrics from two gospel songs: “Manifest” by Jonathan Nelson and “You Will Win” by Javen Carr. Melissa evaluates “Manifest” as moderately concerning (6–7/10) due to its use of terms like “decree,” “declare,” and “manifest,” which echo New Thought’s emphasis on speaking things into existence. She questions what the artist means by “manifest,” noting that without clarity, it risks promoting New Thought ideas. “You Will Win” is more problematic, emphasizing self-empowerment and a “winning season” that ignores suffering and biblical contentment. Melissa argues such songs create an exhausting mindset, shaming those who don’t “win” and detaching from the reality of Christian suffering. She suggests evaluating whether such messages align with biblical truth and are appropriate in all contexts (e.g., at a funeral).
Q. How can Christians, pastors, and leaders teach discernment to avoid New Thought without being cynical?
Melissa emphasizes three strategies:
o In-Person Engagement: Have face-to-face conversations to humanize others and avoid judgmental attitudes.
o Seek to Understand: Ask questions to understand why someone holds New Thought beliefs, often rooted in pain or hurt, rather than immediately condemning them.
o Know the Bible and New Thought: Understand what New Thought is and why it’s unbiblical to articulate its errors clearly. This approach fosters loving, constructive dialogue, akin to addressing issues like critical race theory in the church, by assuming the best of others and guiding them toward biblical truth.
Q. How can someone identify if their church is adopting New Thought practices or is on that trajectory?
Melissa notes that New Thought often enters through the pews, particularly women’s ministries, via books or teachings that sound Christian but promote New Thought ideas (e.g., Emmet Fox’s Sermon on the Mount). From the pulpit, signs include a pastor prioritizing positive, crowd-pleasing messages over biblical truth, adopting an allegorical approach to scripture (e.g., “What does this verse mean to me?”), or aligning with prosperity or signs-and-wonders movements influenced by New Thought. She connects this to the seeker-sensitive movement, which may unintentionally adopt New Thought’s emphasis on personal empowerment and cultural relevance.
Q. How can parents equip their children to spot New Thought teachings without overcomplicating it?
Melissa advises parents to teach kids to recognize New Thought by focusing on three markers without using the term:
o Is it Secretive? Teach kids to be wary of claims about “secret” or “esoteric” knowledge, as this mimics Satan’s strategy of offering hidden wisdom.
o Is it New? Emphasize that true Christian teachings aren’t new but rooted in scripture and church history. Parents can use a child’s curiosity about “new” ideas to explore church history together.
o Who Gets the Glory? Highlight teachings that emphasize “you” over God, as New Thought centers human power. Melissa also recommends teaching kids logic and critical thinking and studying cults to sharpen discernment, making it engaging by letting kids call out logical fallacies.
Q. What led you away from New Thought, and what advice would you give to someone tangled in these beliefs?
Melissa shares that she was deeply immersed in New Thought, believing it was Christianity, until 2011 when Jehovah’s Witnesses challenged her worldview. Researching their beliefs led her to question the Bible’s authority and her own beliefs. A pivotal moment came when reading an online forum where a Christian intelligently countered a New Ager’s claim of divinity, revealing New Thought as “the serpent’s lie” (Genesis 3). This prompted her to lean into the challenge, ultimately embracing biblical truth. For those entangled in New Thought, she advises leaning into doubts or discomfort, testing beliefs against scripture, and seeking truth without fear. She encourages them to explore her book Happy Lies for deeper understanding and to trust that truth will stand on its own.
Resources:
Be sure to check out Melissa's book: Happy Lies: How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard Of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World:
Come visit us at the Women in Apologetics Conference this September in Grapevine, TX! Find all the info here:
Connect with the Guest:
Melissa's YouTube Channel is a must:
Follow Melissa on social media:
IG: @melissaldougherty
FB: Melissa Dougherty
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