se persuasion to a tragic end, some do not.In addition to various real-life instances where these factors have be observed, I shall be drawing extensively from the particular case of Will Baron, who has become a key speaker on the dangers of the New Age. It is of value for its contextual, in-depth examination of the duration of his entire experience with the New Age, from the earliest stages of involvement, to his total commitment of life and means, to his ultimate rejection of the philosophy of the New Age, as he was taught to understand it. The time spent in contemplation of this topic was of more value to me than merely the “partial fulfilling of a course requirement.” Although many reasons could be cited as to why, suffice it to say that, as I consider pursuing social psychology in post-graduate studies to integrate with ministry as a Seventh-day Adventist, it has reinforced my conviction that, beyond understanding the relationship between theology and psychology, and making the appropriate integration of the two disciplines, the next step in the never-ending quest to keep ministry relevant to the times must be to better understand the relationship between theology and social psychology, and make the appropriate integration thereof as well.What Is New About It?Surely by now every reader has heard something about “the new Age.” It has been the subject of talk shows, headlines, and whole new shelf sections in libraries and bookstores. In fact, according to Peter C. Newman (1994), “the world is on the verge of a massive return to spirituality” (p. 38). Unfortunately, few are aware of the nature of this New Age, its roots, its methods, its philosophies, and the possibility that it may have one destination. The limited scope of this paper will not accommodate an evaluation of the philosophies or possible destinations of the New Age, but will examine its roots and methods. The allure of the New Age ...
