On Truth Opinion Brief on Chicken Soup for the Soul

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What's the Truth about Chicken Soup for the Soul?

by Cky J. Carrigan, Ph.D.

I advise believers to steer clear of Jack Canfield and the enormously popular Chicken Soup Series books and products because they are New Age at best, and at many points even occultic and anti-Christian. I encourage Christians to choose TRUTH FOR THE SOUL over Chicken Soup for the Soul. Consider the following reasons why believers should not consume this kind of Chicken Soup or promote it in any way:

1) It is published by the self-described New Age oriented Health Communications, Inc.

2) The founder and senior editor is Jack Canfield, a self-described New Age leader. He has been Dir. of Wholistic Education, Pres. of the Association for Humanistic Education, Chrm. of the Foundation for Self-Esteem, Board Member of National Council for Self-esteem, Pres. of Self-Esteem Seminars.

3) Canfield's Self-Esteem Seminars include New Age meditation, yoga, guided imagery and visualization, together with neuro-linguistic programming and affirmation techniques.

4) The Chicken Soup original volume contained 25 New Age contributors, 1 Mormon and 7 Self-esteem experts. The For the Woman's Soul edition contained 27 New Age and Mormon authors including a Psychic, 2 Transendental Meditation experts, a Unity minister, and a Shaman.

5) It is built upon the basic premise of Pluralism where all religions are basically the same and generally true. And pluralism is in opposition to the exclusive claims of Christianity.

6) Given the New Age association, all arguments against the New Age, like its mutually exclusive world views on the nature of God, the nature of mankind, the nature of the universe, the nature of truth, the nature of Jesus Christ, etc., are arguments against Jack Canfield and Chicken Soup.

Chicken Soup might indeed "open the heart and rekindle the spirit " of the Christian because most Christians will read the New Age CS from a Christian worldview grid, so that CS sounds Christian even though the writers generally are not. In other words, Christian readers will hear stories from their own Christian contexts, even though the writers intend to communicate something very different.

Now can a believer read Chicken Soup without an immediately observable negative impact? Certainly, yes. But, with so many very fine genuinely Christian books and short stories available, why would you want to consume chicken soup when you could be taking in life giving TRUTH SOUP? Considering all the overt New Age components to Chicken Soup, why would you want to risk it?

See the following three web pages to help you form your own opinion about CS & the New Age.

watchman fellowship on chicken soup for the soul

watchman fellowship on chicken soup in the workplace

watchman fellowship on the new age

***The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the North American Mission Board, the Southern Baptist Convention, or any other Southern Baptist Church or Agency***