One or Two describes as "One-ism" and "Two-ism," the two ways of being spiritual. One-ism believes that everything that exists is of one substance and that the goal of theology, spirituality and even sexuality is to destroy all distinctions, and bring all things together. Two-ism believes that there is a God outside creation who made all that is not God and has structured creation for the good of humanity. Two-ism has implications in our theology, spirituality and sexuality. The book is based on the argumentation of the apostle Paul in Romans 1. Peter Jones analyzes the current cultural expressions of spirituality in light of these two approaches.

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Review

It is no difficult task to discern that great cultural changes, not friendly to Christianity, are afoot in the Western world. But what is driving these changes? What are their implications for the unique message of biblical Christianity, and how should Christians respond? Peter Jones' perceptive analysis of the new paganism contains invaluable information that Christians would be foolish to disregard, and a sobering prognosis, calling for serious reflection. I recommend this book both to non-Christians, who might be surprised where many cultural and political trends originated; and to Christians, who will be able to explain in more detail the differences between true Christianity and every other option. Those familiar with Tolkien's masterpiece will appreciate the analogy Jones employs: "A scene in The Lord of the Rings, shows the band of heroes hopelessly surrounded by orcs in the Mines of Moriah. Then, miraculously, the ugly crowd, in a squealing frenzy, dissolves into the shadows. Relief registers on the travelers until... a far more fearsome enemy emerges from the depths of the earth: a Balrog, demon from the beginning of time. Christians were relieved when secular humanism, long-time enemy of biblical supernaturalism, scurried off into the shadows. Little did we realize that a demon from the beginning of time threatens our Fellowship of the King. That demon comes in disguise, offering spiritual help from the one place where it cannot be found: within the human soul." What is this demon? It is a system which has served from the beginning of time as the foundation for all religions except one. It is the Oneist view of the world: that we all partake of creation and should derive our beliefs from it. In a word, whether Buddhist, Hindu, or any of the old pagan systems of old, it is The Lie, which exchanges the glory of the invisible God for the lesser glory of his created things. The good news is that the Lie has already been exposed by the Truth: the Twoist view of reality, which recognizes that all creation is utterly distinct from the Creator, and that who we are and what we think and do must come from outside ourselves and of creation..... Jones has thought about these issues carefully, for a long time. He has gathered piles of examples, documented immense changes and found that the beliefs now rising to replace secular humanism are precisely what Paul describes in Romans 1. Replacing the truth about God as Creator is a renewed emphasis on the divinity of nature. Replacing the true worship of God by offering up our bodies as living, holy sacrifices, is a false spirituality that seeks truth within, denying the bonds of the body. Mystical meditation, ancient shamanic practices, and other false spiritualities are now legitimate religious practices. Finally, instead of heterosexuality, which represents the Twoist nature of reality and union of Christ with his Church (where One and Two are finally joined), there is a push for pansexuality: accepting as legitimate every form of sexual expression, including homosexuality, which, though against the commandments of the Creator is in full harmony with the Oneist supremacy of creation. Jones summed up the point of his book when he said, You will never understand cultural conflict, debates in the Church, or your own questions about life if you do not understand that the world is divided over Truth. A timeless antithesis exists: Is everything God (Oneism), or is reality divided into the Creator and everything else (Twoism)? As a broad, big-picture overview, One or Two provides a helpful foundation for recognizing just how deep-seated and important the differences are between true Christianity and everything else, which is at heart fundamentally the same in its opposition to the Truth as what Paul so clearly proclaims in his letter to the Romans. --Reformation Theology

I love paradigms, grids and excel sheets, which organize information to make it accessible. Over the years I have tried to provide my students with paradigms to categorize worldviews. I have simplified others systems, but even the most generalized worldview templates include three to eight categories, which are not derived from Scriptural exegesis. Dr. Peter Jones has distilled the classes to only two and takes his categories from Scripture. The two categories are boldly printed on the cover: One or Two: Seeing a World of Difference. Simply stated, One refers to the belief (à la Sagan) that the universe is all there is and all there ever will be. Answers cannot be sought outside the constraints of creation because there is nothing but creation. Two refers to the Christian worldview: there is a personal, transcendent God who created the universe and providentially sustains it, but is not to be identified with it. The two options are wonderfully explained and contrasted in this book, which finds its exegetical support in Paul s writings in Romans 1. Dr. Jones offers a methodical examination of this chapter, summarizing three areas in which the tide of monism (the One ) is rising in our culture: theology (what we believe about God), spirituality (how we worship) and behavior (specifically, how we live our sexuality). These three subjects are dissected from a monistic (One) viewpoint as well as from a Christian (Two) perspective and contrasted in a helpful, readable, and well-supported manner. The book is full of current examples of monism in the thinking, activities, institutions, books and media of our day. Anyone who thinks that Dr. Jones is tilting his lance at philosophical windmills must contend with the sheer volume of evidence to the contrary. But can ALL religions fit this paradigm? Dr. Jones presupposition is based on Romans 1:24-25 where Paul writes: Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. But, Is this a necessary consequence of suppression or just one possibility of it? Jones answers that it is the former. Dr. Jones is not unaware of the question of how religions such as Islam, Judaism and some cults can be considered monistic. He addresses Judaism and Islam in Chapter 6, albeit briefly. He writes, ... the god of rabbinic Judaism has become an impersonal force, driving many into forms of pagan spirituality that seek the god within. Regarding Islam, Dr. Jones points out that Allah swears by the sky, moon and stars and thus puts himself on plane with them. (Contrast this with Hebrews 6:13: For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself... ) Additionally, both Islam and Judaism (and arguably the cults), though supposedly theistic, are not Trinitarian, so God is not personal but a force, a theme that runs rampant in monistic thought. Dr. Jones began sounding the clarion call on monism years ago. While the church has been fretting over the rise of materialism (a philosophy for little boys according to C.S. Lewis), its parent, monism, has been morphing and metastasizing for decades. Dr. Jones reminds us that two millennia ago the apostle Paul warned that those who do not worship the Creator are doomed to worship the creature. If you reject Two, you choose One. Those are the options there is no tertium quid. Those without a philosophical background will find this material readable and insightful. One or Two is a must read for those entering college to understand the culture that will soon attempt to smother them. The book contains a Q&A section that will further train the reader. --Ligonier Ministries, author Dan Dodds

About the Author

Peter Jones holds an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a ThM from Harvard divinity School, and PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary. He taught at the Reformed SEminary in Aix-en-Provence, France for seventeen years, and was active in church planting. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, he is now Director of truthXchange (a 501 c3 organization), Adjunct Professor of New Testament and Scholar in Residence at Westminster Seminary California, where he was a professor from 1991-2003. He is the father of seven children and has numerous grandchildren.