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Rating: 
Summary: Guide to self-discipline
Review: Father Maturin outlines a guideline in which a person may master the skills of self discipline for a life time.
The insight and knowledge is with merit as a tool for living.
If one should wonder about the necessity for such a tool, the book offers the human physic at its norm and assists it to evaluate it to its best ability and self control.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Guide to Christian Self-Mastery
Review: This book is an abridged edition of Maturin's longer work titled "Self-Knowledge and Self-Discipline," and includes minor revisions to the original text. Maturin's book is comprised of nine chapters, each with a prescriptive title requiring action from the reader as follows: 1) Develop self-knowledge; 2) Discipline yourself; 3) Abide by the laws of the spirit; 4) Train your will; 5) Control your thoughts; 6) Strive for balance; 7) Govern your body; 8) Sacrifice the good for what is better; 9) Persevere. According to Maturin, Christian self-mastery is based on two spheres of knowledge: knowledge of God and of ourselves. "To know God is to know self" (pg. 6). He emphasizes in Chapter 1 our self-ignorance and how we can attain to self-knowledge, which he distinguished from self-analysis. We must also test our self-knowledge and learn to examine ourselves in the light of Christ. In Chapter 2, he clears up confusion regarding the nature of sin and points out that no human faculty is bad in itself but can be misdirected. "When we take these God-given powers and use them for an unworthy end, we sin" (pg. 41). We must turn our God-give powers to the good. He also states that the true principle of all Christian self-discipline is the same one that inspired Christ who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross. Discipline is a means to a glorious end, not an end in itself. Maturin also admonishes us to subdue our rebellious will. Here is where the reader must carefully study and compare chapters because throughout the remainder of the book, he attributes the will to the "law of the members" that is under the "law of habit" and the "law of sin". Chapter 3 distinguished between four laws as presented by the apostle Paul in the book of Romans: the law of the members which ties into the law of sin, and the law of the mind (the conscience) which ties into the law of the Spirit of Life that leads one to Christ. Chapter 4 introduces the law of habit and the law of perseverance. The former is tied to the body (the law of the members) whereas the latter, in the sanctification process, is tied to the soul (the law of the mind). Here it is emphasized that choosing the good grows easier with habit through perseverance. This chapter introduces the concept of character and explains how there are many forces that form it. Also, Maturin points out that one's character will last beyond this life. One critical point to remember here is what he calls the one measure of every character which is addressed by the following two-fold question: "Does the will strive after what the man believes to be right, or does it deliberately and consciously choose what he believes to be wrong?" He continues: "The answer that his life gives to these questions will enable us to form a very good estimate of his character." Although Maturin attributes the will to the law of the members, he is addressing the soul throughout the book which implies that the soul has a will of its own that either strives to do good or deliberately chooses what it believes to be wrong. The "will of the flesh" must be subdued by the will of the soul. In fact, in Chapter 7 we are told to submit our flesh to our spirit. Another area that will require careful study is how Maturin uses the terms flesh and spirit, on the one hand, and body and soul on the other. They are not necessarily synonymous, so one must look at the context to determine how these terms are used because he doesn't clearly define them. Chapter 5 is paramount. Here Maturin notes that our thoughts color our experience, but we can drive out bad thoughts with good ones and the mind can be trained to habitually choose certain thoughts. Controlling one's thoughts requires prudence. Also, the memory and imagination are important guides that should not be abused. Chapter 6 introduces the concept of balance not only internally, within one's soul, but also externally among one's relationships. He also wisely points out the positive use of the emotions, including hate and anger. Chapter 7 discusses the physical body and the proper, balanced care of it and how it relates to one's resurrected body. He also says we should deny it whatever weakens our soul's union with God. Chapter 8 notes that mortification isn't an end in itself. He also points out the balance necessary to understanding how life and death relate to the Christian walk. We must be ready to "die" to rise to a higher state of life. Life progresses through death as we surrender to God's grace and Christ imparts divine life to us. Chapter 9 is the shortest one and reiterates the fact that life is the school of character and we need to persevere. This is a favorite book of mine because of it's loving exposition on the important subject of self-mastery.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Guide to Christian Self-Mastery
Review: This book is an abridged edition of Maturin's longer work titled "Self-Knowledge and Self-Discipline," and includes minor revisions to the original text. Maturin's book is comprised of nine chapters, each with a prescriptive title requiring action from the reader as follows: 1) Develop self-knowledge; 2) Discipline yourself; 3) Abide by the laws of the spirit; 4) Train your will; 5) Control your thoughts; 6) Strive for balance; 7) Govern your body; 8) Sacrifice the good for what is better; 9) Persevere. According to Maturin, Christian self-mastery is based on two spheres of knowledge: knowledge of God and of ourselves. "To know God is to know self" (pg. 6). He emphasizes in Chapter 1 our self-ignorance and how we can attain to self-knowledge, which he distinguished from self-analysis. We must also test our self-knowledge and learn to examine ourselves in the light of Christ. In Chapter 2, he clears up confusion regarding the nature of sin and points out that no human faculty is bad in itself but can be misdirected. "When we take these God-given powers and use them for an unworthy end, we sin" (pg. 41). We must turn our God-give powers to the good. He also states that the true principle of all Christian self-discipline is the same one that inspired Christ who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross. Discipline is a means to a glorious end, not an end in itself. Maturin also admonishes us to subdue our rebellious will. Here is where the reader must carefully study and compare chapters because throughout the remainder of the book, he attributes the will to the "law of the members" that is under the "law of habit" and the "law of sin". Chapter 3 distinguished between four laws as presented by the apostle Paul in the book of Romans: the law of the members which ties into the law of sin, and the law of the mind (the conscience) which ties into the law of the Spirit of Life that leads one to Christ. Chapter 4 introduces the law of habit and the law of perseverance. The former is tied to the body (the law of the members) whereas the latter, in the sanctification process, is tied to the soul (the law of the mind). Here it is emphasized that choosing the good grows easier with habit through perseverance. This chapter introduces the concept of character and explains how there are many forces that form it. Also, Maturin points out that one's character will last beyond this life. One critical point to remember here is what he calls the one measure of every character which is addressed by the following two-fold question: "Does the will strive after what the man believes to be right, or does it deliberately and consciously choose what he believes to be wrong?" He continues: "The answer that his life gives to these questions will enable us to form a very good estimate of his character." Although Maturin attributes the will to the law of the members, he is addressing the soul throughout the book which implies that the soul has a will of its own that either strives to do good or deliberately chooses what it believes to be wrong. The "will of the flesh" must be subdued by the will of the soul. In fact, in Chapter 7 we are told to submit our flesh to our spirit. Another area that will require careful study is how Maturin uses the terms flesh and spirit, on the one hand, and body and soul on the other. They are not necessarily synonymous, so one must look at the context to determine how these terms are used because he doesn't clearly define them. Chapter 5 is paramount. Here Maturin notes that our thoughts color our experience, but we can drive out bad thoughts with good ones and the mind can be trained to habitually choose certain thoughts. Controlling one's thoughts requires prudence. Also, the memory and imagination are important guides that should not be abused. Chapter 6 introduces the concept of balance not only internally, within one's soul, but also externally among one's relationships. He also wisely points out the positive use of the emotions, including hate and anger. Chapter 7 discusses the physical body and the proper, balanced care of it and how it relates to one's resurrected body. He also says we should deny it whatever weakens our soul's union with God. Chapter 8 notes that mortification isn't an end in itself. He also points out the balance necessary to understanding how life and death relate to the Christian walk. We must be ready to "die" to rise to a higher state of life. Life progresses through death as we surrender to God's grace and Christ imparts divine life to us. Chapter 9 is the shortest one and reiterates the fact that life is the school of character and we need to persevere. This is a favorite book of mine because of it's loving exposition on the important subject of self-mastery.
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