Christian Perfection (Colorado Heritage Series)

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the Best Devotional Book Ever for Christians
Review: I have the 1947 Harper & Row publication of the book Christian Perfection. It is arguably the best devotional masterpiece ever put forth on this planet. It is a shame that this book is so hard to find. Contemporary translations, including Meditations on the Heart of God and Talking with God, are quite inspirational, but they only provide a taste of the heartfelt, scholarly elaborations that only the pious Francois Fenelon could put forth.

Though this clergyman lived centuries ago, Francois Fenelon could deliver religious themes that are irrespective of time. Christian Perfection is a most apt title for this book. What makes it so special is that it brings to focus what it means to take up one's cross, what it means to seek the Lord in prayer, and what it takes to maintain a heart devoted to godly service, even when the human heart is inclined to do otherwise.

Fenelon touched on key points about human nature and how it can come into conflict with vows previously made to serving God with utmost zeal and fervor. His insights, to this day, communicate in this volume like letters to anyone who is faced with doubts about his or her dedication and commitment to serving the Lord; they essentially say, "I know your struggles, doubts, and fears, my friend; but know that the Lord your God loves you perfectly and will use His perfection to make good use of you, though you are imperfect."

Lately, I have been reading classics about time management, priority organization, and the daily habits of mind that lead to success in life. If a Christian devotional publication could meld in these perspectives from a Scriptural point of view, it is this one.

For the past few years, there have been concerns about how people are suddenly finding a sudden, albeit maniacal, interest in religion or how some have become so involved with born again charismatic movements that they are "wearing their faith on their sleeve". I share those concerns, and I think that many of these latest trends are disturbing, for they seem geared to establishing legalistic modes of thought that are put forth by evangelists who have forsaken traditional doctrines and who want to influence the masses, telling them what to think and what to believe without giving them room to analyze or critique.

Fortunately, Christian Perfection teaches or communicates in a traditional tone that reveres God's holiness and that acknowledges man's shortcomings on a very intimate and personal level.

Francois Fenelon's humility is a trait that is lacking in so many circles of faith. I wish that this book could be in wider circulation, because it communicates in a tone that is of a sincere, caring person. Unfortunately, many of our so-called Christian leaders of today claim to have special visions or revelations about what is right while simultaneously undercutting public and private figures with the brand of almost Phariseelike behavior that Jesus preached against.

For anyone who is sick and tired of seeing in person or on TV those individuals, including the supposed followers of Christ who communicate to others that they are more entitled to forming opinions or pursuing happiness than those around them, this book is for you. Fenelon made an utmost attempt to make his writings compatible with the Bible, not the other way around.