BOOK REVIEW - SETTING YOURSELF FREE, DELIVERANCE FROM DARKNESS

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Setting Yourself Free, Deliverance From Darkness

Co-Authors: Jesus Christ and Judith Farris-Smith

Publisher: Ingram Book Company

ISBN: 978-1-4276-3506

ISBN 13: n/a

Digital ISBN: n/a

ASIN: n/a

Library of Congress no.: n/a

Physical Attributes: 

Price: $15.95 USD

Reading Time: 10-11 hrs

Construction: paperback

No. of Pages: 150

Dimensions: TBD ¾” thick

Weight: TBD oz.

Cover Design: unattributed

Illustrations: 18 line drawings, several charts and some symbol illustrations in Table of Contents: yes

Glossary: yes

Maps/Inserts: none

Appendices:

     Index: none

     Bibliography: 3 pages

     Biography: no

     Glossary: Occult/New Age Terms (7 pgs)

     Other:        Appendix 1: Who You Are In Christ

                        Appendix 2: Signs Associated With Occult/New Age Involvement

                        Appendix 3: Occult Signs And Symbols

                        Appendix 4: With occult Signs And Symbols

                        Appendix 5: Hand Signs Associated With the Occult

                        Appendix 6: Recommended Healing and Deliverance Resources

Other books by author: Targeted Prayers, Set Yourself Free Little Children and Come to Me, Truth vs. Lies, Information for Teenagers, CÓMO LIBERARSE DE LA OSCURIDAD, Spanish Version of Setting Yourself Free, Deliverance From Darkness, and Little Bit, The Miracle Kid.  Web site:  littlesparrowministries.com

Rating 4/5

Abstract: This is a self-help manual for Christians for deliverance from demonic influences.  It is a practical, step by step process that starts with the identification of the fundamental source of the problem in personal and inherited sin and curses.  Beginning with selected scriptural sources, the author explains the cause and effect; and also the cure for demonization in plain easy to read language.  Following the explanations are short prayers to be read that facilitate the expulsion of demons from a person or material thing. The book concludes with some concise introductory material on how to maintain deliverance and identify various sources which can contribute to relapses and or additional demonization.

Review:  The subject tackled by this book is a very important one that affects people everywhere.  It is written from the presumption that the reader is a Christian, that they are familiar with the Bible; and they desire to address the subject of demonization.  The book also presumes a basic understanding of spiritual authority, the existence of demons and how they interact with Christians.  The author refers the reader to Kenneth Hagan’s book, “The Believer’s Authority,” and other titles for additional material.

                                                                                     

For the reader’s sake, I will interject here that demons are real, sentient beings that are primarily spiritual in substance but may take on a tangible visible and physical form.  They exist in an infinite variety of forms and functions, but are by nature universally hostile and predatory towards humans.  They derive their sustenance and pleasure from human emotional states, primarily negative ones.  Their effects on people can be generally classed into two levels: demonization and demon possession. Demonization occurs when humans and demons interact but the human remains in conscious control of themselves, may not even be aware of the interaction and are capable of resisting the demonic activity.  Demon possession occurs when the demon becomes deeply integrated into a person or the person becomes greatly weakened, exposed to demonic influences and the demon assumes partial or full control of the person’s conscious activities.

The main premise of the book is that people are naturally resistant to the influences of demons, but that trauma, sin, and curses create opportunities for demons to influence, exploit and even harm humans.   Sin may be generally described as disobedience to God’s commandments which may be succinctly defined as rejection of God’s authority and selfish behavior towards others.  The effects of demonization can be manifested as illness, mental instability, failure in relationships, “bad luck” and a host of other things.   Once sin has had its effect, only the Grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ can restore a person to freedom from demonization and a right relationship with God.

Therefore, the book begins with a prayer for salvation that acknowledges a person’s need for salvation from the effects of sin and that Jesus Christ is the only source of that salvation.

There is a brief introduction titled “Setting Yourself Free – Deliverance From Darkness.”  This sets the tone and pace for the rest of the book by explaining the spiritual nature of our struggle with the demonic and the need for spiritual tools, weapons and defenses.  This introduction also explains the need for a progressive approach to deliverance from the demonic.

The book is primarily divided into six parts:

I – Doctrinal Affirmation and a prayer for discernment between truth and deception. Establishing a relationship with God and receiving power and discernment from the Holy Spirit is critically essential to the deliverance process.

II – An explanation of inherited sin and curses, the necessity of forgiveness, humility and the need to put away bitterness and pride.  It then introduces soul- ties and explains how these affect a person.  This second section concludes with the effects of negative speech and sexual sins. Each topic includes a formal prayer that is intended to address the issues discussed.  Something not commonly understood because of its peripheral treatment in scripture is the subject of soul-ties.  That is addressed in more detail later in the book.

III – The third part addresses occult practices.  This is a far ranging subject that is touched only topically in the book.  Some familiar practices such as witchcraft and divination are addressed here.  Other topics included with the occult are abortion, homosexuality and substance abuse.  This section also deals explicitly with Freemasonry and Roman Catholicism.  These delicate subjects are addressed in a practical and straightforward manner that acknowledges both the sincere Christian beliefs and motives of the latter practitioners and the institutional errors that compromise their faith and expose them to demonization.  It includes prayers intended to address these problems and release the individual from the consequences of the above mentioned compromises.

IV – The fourth part is the heart of the book.  At this point, it may be presumed the reader has understood and dealt with all issues detailed in the book.  They have been taken from generational curses through forgiveness, pride and other issues. The process of deliverance is a step-by-step process of cleansing which culminates in Part IV of deliverance. In this section, the reader is lead through a sixteen part series of explanations and prayers that are intended to address inherited and acquired sins and curses.   According to the author, the consequences of sins may be passed down through multiple generations leaving even young minor children vulnerable to demonization.  Besides inherited or acquired sins, they may be affected by curses laid on them or their ancestors which abet demonization. Curses are causal actions either made by others or self-inflicted which enhance a demon’s ability to affect a person. 

The approach to deliverance here is to first renounce personal and especially ancestral, racial or institutional sins and curses. The next step is to use authority given to Christians by God to bind each of sixteen “strongmen” (particularly powerful demons of a type related to broad categories of sins) and their subordinate demons.  Then the person orders the demon to leave them and cease to interact with them.  The third and most critical step is to invite the Holy Spirit to enter the formerly demonized person and occupy the capacity vacated by the demon to preclude its return. Only briefly mentioned in the book but often essential to the process is intercessory prayer by others for the demonized person.

V – It is a given that demons are reluctant to leave and eager to return. This section deals with how to prevent them from reestablishing themselves in a formerly demonized person.  This is important because if they are allowed to reestablish themselves, it is very likely they will do so much more thoroughly than before and it may be more difficult if not impossible to remove them afterwards. This fifth section also includes some advice on how to remove and exclude demons from residential and other property.

VI – The last section is a catch-all for whatever hadn’t been addressed previously.  It quite simply explains the general structure and relationships among the principle spiritual realms and entities.  Subjects such as demonic hierarchies, the difference between water and Holy Spirit baptism, power in the spoken word, the necessity of forgiveness, additional prayers for protection from the occult, and an explanation of our necessary relationship with God.  Here are also found the glossary and appendixes mentioned above.

Overall the book is a compilation of experience from some two decades of ministry work in deliverance and this is demonstrated in its compact, progressive and practical approach to the subject.  Ms. Smith doesn’t delve deeply into the nature or behavior of demons, nor does the book attempt to explain much about the specifics of what sin is, the mechanics of demonization or how deliverance works.  It is tightly focused on getting rid of them, establishing a right relationship between a person and God and keeping things that way. 

Although the book is clearly deigned as a self-guided approach to deliverance, my observations of her work indicate that the book is not a sufficient resource to achieve deliverance by the reader alone.  Ms. Smith states that many people are delivered by just going through the book.  Some people call or email the ministry for additional help and advice.  I observed several deliverance sessions where Ms. Smith went straight to the business of talking her client through the process after they had worked through the prayers in the book.  There was no need for theatrics, high emotion or elaborate rituals.  Once the prerequisites had been met, demons began leaving the subject at a rapid pace.

There was nothing to see or hear that a camera could catch, but all those in the room could feel various sensations as the demons came out of the subject and were dispatched.  The sensation was something like being charged up on a Van de Graaff generator while dry sand or rice was being poured over one’s head and shoulders or an electrostaticaly charged bed sheet was being pulled off of one’s upper body. The room became crowded with them and in close proximity to them one could feel the hair rising on the back of the neck, a tightening of the throat muscles or a sensation that something was gripping firmly about the lower legs.  Similar sensations accompanied the invocation for Jesus to cast out the demons or for the Holy Spirit to come down and fill the person with His presence.  It was an awesome experience to know that one was in the very presence of God.

Apparently the deliverance process is greatly enhanced by having others present to pray for, encourage and guide the person being delivered.  I noticed too that some symbolic gestures and movements were required at several points to achieve the deliverance.  In particular, taking a physical step to symbolically “step out of” ancestral lineages was essential to realizing that part of the process before the demons would depart.  Occasionally, the laying on of hands and some repetitious rebuking of particularly stubborn demons were required.

The short of it was that this is a real problem and this approach is effective.

I can’t say how thorough or complete an individual deliverance is using this method, but the changes observed for those ministered to was immediate and profound.   Ms. Smith cites a variety of manifestations that accompanies deliverance such as physical healing, a return of mental and emotional stability, freedom from depression and addiction, restored relationships and much more. She describes the process as a tearing down walls in an individual that have prevented an intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior.  The person is no longer a “victim’ but a “victor.”

The book does not specifically address in detail involvement “Christian” cults such as Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses or false religions such as Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Ms. Smith frankly admits it is of little effect for someone deeply involved in the occult. It is also not clear how this might be of help to an atheist or agnostic either.  (The companion book “Set Yourself Free Little Children and Come to Me” is the version appropriately designed for children.) There was also a lack of distinction made between cult ritual oaths and oaths taken for non-religious purposes such as testimony in court, government or military service.  The reader could get the impression that oaths and rituals of any kinds are demonic, which is not the case.  The distinction between the use of ritual objects and gestures for occult purposes and deliverance ministry is also not well addressed.

The book is directed at a fairly literate, doctrinally mature Christian adult.  So, the focus and audience is fairly narrow.  I found the concise and practical approach to be quite appropriate since it is about deliverance for Christians and makes no attempt to explain more than is necessary to achieve the goal. This appears to be intentional for it avoids emphasizing the demonic at the expense of the real goal which is a right relationship with God and freedom from demonic influences.

One serious shortcoming of the book is that while it is very effective in forcing the demons to leave a person, it does not appear to prepare the person being delivered from their return.  Once out, the prescribed prayers direct the demons to go to "...the arid places."  And though it warns them not to return, prescribes no penalty for returning.  This may explain why I have observed them returning quite persistently.  A variation on the address to the demon "May God do to you as He did to the serpent of Eden." appears to address this subject quite effectively. (Unlike people, demons are not protected by grace.  Therefore, when they sin by tempting a person or invading their body, God's judgement upon them is swift and thorough, but it appears it must be invoked.)  Another point not well emphasized enough is that the person delivered should forgive those who harmed them, repent for what they have done and seek reconciliation wherever possible to prevent future demonization.

Due to some technical shortcomings and a clear need for some additional material in the book I deduct a point from the possible score of five.  In the future it will be great to see this book and its companion books republished with the additions and corrections that will make them even more powerful and effective tool for individuals and deliverance ministers alike.

THE LITTLE THINGS - RASING CHICKENS

HOME GROWN (LEFT) VS. STORE BOUGHT (RIGHT)

During the Great Depression, many Americans raised their own food, either supplementing it or entirely from whatever land was available.  Our German relatives grew much of what they ate from the garden in the years immediately after WWII.  Both my paternal and maternal grandparents had victory gardens then as well, though they typically had an excess they shared with friends and neighbors.  One of the common practices was keeping chickens. 

These are marvelous birds. Besides requiring little attention, they are intelligent, resourceful and often amusing.  There are a variety of inexpensive commercial feeds readily available for them at farm supply and some hardware or garden stores. They can also be fed most food scraps and are good foragers. Chickens come in a great variety, but the two most basic categories are production hens and broiler.  Production hens are bred for egg laying, while broilers are raised for meat.  The former are typically rather scrawny and don't have a lot of meat on them.  The latter are heavy and make a hearty meal when plucked, cleaned and cooked, but lay relatively few if any eggs.  A mix of the two will serve the family table well, and there are some varieties that supposedly meet both criteria - though I haven't seen one yet.

HOMEGROWN (LEFT) STORE BOUGHT (RIGHT)

For me, the production Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock are my favorites for egg laying. I also like the blue-green eggs of the Araucana. The idea of actually eating one of my chickens repels me, so I haven't raised any broilers yet.  I've heard that Rock Cornish grow fast but have inbred traits that are undesirable such as weak legs and ravenous appetites.  I've raised a few dual purpose birds with good results.

With eggs still under $2 a dozen here for medium white eggs, this is not an economical project.  I spent the better part of a week building the coop which was made from salvaged wooden pallets,  Another $30 went into the feeding and watering equipment. Then we go through about 50 lbs of supplemental feed for a flock of a dozen birds every month.  That costs about $16 at the feed store.  It would be more, but our birds are free to roam about the yard and are also fed table scraps.



They do a fair job of keeping the insect population down.  Some neighbors have swarms of locusts and grasshoppers in their fields. We have an initial infestation after a few good rains, but they quickly disappear and reappear as fresh eggs. :)  It's not the same for the potato bugs.  The chickens won't touch them even if I gather them and hand feed them.

If you have neighbors, free ranging chickens may not work well.  Mine love to scratch about in the flower beds and toss the mulch in all directions. I don't mind sweeping ti back once a week or so, but an unsympathetic neighbor called the police when they scavenged in her flower beds.  She called animal control who fined me $100 and warned me it could go as high as $100 per loose bird. Later, my entire flock at the time was killed violently under mysterious circumstances. Thankfully that neighbor is long gone and my current neighbors like the chickens.  I think the chickens do a fine job of mulching the leaf compost I spread under the shrubbery and they do a bit of weeding too.  We haven't seen any snakes around since the birds moved in either, though they were common before.

In the morning our one rooster crows lustily and repeatedly and helps me overcome the tendency to succumb to the force of gravity until the sun rises.  So, he's a good supplement to the alarm clock. During the day our chickens roam about searching for food, entertaining themselves and harassing the turkeys.  (I had to pen the turkey because they ate the seedlings in the garden and the tom killed at east one hen.)  It's nearly impossible to catch them on the run.  Although their legs are a minute fraction of my own in length, the birds are very light an maneuverable.  They can accelerate, decelerate and turn with great alacrity.  Only with determined effort and careful strategy can I corner and catch these escape artists.

However, in the evening they birds gather on the half door of the shed to roost for the night.  At sundown they become quiet and tractable.  I can walk up to them and pet them gently with no fuss.  We look eye to eye at each other with no hint of the desperate chase scenes played out in the fine East Texas dust earlier the same day.  I admire their colorful plumage and combs, their bright orange and yellow eyes, and the strong, yellow scaled feet the birds use so well.  Dutifully I check them over for injuries, infections and infestations, and typically find them in good health.  Its nice to see them put aside their own personal squabbles with each other to roost peacefully for the night.

All considered, it's the eggs that make it all worth while though.  I have eaten eggs nearly my entire life and enjoyed them in a variety f forms.  My favorite is scrambled, but they are good sunny side up, easy over, poached, boiled, deviled and many other ways.  I'll even admit to baking them in quiche - bacon flavored being my favorite.  What makes raising my own is not just the satisfaction of knowing the birds are well kept, but the vast improvement in appearance and flavor.

Store bought eggs cannot compare favorable to the home grown variety. In appearance, the store bought eggs have a much lighter yellow color and the white are thinner and runnier.  I prefer the rich, dark yellow, almost orange color of eggs from our "yard birds.'  For the taste is also far better.  After eating free range, home grown eggs, I find those bought in stores almost unpalatable.  Even well seasoned, they commercial varieties taste bland, metallic and just "off."  Those from our birds have a pleasant odor when cooked and served, and the taste is real and natural.  That makes all the effort worthwhile!

A nice plus is seeing how happy the birds are. This spring we hatched our first pullets.  I had bought them before and raised them myself providing ample food, water and a warm safe place to grow.  But this could not compare to watching a hen raise them herself.  The little chicks stayed warm and safe under her breast and wings.  When out and about they were never far from her and often perched on her back and shoulders.  She clucked contentedly when they were near and often took them for walks, showing them how to navigate and avoid danger. The three siblings went about together everywhere and were best of Friends.  I tried to introduce four store bought chicks to her, but she killed two before I moved them in with the quail instead.  They grew up OK, but not as happily as those with a real mother hen.

When I see pictures of factory raised chickens or pass trucks with cages crammed full of broilers destined for the slaughter house it confirms my decision to raise my own birds.  It's expensive, demanding and often complicated , but it's the best way.

THE BIG THINGS - NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

RESIDENT GATHER AT GREGG COUNTY COURT HOUSE

Today hundreds of area residents and distinguished guests gathered on the front lawn and steps of the Gregg County Court House to observe the National Day of Prayer (NDP).  The theme of the day was "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."  The event was the 60th annual observation and was organized by National Day of Prayer Task Force. 

The agenda began with a prayer for God's divine protection by the Honorary Chairman, Christian Author Joni Erickson.  There was a pledge of allegiance lead by the scouts of Troop 226 and then the national anthem sung by Deborah Gilbert. (And she sang very well indeed!)  The event coordinator, Buffy Dyess, gave a welcoming speech followed by introductions for the Pastors and Officials.  Pastors from the Longview Clergy Coalition lead the gathering in a series of prayers for the following:

Government

Police and Fire Departments

Pastors and Church Unity

Families and Homes

Youth and Schools

Mass Media

Racial Reconciliation

Armed Services

Revival in America

Unity in Our Community

Don Knoop of Pray Longview gave the closing remarks after which the crowd sang "God Bless America."

Granted that this is a "national" day of prayer one glaring omission to this list is to prayer for persecuted Christians worldwide, and their persecutors.  We are also commanded in scripture to pray for Peace in Jerusalem, another good subject.  Overall though, it was a through exercise and well worth the effort.  


If there was something that bothered me, it was the presence of ordained female ministers for which I find no support in the scriptures.

The weather was as perfect as anyone could want and the event was peaceful and orderly.  I felt the presence of God's Spirit and enjoyed participating.

Let's look and hope for great things to come!

BOOK REVIEW - DOING VIRTUOUS BUSINESS

BOOK REVIEW

Title: Doing Virtuous Business

Author: Theodore Roosevelt Malloch

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN

Contributing Author(s): none

ISBN 13: 978-0-8499-4717-9

Digital ISBN: 0849947170

ASIN: B004P5NRSI

Library of Congress No.: 2011920506

Physical Attributes: 

Price: $21.99 – 14.50 USD

Reading Time: 10-11 hours

Construction: Hardcover

No. of Pages: 169

Dimensions: 6 3/16” x 9 ¼” x ¾” thick

Weight: 335g (12 oz).

Cover Design: Dust Jacket  

Illustrations: none

Maps/Inserts: None

Appendices:

     Index: 5 pages

     Bibliography: 4 pages

     Biography: yes

     Glossary: no

     Other:         Appendix 1: A Gallery of Virtuous Companies

                        Appendix 2: The numbers (comparative stock performance data)

Other books by author: Being Generous, Renewing American Culture: The Pursuit of Happiness (Conflicts and Trends in Business Ethics)

Rating 4/5

Abstract: This aim of this book is to introduce and promote the concept of spiritual enterprise.  The author develops the concept of spiritual capital as a product of virtue in the context of western capitalism and Judeo-Christian culture and faith.  It alternates between related case histories and a stepwise development of the case for spiritual values as the foundation for business ethics, principles and profit. 

Review.  The subject tackled by this book is a very important one that has classical roots in the eighteenth century writings of Adam Smith and borrows heavily from ancient writers such as Aristotle, St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.  The author tackles a very broad and complex subject does a passable job of bringing together the complexities of ethics, culture, business and faith while making sensible order of their interrelationships.  However, the end result is flawed by an awkward attempt to justify for-profit capitalism, reconcile dichotomies in competing religions that glosses over the mysteries of what is true wealth and how it is created.

Mr. Malloch is very on target in many respects.  Although not a pioneer in the subjects addressed in this book, he is well versed in history, philosophy and commercial enterprise.  Ostensibly writing from a Christian perspective he assumes from the very beginning that commerce is a divinely ordained vocation that is integrally necessary for the advancement of society and the individual. To this end virtue is a fundamental and necessary element of society in general and commerce specifically.  In the book a convincing case is made that although it may be transferred independently of constructive devices, wealth is created by virtuous activities alone.  This leads to his significant distinction between the pursuit of wealth, essentially a predatory practice and the nurturing practice of obtaining of wealth (pg. 120). (I would have used “creation” rather than “obtaining” myself). The creation of wealth is succinctly defined as what ultimately benefits people in the context of God’s will.  This is a profound assertion that deserves attention and application.

The author makes a distinction between the concept of social capital (pg. 11) and financial capital.  Social capital is composed of the positive attributes that participation in society imparts to and develops in human beings.  This includes many things such as common language, customs, manners, morals, factual knowledge, recorded history, lawful justice, necessary infrastructure, communication and distribution networks, security and etc. Religion is credited with initiating and maintaining the necessary conditions for these things since their origins are ascribed to God and their maintenance dependent on obedience to principles He established.  Financial capital, derived from monetary instruments, tangible goods and desirable services is a byproduct of the responsible use of social capital.

A third type of capital is introduced as spiritual capital, defined as “the fund of beliefs, examples, and commitments that are transmitted from generation to generation through religious tradition, and that attach people to the transcendental source of human happiness.” (pg. 18)

I also recognize the three types of capital and would add that all three may have positive (credit) and negative (debt) expressions.  Furthermore I think the author could do well to recognize that the means by which capital is obtained imparts a positive or negative nature to it with a corresponding effect on society as well.

The book then introduces three models for acquiring wealth:

1. mysteriously produced by magical means
2. extracted from others by force
3. created by God given skills and talents

The first one is typified by primitive practices such as animism and voodoo which are characterized by exorbitant sacrifices and concessions to a mysterious, often hostile spiritual realm which returns a meager and uncertain benefit to the practitioner, characteristically at great cost to them or some other party.  Hence the chronic poverty and debased social order characteristic of such a culture.

The second model is found in the limited and predatory practices of enterprises which presume a fixed-sum wealth environment and aims to concentrate wealth by force or design under the control of a privileged few.

The latter model is that in which the potential for wealth creation is essentially limited only by the means to develop all available resources and those who apply their skills and talents and assume risk and responsibility are rewarded in proportion to their contribution. (I would add that need should be a factor in distributing wealth as well, though Malloch doesn’t address this point.)

The author proposes that wealth creation is the product of and hence capitalism is dependent on virtue which is manifested in three forms: cardinal, soft and hard.

Any of the three forms can become perfected virtues: those that fulfill the intent of charity.

For example thrift is a virtue when it is exercised for merely technical reasons, but is perfected when the aim is to benefit all affected persons fairly. The author sorts virtues into two general categories: soft and hard virtues.  Soft virtues are

His definitions and development of these virtues is not comprehensive and some are rather vague and awkward, so I have restated them as succinctly and concretely in my own words to convey what appears to be the author’s intent.

Cardinal virtues are from which all other virtues are derived and relate to human well-being.

The cardinal virtues are:

Faith (or Hope) - trust in the existence and benevolent nature of God without proof.

Honesty – integrity, or the individual quality of being truthful, fair and open in dealing with others.

Respect – a.k.a. justice is the ability to see others as you see yourself and treat them with dignity and fairness.

Generosity – the quality of being noble and magnanimous expressed in the sharing of time, talents and resources either because of obligation or sentiment

Chastity – is a good and necessary control of sexual desires that unchecked destroys trust and perverts relationships

Thrift – prudent and judicious economy of resources

Charity or selfless love: this is the cardinal virtue where the ancient philosophers, Christian saints and modern philanthropists all agree.

Malloch correctly asserts that all other virtues derive from Charity (or selfless love) and depend on the exercise of this one to be realized. What is difficult to understand is that although he cites Aristotle, the Christian author does not quote St. Paul’s list of virtues from the fourth chapter of his letter to the church at Philippi.  If he had, then the list would have included beauty and encouragement.  I presume purity and chastity here are interchangeable. Incidentally, Aristotle does not endorse humility, and essential Christian virtue.

The idea of virtue as essential to capital growth is a very important insight and one that deserves more development than the book provides.  The implication here is that without selfless love, the whole system, no matter how well developed in other regards, is ultimately doomed to failure.

The hard virtues are:

Servant Leadership – is not defined in the book, but described as an inherent quality in everyone that may be developed and involves both followership and a commitment to serve others.  I will attempt to define it in this context as the ability to defend and impart God’s vision and inspiration to others

Perseverance – is a hard discipline that is characterized by determined and sustained effort in accomplishing a defined goal

Discipline – a three-sided virtue that requires the ability to learn, follow rules and resist temptation

Courage – the disposition to pursue a goal despite difficulties, discouragements and danger.  The risk-taker, so esteemed by the author, must have this.

Patience – is a virtue with the elements of a vector, at once having the magnitude of a capacity for enduring suffering and the ability to prioritize direction to maintain the heading which is called for

The soft virtues are:

Justice – also regarded as a cardinal virtue, is the integration of success in action with friendship and right dealings with others (a very insightful and accurate observation)

Gratitude – the humble and mature attitude of acknowledging the contributions of others

Compassion – is the ability to identify with and share burdens with others

Forgiveness – a two-sided virtue that both acknowledges an offence and asserts the need to forget it

Humility – this easily recognized but difficult to define quality is well illustrated by self mastery though cooperation with others

Naturally, predatory, profit-first business practices (pg. 10) are not endorsed by the author, for he argues convincingly that such practices do not create wealth, but merely redistribute it, often unfairly and causing substantial damage in the process.  He does allow that predatory business practices indirectly test and strengthen virtues like patience and forgiveness (pg. 94) but I don’t think he intended to justify such things or imply that virtue will not develop without it.  Malloch rightly identifies the indifference to individual welfare (also pg. 94) that is commonly associated with capitalism as an unnecessary evil.  Rather he labels it an aberration of true capitalism which seeks to provide an environment where there is a just exchange between all parties and that fosters the optimal development of resources and the use of creative talents and energy.

The book asserts that faith is also a necessary prerequisite of the creation of all three types of capital.  It cites many examples, but one persuasive point is that among society’s central leaders: clergy, military officers and business executives are disproportionately represented in church attendance.  (Did Malloch leave out politicians for a reason?)  Another assertion I do not agree with is that business is the source of virtue.  God is the source of virtue and business may foster it and adapt virtue to its purposes like any other resource; but business is not the origin of virtue.  The book does rightly link behavior and motives to genuine virtue. (pg. 28). For virtuous actions with selfish motives may generate financial capital, but are a poor source of spiritual capital.  The classic miser is an example of this.

Another good insight from the author is the idea that virtue is ultimately integrated into a unity.  This is similar to the Christian doctrine of oneness with God.  The concept of unity or oneness leads directly into the practice of justice – treating people fairly because we are ultimately from the same source.  This is succinctly stated in the Golden Rule and in the ideal of conforming to the will of God.  Oneness and justice are related because true justice is not conformance to a written law, but respecting others as intrinsically equal to oneself and acknowledging that all originate and are connected to God.

The author also cites Aristotle in linking justice to self-control. This is very important because justice therefore becomes an internal force operating from within the person rather than an external force acting on the person. (pg. 30)  That leads the obvious but blatantly ignored principle expressed by Kuyper that social justice is “not the control of society by the state, but the retreat of the state from the self-governing spheres where it is not needed.” (pg. 31)

A good example of justice is given in the case of Max DePree of Herman Miller who gave his rank and file employees a “silver parachute” like the “golden parachute” the company’s executives already had.  This was not only fair to the rank and file, but had the unintended but beneficial consequence that it made the company better able to resist hostile takeovers (pg. 70).  Another case where spiritual capital is shown to be an advantage is the case of Cargill, which built its business on five principles that gave it a sterling reputation that couldn’t be bought with money and proved to be a clear advantage in the commodities market (pg. 72).

It becomes a bit confusing here where, after listing soft and hard virtues, the author introduces a new category, the idea that virtues create a unity in three forms:

Cardinal – those from which all others are derived

Prudence – or those which are devoted to human well-being, and

Perfected virtues – those that operate out of charity or selfless love (pg. 33)

I think this is an unnecessary nod to the ancient philosophers, but it is another perspective that may be helpful to some.  The essential point is that virtue is a continuum that must be permeated by selfless love to be complete.

I found the author’s summary of John Wesley’s and Aristotle’s “rules” informative and helpful as well as Daniel Webster’s definition of “thrift.” (pg. 40)  But it is Calvin’s tradition of thrift, founded in generosity and guided by the “rule of love” that really transformed western commerce (pg. 43).

As an aside, Malloch cites the commonly held three cardinal virtues of business (pg. 44):

Creativity

Building community

Practical realism

Building on virtue, the author then advances to the subject of faith, which he defines as “knowledge of a person (God) and that presence in your life. Faith means enjoying a personal relationship with the Creator and learning to put your trust in Him” (pg. 46)

It is telling to me that the author at once declares faith (as defined above) an essential element in business and yet refers to Islam as a source of spiritual capital.  This clearly tells me that the author is quite ignorant of the difference between spiritual capital derived from the Christian faith and that of religions like Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.  Therefore he has ignored or is unaware of the irreconcilable nature of spiritual collaboration with these and that religions like Islam (which deny that man can relate directly to God) and Buddhism (that even denies that the person of God exists) can sustain the faith he describes.  (pg. 104)

Importantly, the author also states that faith in God leads to faith in people. (pg. 64) (The logical progression here probably needs some more development!)

The book then discussed the contrast between the whole person and the limited person at work. (pg. 59)  This deals with comparing an enterprise that engages all the potential of an employee with the one that uses only a single or narrow range of functions.  This is illustrated by contrasting a housekeeper working in the USA for ServiceMaster and a government employed scrub woman in the USSR.  Both had the same capacity, but the former was engaged in the whole goal of the hospital to heal people while the latter was in a pointless make-work job without even the dignity of accomplishing anything. More importantly, it addresses the great benefit that comes from engaging all the present capabilities of the person and nurturing their potential for greater things later.  Giving them a vision of how they fit in the great picture and providing them with the means to realize and expand their role is essential to this.

Another good contrast that is made is the distinction between what is of the spirit and political correctness. (pg. 135 and 136).  Corporate social responsibility (or CSR) is formulated on and driven by regulations, norms and social pressures and often motivated by profit that comes from a positive image, and is not necessarily aligned with God’s purposes.  Political correctness is even less linked to spiritual enterprise since it is largely driven by aggressive activists and can be inimical both to commerce and healthy social order.

I liked and endorse what the author wrote next.  He stated that profitability comes from doing what is right. (pg. 61)  I’ve been working as a professional for 25 years and still am waiting for an employer that applies this; but I believe it is very true. This, and servant leadership (pg. 69) are two concepts that truly deserve their day!  These concepts align well with what Jesus taught.  However, this begs the question of why such efforts are not more universally successful.  The author implies that unethical business and government practices unfairly inhibit this, but does not address the subject more than superficially.

Another good point is made by the clarification between stakeholder and shareholder.  Stakeholders a merely those persons and entities that affect or are affected by the commercial activity.  Shareholders are those who have resources invested in the enterprise and share the risk.  Malloch takes care to show that while both deserve consideration, the stockholders more so because they contribute more.  I would qualify this by stating that any stakeholder that would suffer significant harm or loss is also entitled to serious consideration even if they aren’t vested in the enterprise. (pg. 137)

There is also a necessary balance described between work, family and community that the real estate company, CNL, provides a good example of. (pg. 107)

The logical develop to this point leads to an obvious conclusion that an enterprise (commercial or governmental) that operates on purely secular principles is incapable both of inhibiting corruption and of maintaining order. This is because without the growth of spiritual capital, the effort to do this and other essential activities depletes existing spiritual capital without adequate replacement.  Other capital is expended to meet the needs, but it is not a practical substitute and therefore becomes increasingly costly.  The end result is tyranny as people are forced into unnatural roles and struggle to find the spiritual capital they need but is denied them. (pg. 140)

The author seems ambivalent about Wal-Mart, at once praising the success of their business model and their strong corporate culture while decrying their effect on small business and the low-end wage earner.  He could also have addressed Wal-Marts destructive influence on suppliers and competing small businesses. Though he compares Wal-Mart and Costco in Appendix 2, he does not do so in the body of the text.  This is incongruous to me since Costco does fit the model proposed by this book better than Wal-Mart and also outperforms Wal-Mart in terms of profitability.

Similarly, the book omits mention of a classic case of the principles it espouse, the story of Ikea.  This example would be particularly appropriate as an example of how an institution preserves the spirit and intent of it’s founder.  The founder of Ikea went to considerable effort to create the legal framework whereby Ikea would continue to operate on the same basis as it was founded.  That it continues to do so after the founder has passed control onto new leadership is and important counterpoint to Wal-Mart which had departed radically from Sam Walton’s leadership style with predictable consequences.

One issue I have with the book is that it devotes very little discussion to the nature and consequences of predatory business practices.

In this book I discovered a concept that resonated well with my own observations.  It is the need for spiritual care teams.  (pg. 106)  This is the idea that an organization can benefit from and better serve their suppliers and customers through attending to their spiritual needs and fostering a positive spiritual climate in the working environment. In this case he cites the example of Providence Health Care which not only provides the teams to patients, residents and staff, but makes space available for prayer and publishes as weekly reflection on the teachings of Jesus.

 I do disagree with his assertion that the workplace is not a place to proselytize (106).  Surely those proselytizing for undesirable groups should be restrained, but why not tell others about what is right and good? Much benefit has come out of allowing vetted Christian clergy to witness and minister to the dying and destitute.  The will also benefit the merely harassed and stressed as well.

Another point on which I disagree the unfounded assertion that business is a source of virtue.  The source of all true virtues is God and is given by Him and developed through a relationship with Him or, less perfectly, through emulating His qualities. Business is the intentional and directed creation of an environment to foster the transformation of labor, raw materials and utilities into marketable goods and services. Business uses whatever means advances this end it finds most advantageous within the limitations imposed on it.  All this really is is a distortion of charity for profit. Pure charity is where all parties involved receive those goods and services they need and contribute willingly and unreservedly those resources, skills and capabilities they possess.  Ideally, this creates a balanced synergy that produces an excess of benefit for all, the purpose of which is to advance society in general and the individual in particular. Capitalism seeks to maximize the extraction of benefit from this transaction in a fungible form, typically in financial instruments like money.   Contemporary business exploits an imbalance created by the unnatural but prevalent selfishness in society to drive the system to favor the creation of monetary wealth, often at the expense of spiritual wealth. 

What is wrong about capitalism is that money is fungible to the extreme in that while wealth is created solely by beneficial activity, money may be used to advance destructive activity such as unjust war, pornography, the illicit drug trade, sexual exploitation, political corruption and etc.  What is further wrong about contemporary business is that it is distorted to favor the capitalist over the laborer and becomes exploitive.  The laborer must give so much for so little to meet the demands placed on them that their quality of life degrades to the level where normal family relationships and personal growth are impossible, physical and mental health is compromised, advancing education is constrained and ultimately crime or compromised ethics becomes necessary for survival.  It is clear that Malloch has the intent of balancing the need of the supplier and the customer as a goal of ethical business. However, until the problems of inequitable distribution of benefit and the potential misuse of wealth is solved, business will remain an open door to abuse and exploitation.

Some virtue is naturally inherent in people as God created them.  The rest is created through training, discipline, exercise and encouragement.  Businesses do foster the creation of virtue by employing these methods, but they typically do so out of necessity, not because of some inherent quality in business.

While I depart from the author on the subject of letting business be a place to disciple people in spiritual principles, I do agree wit Mr. Murdoch that gratitude is a potent vehicle for inspiring workers, suppliers and customers alike. (pg. 110)  I’ve personally observed CEOs who showed little gratitude for the benefits they received from workers and suppliers, and seen how it undermines profitability and productivity.  This was masked by the healthy profits already being generated, but more and better are waiting for the CEO who learns to effectively employ this.  The downside is that gratitude applied inexpertly can undermine authority, which may be why some leaders are afraid to exercise it.  This idea is developed further in the realization that spiritual capital comes from God though divine knowledge and is intimately connected with being thankful (pg. 130).  Realizing this should lead to wise investment (pg. 133).  Disappointingly, the author does not take the next logical step and make an appeal for organized dis-investment in wrong principled enterprises.

A very key point is made that there needs to be a balance between the Golden Rule and “nature’s law” or the “law of commerce.”  That is, a business needs to stay in business so it can serve its customers and employees. Without apparently really appreciating the value of the example, Murdoch cites the story of a factory owner who continued to pay his employee’s wages while the plant was closed for repairs following a devastating fire.  The business ended up closing because of the financial string this charity put on it. Murdoch labels this man and his business a martyr for the ideal putting other first, when in reality it’s more a case of bad charity.  Unemployment and other insurance exists for such cases, and it would have been better to invest in training or real charity at a sustainable level so that the factory would survive and continue to offer employment.

The example of eHarmony getting its start through a Christian ministry and then dropping the exclusively Christian focus it touted in the book as an example how a spiritual origin can be beneficial.  But it ignores the point that when a company uses the church to launch itself, it has an obligation to remain committed to the spirit that birthed it.  Becoming a vehicle for other religions and philosophies betrays the resources and other support drawn from the body of Christ.  I think this helps to illustrate the fundamental flaw of this book.  He author claims to be a Christian, but, especially in the repeated citations of the example of Rumi Vergee, shows great zeal for anything spiritual whether it’s Christian, Hindu, Muslim or other.  While the author is clearly well read and fairly experienced in international business, this non-selective approach betrays his profound ignorance of the source of spiritual capital.  I expect the ultimate example of Mr. Verge will be something of an embarrassment to the author and undermine the premises of this book.

To those who are gifted with spiritual discernment, it’s clear that while Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist and other religions have the same kind of spirits, they are not of the same spirit and these spirits are ultimately incompatible with each other.  Individuals may overcome their differences for the sake of making a profit, but no institution can incorporate the differing religions successfully long term. What Murdoch completely misses is that Christianity is unique among all religions in that it alone worships the true God, through faith in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit with the gifts He imparts and that makes ones with God possible..  Any institution that tries to combine these religions incorporates structural conflicts which ultimately doom it to failure.  Either one spirit will dominate, or the inevitable tensions created by irreconcilable differences between the religions will destroy the enterprise.  Mr. Murdoch may be a believer, but he is more a disciple of Aristotle than of St. Paul.  A prime example of this is the nature of God as held by these religions: Hinduism espouses a multiplicity of gods, Islam one god which has no direct relations with mankind, Buddhism denies that god exists and only Christianity asserts monotheism with mankind fully at one with God while retaining individual identities.   Even Sufism, which allows that man may relate directly to god denies Christ, who is the only way to realize that. 

Even so, there still remain other good points made in the book.  One of those that resonate well with my heart is the idea that virtue is acquired for spiritual growth rather than profit (pg. 114)   Of these, courage is essential for success and must come from a response to external needs (to make the world better) rather than internal need (to benefit oneself). 

A rare and beautiful insight is Murdoch’s explanation of what an institutional spirit is (pg. 122).  Indeed, a legal entity can have a real spirit, and in that sense, a life of its own.  This is an interesting concept where an institution may have a spirit that, while not eternal, can live as long as the entity which embodies it lasts.  That spirit can even pervade the very people that work there.  Which is why great care must be taken for Christians to engage themselves only with those enterprises and institutions where the spiritual principles are congruent with their own.  It is also has a potential for great evil when an institutional spirit is created with wrong intentions an without virtuous principles.  The case history of Ikea is a potentially good example for this in that it was systematically attacked by other competitors with clear intent to destroy the firm and prevent its business model from succeeding and challenging their exploitive practices.

Another good point made is the distinction between obtaining wealth (by spiritual enterprise) and pursuing it (by focusing only on financial profit alone (pg. 120).  A related point is made that businesses should also not pander to political correctness (pg. 136).   A salient point is made that accommodating political correctness may bring short terms gains, but leads to society in general and the business in particular being saddled with unjust and unreasonable demands which will conflict with both obtaining profit and developing spiritual capital.

Something else that needs to be addressed better is the dichotomy of desiring both community and independence.  The author does not reconcile these well, but this is essential to creating the ideal enterprise which balances the advantages of the power of corporate structure with the need to preserve the identity and meet the needs of the individual and the unique benefits they contribute.  This becomes more important in the global economy where individuals can become nearly invisible in the sheer scale of corporate activities (pg. 132).

Almost in passing the author describes how purely secular principles naturally lead inevitably to tyranny and cites China as a case in point and more the worse since it defies the necessary rule of law that ethical business must have to operate.

Overall, this is a very good book that tackles a deserving subject.  It falls short because it tried to grasp a much broader scope than the material in the book can sustain.  It fails most notably by making no distinction between different kinds of spiritual capital and is blind to the structural conflicts they will cause if not dealt with.  A glaring omission is that the book does not deal with the obvious problem that principle driven enterprises are quite vulnerable, especially in the formative stages, to hostile actions by competitors who recognize the threat they pose to their dominance in business.  There are no remedies proposed for the unfair advantage that such things as official bribery, corporate espionage and worker exploitation gives to unethical enterprise. If this subject had been dealt with, it should have covered the necessity for spiritual enterprises to protect and advance their own kind.  There should also be an appeal to local, state and national governments to recognize the value of spiritual enterprise and protect and promote it was well as support further formal study and testing of the subject. 

If I had written such a book, I would have concluded with an appeal to the Christian church to actively encourage and foster such enterprises, and the latter to provide financially for the church.  I would also have issued a warning of the real harm done to principled institutions when government forces them to accommodate by law unethical practices such a abortion, homosexuality and unmarried domestic partners.  If the book had been written solely from a Christian perspective, I could endorse it.  Because it unreservedly accommodates Islam and its kind, the book is seriously flawed.  This is a great disappointment and the author could do better.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Book Sneeze http://www.booksneeze.com/ book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Abstract: This aim of this book is to introduce and promote the concept of spiritual enterprise.  The author develops the concept of spiritual capital as a product of virtue in the context of western capitalism and Judeo-Christian culture and faith.  It alternates between related case histories and a stepwise development of the case for spiritual values as the foundation for business ethics, principles and profit.