Study Helps and Questions

Christian Healing: the science of being, by Charles Fillmore, [1926], at sacred-texts.com

p. 144

These study helps and questions have been arranged for the convenience of students, whether they are working in class or in the privacy of their own homes. A careful comparison of the students' answers with the text will show how far they have progressed in their study.

p. 145

Lesson One--The True Character Of Being

1. Is there anything scientific about Spirit? Give reasons for your answer.

2. Is it necessary for man's spiritual consciousness to be awake in the beginning of his study of spiritual science? In what attitude should one study?

3. What attitude precedes inspiration of spiritual consciousness? May a certain amount of intellectual study help?

4. What is the starting point in spiritual attainment? What is the Almighty? How does man understand the Almighty?

5. What is one of the most important things that a student of spiritual science can learn? Why?

6. What is the way out of confusion? How does it differ from "blind belief"?

7. How does one get at the very heart of Being?

8. Where is the abode of the Father?

9. Explain God as immanent in the universe. How does this understanding differ from the old idea of God?

10. Does the Power that creates and sustains the universe include man? What is the key to the whole situation?

11. Define Spirit, and explain how it dwells in us.

12. What do we mean by studying "Mind back of nature"?

p. 146

13. What is man's inheritance, and how can he perpetually draw upon it?

14. What is life in Being?

15. What is the real of the universe? What is practical Christianity?

16. Where should the student start his investigations? Why?

17. What is the point of contact between man and the perfect Mind?

18. What does the parable of the prodigal son typify?

19. Why should the student never be discouraged?

20. Can Truth be imparted? Why?

21. Sum up, in a concise manner, the vital points of this chapter.

Lesson Two--Being's Perfect Idea

1. What is spiritual Truth? How does the one Mind create? What is the Logos?

2. What is the law of divine creation?

3. Do the supplications of man change the law of God? Explain.

4. What is the key to our understanding of Divine Mind? Can man come to understand himself or the universe in any other way?

5. Is it important to understand mind and its laws? Why?

6. What is man from the viewpoint of Being?

p. 147

7. Explain the Trinity and man's place in it.

8. What is the demand of the present age regarding spiritual ideals?

9. What are the three essentials to perfect manhood? What determines the degree to which any one or all of these phases may be expressd?

10. What position does man occupy in relation to God? Is it imperative that man understand this relationship?

11. Is the same faculty required to discern the Christ today that was required in the time of Jesus? If so, what is it?

12. Is it possible for man today to be divinely guided? How is divine guidance brought about?

13. Explain the law of attraction, as applied to mind and ideas.

14. What authority does man require for thinking or speaking beyond prescribed standards?

15. Through what phase of mind do we commune with God?

16. Explain the difference between perceiving and demonstrating one's spiritual sonship. What is the first birth?

17. Explain the first birth; the second birth.

18. What is it to be "born from above"?

19. Explain Jesus' relationship to the Father, and how it was developed.

20. Why does man invent mechanical devices? How will he attain the satisfaction that he seeks in these things?

p. 148

21. How is the Christ Mind brought into manifestation in the individual?

Lesson Three--Manifestation

1. What characterizes Christianity as a science?

2. What will bridge the gulf between spiritual and material science?

3. Should the Scriptures be considered allegorical?

4. When read in the light of Spirit, what does the 1st chapter of Genesis portray? What is meant by the words, "and God . . . rested from all his work"?

5. How is the apparent contradiction between the 1st and 2d chapters of Genesis explained?

6. What do the six days of creation mean? How shall we attain the Truth that Jesus said would make us free?

7. How does all creation become harmonious and orderly to man?

8. Describe the difference between the I AM man and the I will man. How was man driven out of Eden?

9. What is the physical body, and how is it formed?

10. What will a right idea of the character and origin of the body do for one?

11. Where does the resurrection begin, and what takes place?

12. How shall we get back to the "Father's house"?

13. Where do our dreams, visions, and spiritual experiences come from?

p. 149

14. How shall we enter into the dominion of the "kingdom" within us?

15. Explain man's true identity?

16. What have the old and the new religious ideas contributed to the solution of our spiritual problems?

17. How shall we get back into the Garden of Eden?

18. Explain the grouping of ideas.

19. How are centers of consciousness brought to respond to the "I will"?

20. What is regeneration?

Lesson Four--Formative Power Of Thought

1. What is the directive power in man?

2. Explain the relation of thought to the functions of the body.

3. Why have we failed to demonstrate perfect health?

4. Upon what must man base his study of God?

5. What is God's work in the creation of man?

6. What part has man in the creation of himself and his world?

7. How does man build his body and his world?

8. Upon what must we base our thinking?

9. Why has the physical scientist failed to demonstrate wholeness and perfection?

10. Explain the difference between life as expressed by man and life in Divine Mind.

p. 150

11. Upon what do the thoughts act to produce form?

12. Illustrate in your own words how thought works in the organism.

13. Where do ideas pertaining to life have their center of action?

14. How may we connect the life center with its spiritual source, and what is the result of making such connection?

15. What is the cause of imperfect bodies?

16. How may man regain his spiritual dominion?

17. What attitude of mind is conducive to a higher state of consciousness?

Lesson Five--How To Control Thought

1. What is the difference between the original thinker and the secondary thought?

2. What is the essential fact in all manifestation?

3. How may man exercise his highest dominion?

4. What are the two fundamental attitudes of mind?

5. What use can man make of these movements of the mind in building his world?

6. What is the result of letting one's thoughts dwell on the acquiring of wealth?

7. Is excessive affirmation advisable? Explain.

8. What is the remedy for the ill effects in the

p. 151

organism that have come as a result of too much exercise of the affirmative mental attitude?

9. What is the result of excessive denial? What is the remedy for this result?

10. What is the object of man's existence?

11. What is meant by the "Adam" in man?

12. What benefit do we derive from experience?

13. What is "Satan" in man's consciousness?

14. How may man become free from his dual condition?

15. Is experience necessary in man's evolution?

16. What is repentance?

17. What is the meaning of "Deny himself . . . and follow me"?

18. Explain the "Judas" in consciousness.

19. Explain the meaning of Paul's words, "I die daily."

20. What is the result of this process of dying daily?

Lesson Six--The Word

1. What is the word?

2. How may man comprehend the creative process?

3. What is the result when the Word is expressed by Divine Mind?

4. Explain how the Word becomes flesh.

5. How may man make his creation perfect?

p. 152

6. Explain the original plan of creation in Divine Mind.

7. How may man comprehend the word of God?

8. How are divine ideas brought to the outer plane of consciousness?

9. Explain the creative law, from the formless to the formed.

10. What is the result when man's word conforms to the divine law?

11. Explain how we give an account for "every idle word."

12. What determines the character of the word?

13. What ideas make constructive words?

14. Explain the word as the "seed."

15. What is the result of putting oneself into the consciousness of the supreme Mind?

16. What quality must be included in the word, to accomplish results?

17. Wherein does physical science fall short in explaining the plan of creation?

18. Explain the effect of the spoken word.

19. How must we use the word for sure results?

20. Give an illustration of the power of the word.

Lesson Seven--Spirituality, Or Prayer And Praise

1. What is a symbol?

2. Explain how symbols are used to describe man.

p. 153

3. What do the twelve sons of Jacob symbolize in man?

4. Explain how a higher expression of the twelve faculties is attained.

5. What is a parable? What is an allegory?

6. How are we able to understand parables and allegories?

7. Is it possible to understand the twelve centers through the intellect?

8. Where is the center of spirituality?

9. What is the work of the Judah faculty?

10. Why should praise be a component part of prayer?

11. Define prayer in your own words.

12. Why do we not receive immediate answer to our prayers?

13. Name some of the benefits to be derived from prayer.

14. What is the effect of praise in prayer?

15. Explain the increasing power of praise.

16. What does it mean to ask "in my name"?

17. Where do we make connection with God, the Father?

18. What is God's will for us?

19. What attitude of mind is most conducive to the effectiveness of prayers?

20. Name five points that you consider essential in prayer.

p. 154

Lesson Eight--Faith

1. Define faith in your own words.

2. Where does faith find its most perfect expression?

3. Explain the difference between faith and belief.

4. What disciple represents faith? Why?

5. What and where is the center through which faith acts?

6. What is the result of placing faith in outer things?

7. Where must faith be exercised in order to bring the results spoken of by Jesus?

8. What is blind faith? Are the results of blind faith satisfactory?

9. How, in consciousness, is faith increased?

10. What is the inner power of faith? The outer expression?

11. How must faith be used to master the spiritual forces?

12. What fixes our relation to outer things?

13. Where should faith be centered to insure success?

14. Explain, from the experience of Peter on the water, how faith grows.

15. What should be added to faith in order to make it more effective?

16. What two faculties are developed along with faith?

17. Explain how these faculties work with faith.

p. 155

18. What does it mean to make friends with the "adversary"?

19. Explain how we may have faith in the goodness of all men.

20. Why is faith essential in healing?

Lesson Nine--Imagination

1. How does mind manifest?

2. Explain wherein man is the "image" and "likeness" of God.

3. What power has man as the "image" and "likeness"?

4. Define imagination.

5. Explain how the imaging faculty works on substance.

6. What effect does the imaging power have upon thought?

7. Locate the center of imagination.

8. What faculties of mind does the imagination use, and how?

9. Is it possible to impress these faculties from without, and if so, what is the result?

10. What happens when man allows his imagination to run riot, regardless of law?

11. How do the faculties of the mind work?

12. How can one avoid receiving impressions from without?

p. 156

13. What is meant by the "mount," as spoken of in the Scriptures?

14. What is the power through which the I AM creates or recreates form?

15. How are we to control the things that we create?

16. What does Jacob represent in consciousness?

17. What does the ladder in Jacob's dream represent?

18. What does Joseph represent, and how did he reach the highest place in the king's domain?

19. What are dreams, and how may they be made useful?

20. What power has the imagination in forming the body? Explain.

21. What is the highest work of the imagination?

Lesson Ten--Will And Understanding

1. To what does Jesus refer in the text at the beginning of this lesson?

2. Explain how will and understanding work in the individual mind.

3. What does man represent as the will of God?

4. Explain man as a free agent.

5. How do we build individual consciousness?

6. What is the I AM? Explain what the I AM means to you.

p. 157

7. How may we unify will and understanding?

8. How do we produce the perfect man?

9. What results when the will acts independently of the understanding? Explain.

10. Explain the effect, on the body, of a strong personal will.

11. Explain God and man in relation to will.

12. Define understanding, and show how it works in the mind.

13. What treatment do you suggest for willfullness?

14. Explain why the will should not be broken.

15. Should one try to dominate the will of another, in order to develop him spiritually? Explain.

16. How should you proceed in order to let Divine Mind express itself through you?

17. What is true self-control? How may man exercise it?

18. How may we gain spiritual mastery?

19. What apostle represents will? Explain the use of will in consciousness.

20. Upon what must our understanding be based, that we may be willing to do God's will?

Lesson Eleven--Judgment And Justice

1. Explain the law as given by Moses.

2. Why is judgment necessary in the use of the love faculty?

p. 158

3. Give the metaphysical meaning of the Urim and Thummim.

4. How may love and justice be balanced in one's life?

5. What is the cause of injustice?

6. Where must judgment be placed, in order to express perfect justice?

7. What is the meaning of "Judge not, that ye be not judged"?

8. Why is man incapable of judging?

9. What is the correct way to judge, as explained by Jesus?

10. What is meant by "the day of judgment"?

11. Explain how and why we are punished.

12. How should we receive punishment?

13. What is the result of the active use of judgment without understanding?

14. What organ of the body is most affected by the active use of judgment, and why?

15. Why should we have definite ideas of justice?

16. What is the result of condemnation?

17. How may we receive perfect justice?

18. Explain the effect of jealousy on the faculty of judgment; give remedy.

19. What is the relation of judgment to success?

20. State the order of procedure in obtaining justice.

p. 159

Lesson Twelve--Love

1. Explain love in Divine Mind.

2. What is the work of love in man?

3. What is the result of centering our love on things?

4. How may we realize our true relation to life?

5. Explain the process of love in the regeneration.

6. What apostle represents the faculty of love?

7. Where is the love center?

8. How may thoughts of hatred be overcome in consciousness?

9. What qualities are brought out in man through the activity of the love principle?

10. How shall we make love of real value to ourselves?

11. Explain how love is the fulfilling of the law.

12. What is our relationship to our fellow man when divine love is established in consciousness?

13. When is money really the root of evil?

14. Explain the difference between divine love and human love.

15. How can we know the love of God in its fullness?

16. How shall we proceed to maintain a right relation among all creatures?

17. What is the result when divine love enters into the thought process?

18. Is it possible to approach God while there is aught in the heart against a brother?

19. How may we become established in fearlessness

p. 160

and courage? Give an illustration from your own experience.

20. What is the unfailing antidote for fear?

p. i