Masterful Living Summary

In his book “Masterful Living: New Vocabulary for the Holy life” Kevin Mannoia introduces the reader to a new approach in interpreting the idea of holiness. He starts the book by addressing the issues that are related to the misunderstanding of holiness. For him holiness is not a complex idea, rather misinterpretation and misunderstanding have diluted our idea of holiness. As a consequence it has placed holiness into a categories of spirituality, and restrictive behaviors.
The intent of the author in this book is not to provide a comprehensive understanding of holiness. Rather, the author tries to shed light into those area of misconception, this is evident in every chapter, with the stories shared that relate and clarify concepts the author is conveying. The author utilizes eleven chapters to draw out his presentation on holiness. The first chapter deals with introducing the reader to the concept of the “Masterful” sight. The reader is reoriented to look beyond the immediate context to the true meaning. The author utilizes the story of a father and daughter looking at the painting in the Sisteen Chapel, at first the father cannot identify the true meaning in the painting. But later with his daughter’s help, he is able to see the nature of the master in the painting. In this story the author sets his intent for his reader, which is to reflect on the …show more content…
I especially liked the “Blue Dot” diagram utilized in chapter eleven, I think that sometime simplicity provides the best answer to some of life difficult concepts. In this diagram the closer one is to the blue the more they represent the color, however, the father they are the less they represent the color. I realized that in order to represent the likeness of God, I must resemble Him in perfect love. I recognize that there areas in my life that need to resemble His holiness and it is these areas that I will seek to