Mastering Self
A Worthy Goal
by
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The White Paper Connection
A white paper is a document describing conclusions upon inquiry or examination. My white papers have a theological, philosophical, cultural, political, or historical connection—an intersection of ideas, issues, and ideals that inform, instruct, interpret, and inspire. This nexus has a rational purpose for an intellectual inquiry to inform my soul written for my benefit. Many conclusions in my papers imply a personal duty—do justice, love mercy, and walk in humility with God (Mic. 6:8).
These papers result from thinking and writing to refine my beliefs. This refining process is a continual conflict between confusion and clarity for a cogent connection with conscience, conviction, and consequence that cultivates character and conduct. This crucial link is a logical sequence of relational, rational thoughts for construct, context, coherence, and continuity to reduce doubt or uncertainty.
The white paper connection results from an inquiry consisting of five elements: factual, lawful, reasonable, fair, and right. These elements intersect within the context of ethics, morality, conscience, and casuistry. Ethics deals with moral duty. Morality distinguishes between good or evil and right or wrong conduct. It cannot be divorced from details and God’s precepts. Conscience involves intrinsic, instinctive, inherent, innate knowledge of fundamental right and wrong—a God-created faculty. Casuistry deals with right and wrong in matters of conduct and conscience by critiquing similar cases. The word derives from the Latin word casus meaning case. It is case-based reasoning to resolve different moral problems of conscience and conduct by applying principles from former, similar cases. Determination of right and wrong is the objective of the inquiry. Casuistic reasoning promotes and guides this inquiry.
Often an English word has opposite meanings. Casuistry is no exception with two definitions. The first is specious, subtle reasoning to rationalize or mislead. The second is finding right and wrong in questions and issues of conscience or conduct. The first applies specious reasoning; the second applies moral integrity. The former implies an undiscerning mind, the latter a discerning mind. The undiscerning mind lacks discretion and meanders through life with principles separated from practice, code from conduct, and morality from integrity. The discerning mind applies prudent discretion in issues of life, conduct, and conscience. Biblical precepts guard and guide the discerning mind consistent with justice, compassion, and humility (Mic. 6:8). Undiscerning is the casuistry of convenience; discerning is the casuistry of conscience. Learn the difference. The distinction is subtle but significant in issues and vicissitudes of life and conduct.
Some argue casuistry is inapplicable in controversial issues without consensus in our pluralistic culture. Others use casuistry as a pejorative—specious, subtle reasoning to rationalize or mislead. This contempt comes from the seventeenth-century Jesuit practice of specious reasoning to rationalize whatever and whenever. Jesuit casuistry redefined the word as loose, lax moral reasoning. Yet the true meaning of casuistry is not to rationalize by specious reasoning but to inquire into controversial issues from an ethical and moral perspective consistent with precedence and conscience. Casuistry is a reasonable prerequisite to inquire into the divisive issues in our culture.
The casuistry of convenience—so prevalent in our culture—has a life focus on self. Convenience rationalizes questionable commission and omissions of conduct. The casuistry of conscience has a life focus that transcends self with direction—not perfection. It is rich in significance—a conscience created by God, corrupted by sin, and restored. The Spirit of Truth applies the Word of Truth to restore. My conscience is the judgmental knowledge of my thoughts, motives, words, and deeds. It accuses and excuses in the process of self-examination. It represents God in my soul. Learning and experience inform my conscience. Learning programs my mind and should edify my conscience. Avoid the trash and trivia. Avoid, indeed!
The word junk recurs in my white papers. It refers to what does not edify morally, spiritually, and intellectually. Junk describes much in media, publishing, film, music, entertainment, and gaming industries that do not edify, inspire the soul, or promote virtues. This junk causes more junk for many—a lack of discernment involving beliefs, principles, values, thinking, focus, priorities, mindset, perspective, preferences, and worldview. Junk is shallow and superficial with a devastating effect on the soul. Junk diverts and dissipates with a cacophony of noise and surrealistic light and image.
The word edify recurs in these papers—the antithesis to junk. Edify comes from a Latin verb meaning to instruct or improve spiritually. The word has implications for character development and moral, intellectual, and spiritual improvement. Edification instructs, informs, and inspires. It educates, enlightens, and establishes by experience: reading, listening, viewing, clarifying, and even suffering. Adversity edifies those teachable. Sandpapering the rough spots in life are teachable moments that edify. The abrasion improves and increases knowledge, patience, stability, and faith. Abrasion should not erode the faith. Indeed, adversity in life can edify.
My conscience links my memory to God’s register of what is said or done and of opportunities seized or lost. My conscience may be a troublesome meddler in my thoughts and memory, but it is the Spirit’s means to admonish, direct, correct, and instruct. The Spirit pulls, pushes, presses, pinches, and prods my conscience to keep from undiscerning slumber (Rom. 11:8). He is a vigilant guardian who oversees (not overlooks) and governs my faculties and mind. A good conscience is at peace with God through His pardon in Yeshua. Hold a casuistry of conscience—not convenience.
Some of my papers are incorrect politically. They are comments by a stubborn gadfly with stubborn ideas about stubborn facts that reveal stubborn problems about aspects of our culture disconnecting from objective reality—spiritually, morally, and financially. The disconnect rejects the moral precepts of God and ignores the lessons of history. Most politicians do not think historically or think our nation is immune from the lessons. Culture and politics intersect with issues and isms that capture my interest as an armchair theologian, a backseat philosopher, and a pastime historian.
Theology and philosophy have Greek derivation. Theos means God. Ology refers to knowledge or learning. Theology is learning and knowing God. Philo means love, and sophy is wisdom. Philosophy is loving wisdom. Learn from the God of Wisdom (Prov. 2:6) because practical wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Prov. 9:10), that is, an attraction to Him with awe for who He is, amazement for what He does, appreciation for His grace and mercy, and apprehension not to offend Him.
The Hebrew word chacham is wise living—a serious casualty in today’s culture absorbed in self. Wisdom is lost in knowledge that is lost in information—all three are distinctive. Trivia and trash do not inform but divert attention, clutter the mind, and dissipate the soul with insignificance. The internet is the public dump. Most is useless junk posted by anyone about anything—a huge rubbish repository. The rigid rule of data applies—garbage in and garbage out. Information must be accurate to know what is and isn’t, what can or can’t. Knowledge supported by relevant, reliable experience, education, and expertise provides understanding for accurate reasoning and correct decisions.
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About the Book
Mastering Self is a worthy goal in a culture preoccupied with self. It is a journey that consists of warnings to heed, pitfalls to avoid, hazards to shun, detours to seek, options to assess, precautions to take, opportunities to embrace, and lessons to learn. This journey requires conviction—purpose. Many adults lack the courage of conviction because they have no conviction: no colors to nail to their mast. Conviction has formed and fashioned this book in the context of 120 white papers: essays to describe issues, ideas, and ideals that intersect to inform, instruct, interpret, and inspire in the lifelong journey of mastering self.
The human condition, influenced by culture and politics, has a propensity to ignore or reject the lessons of history, practical philosophy, and basic theology. It replaces timeless virtues with temporary values. Consequently, mastering self has cultural, political, historical, philosophical, and theological implications for learning and understanding who and what you are. This discernment does not exist naturally in the human condition. It requires lifelong study. This book is for serious thinkers who want to clarify their worldview for wise living. It represents crucial truths, virtues, choices, and consequences for reference, reflection, or rumination. Understanding them fortifies relationships. Embracing them increases personal influence. Applying them benefits leadership. Practicing them sustains through difficulty. Cultivating them makes life worth living.
These papers provide perspective about what matters in life: written with concise, clear, cogent context and correlated for coherence and continuity. They result from my reading, teaching, writing, and pondering to keep my heart with all diligence regarding issues in life (Prov. 4:23). Collectively, they pertain to what the exceptional few consider. Some pinch the comfort zone, give pause, stretch the mind, or unsettle settled assumptions. Those politically incorrect come from old-school insight by a stubborn gadfly with stubborn ideas regarding stubborn facts and stubborn problems. The insight comes from twenty-four years as a police chief leading and managing police affairs in an urban area with a large university.
About the Author
Donald G. Hanna has thirty-two years experience in policing and teaching command officers at police academies, plus fourteen years teaching leadership and police courses at a university. He was police chief twenty-four years in two Illinois cities and at Ohio State University. His experience provides a practitioner’s perspective for this commentary. He earned a BA in police administration from Indiana University and an MA in public administration from the University of Illinois. Scotland by heritage, Indiana by birth, and Hoosier by the grace of God.