Customer Reviews

Signature Sins: Taming Our Wayward Hearts

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Signature Sins

In my Christian life and ministry I often find myself asking this question about sin: Where do I need repentance? Where do I need healing? Am I really growing in my relationship with God - or am I just putting a positive spin on my inner life? How do I help the people I minister to confront their sin in a way that leads to life?

Signature Sins provides helpful insights into both holiness and wholeness. It takes sin seriously as human rebellion against a good and just God. It also acknowledges that sinners have also been sinned against, and that our emotional wounds can create particular patterns of sin that are unique to each individual. Dr. Mangis applies Biblical truth, the classical vices and virtues, and spiritual disciplines to the emotional and spiritual life of human beings. He does this in a way that helps us to overcome our blindness to our own sin and to find both healing and a path to holiness.

The book includes after each chapter thought-provoking questions for reflection and discussion. I profited from it in my personal reading and expect it would be an excellent tool for a book group. I plan to read it again as my Lenten discipline. A compassionate and insightful book that will encourage true holiness both in ourselves and those we serve.

As a doctoral student in clinical psychology, I had the privilege of seeing this book in its many forms as it went through the writing and editing process. The end result is a text that incorporates the rich domains of spiritual direction and holiness with a psychologically sensitive and informed perspective.

Drawing on decades of experience as a professor, therapist, mentor, and spiritual seeker himself, Dr. Mangis brings together his multiple domains of knowledge to help the reader understand her personal cyclical struggles with sins. The reader gains an understanding of how personal psychological and cultural factors such as family of origin, biology, temperament, ethnicity, etc. contribute to and help to maintain each of our own personal struggles. He exposes subtleties of sinfulness and struggle that, on most days, we would all like to ignore or avoid.

However, this is not a doom and gloom expose of how utterly wretched we all are. Few of us need reminders to feel poorly of ourselves. Rather, Dr. Mangis, provides hope for personal and communal spiritual growth by pointing the reader toward spiritual disciplines that reshape, relieve, and heal. His suggestions are realistic and aspirational without being overwhelming.

I recommend this as a fantastic read for those in the helping professions, ministry, or who are interested in people and how we work (or don't). Most will find it a well-balanced, thoughtful integration of faith and psychology and find insights about how to address the whole self, including spirituality.

If you find yourself trapped in Paul's dilemma (why do I do the things I don't want to do?), this can be a very helpful tool to help uncover the roots behind "why we do what we do." It certainly spoke to and convicted my heart.

Michael offers a powerful and eye opening perspective on spiritual formation. Once I picked up this book I could not put it down. Michael provides deep insight into how and why we continue struggle in our walk of faith. Underpinning each chapter is a message of grace that penetrates the heart--leaving readers longing for a closer and deeper relationship with their Creator.

However, the book does not stop there. The author helps readers to not only garner a more holistic understanding of one's spiritual life through religious, cultural, gender, and systems (e.g., family) lenses for example, but provides practical application of material throughout. Through the author's authentic sharing of personal experiences and self-disclosure, one cannot help but to relate to and learn vicariously from the stories shared.

Practical self-reflection questions woven into each chapter further helps readers apply powerful personal insights into their everyday life. I believe the aforementioned would also make this book a great resource for small groups as well. Overall, I believe this is a text that belongs on the shelf of every person who truly wants to grow in their maturity as Christians.

This excellent study (both for individuals and groups) helps us move from cataloging and "coralling" our sins, to discovering who we are at the deepest levels. There are thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter and a study guide at the end of the book. What is your signature sin? This book will help you discover who you are, and that the God who knows you best...loves you most.