| Introduction: | | | | See the appendix # 1 for documentation on how |
| In the first part of this article I covered the biblical | | | | Hill moved into the occult which seems to be case |
| admonitions regarding the obtaining of wealth, a | | | | as evidenced in his later works. It is a tragedy for |
| brief biological sketch of Napoleon Hill, followed by | | | | someone such as Hill who articulated so well what |
| a survey of his ideas on business success. Part | | | | is involved in real world business success to |
| one focused on the positive contribution Hill made. | | | | ultimately discredit himself with his involvement in |
| Now in Part Two of the article I will cover the | | | | occultic spiritism. Hill, in his later books, claimed to |
| negative and out right dangers in Hill's philosophy. | | | | be given information from spirit guides or |
| In addition, I will provide two appendixes which will | | | | ascended masters (in reality demons). As |
| answer an anticipated question plus documentation | | | | Christians, we are commanded by God to stay |
| of Hill's progression into increasingly non-biblical | | | | away from this type of communication. For |
| thought. | | | | example: |
| The Negatives and Dangers found in Hill's ideas: | | | | And the soul that turneth after such as have |
| Hill's idea on auto-suggestion and visualization | | | | familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring |
| especially in the area of steps to stimulate your | | | | after them, I will even set my face against that |
| subconscious mind into obtaining a certain amount | | | | soul, and will cut him off from among his people.... |
| of money will strike many people as bizarre. It | | | | A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, |
| seems a little weird to visualize a stack of money | | | | or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: |
| and repeating to yourself day and night that you | | | | they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall |
| are going to get it. Hill, at least as of the writing of | | | | be upon them. Leviticus 20:6, 27 |
| this book, did see not this visualization process as | | | | See Appendix # 2 for my response to an |
| disconnected or separate from the real world of | | | | anticipated question about this review. |
| offering hard work and quality service in | | | | Appendix # 1: |
| exchange for money. So unless you were willing | | | | Material from The ChristianExpositor (TCE) |
| to follow time tested real world business | | | | dialogue with one of their readers about where Hill |
| preparation, no amount of visualizing money and | | | | taught things about his communication with the |
| saying you are going to get it will work. | | | | ascended spiritual masters. |
| We can say with certainty that the teaching of | | | | 28th April, 2004 - TCE replies: |
| the Bible in this area could be stated as: you | | | | Thank you for your inquiry and we apologize for |
| make plans to achieve a goal and then first and | | | | the delay in replying. |
| foremost start by placing them in God's hand and | | | | The answer to your questions can be found in |
| asking for the fulfillment of these plans to happen | | | | the book in question: ''Grow Rich with Peace of |
| according to His will. Hill's auto-suggestion technique | | | | Mind.'' |
| at this point in his life may simply been a device | | | | Depending on the version read (probably between |
| for mental discipline in the area of goal setting. If | | | | pages 158 to 162), you will find the following |
| so, I would not have a problem with the concept | | | | statements: |
| if reformulated utilizing the teaching of Scripture | | | | "Now and again I have had evidence that unseen |
| on discipline and framed in Biblical prayer rather | | | | friends hover about me, unknowable to ordinary |
| than a rote mental exercise. In the Bible we are | | | | senses. In my studies I discovered there is a |
| taught to discipline our minds and to be diligent. | | | | group of strange beings who maintain a school of |
| We are to bring our petitions before God on a | | | | wisdom which must be ten thousand years old, |
| daily basis. This would include asking God's | | | | but I did not connect them with myself. Now I |
| blessings on our business endeavors. Nevertheless, | | | | have found there is a connection. I am not one of |
| I believe Hill's ideas on auto-suggestion, visualization | | | | them! - but I have been watched by them. Here |
| and his imaginary counsel meetings is where a | | | | is how I found this out. I finished this book. I was |
| number of dangerous errors started developing in | | | | alone in my study and all was very still. A voice |
| his philosophy. In my opinion, these ideas were | | | | spoke. I saw nobody. I cannot tell you whence |
| nothing short of idolatry! | | | | the voice came. First it spoke a password known |
| Along this line of thinking, as Hill's ideas on | | | | to few men that riveted my attention."..... "I have |
| auto-suggestion and visualization developed into | | | | come," said the voice, "to give you one more |
| increasingly unbiblical areas, which included contact | | | | section to include in your book.... I whispered; |
| with invisible spiritual beings, I have concluded that | | | | "Who are you?" In a softened voice, which |
| in the end Hill was promoting outright idolatry by | | | | sounded like chimes of great music, the unseen |
| his technique of auto-suggestion and visualization. | | | | speaker replied: "I come from the Great School |
| In Scripture we are taught to set our affection | | | | of the Masters. I am one of the Council of Thirty |
| upon the Lord God and Him only. As stated in the | | | | Three who serve the Great School and its |
| beginning of this review as Christians we are | | | | initiates on the physical plane....The School has |
| instructed to "seek first the Kingdom of God" | | | | Masters who can disembody themselves and |
| Matt. 6:33. It seems as though in Hill's work, he | | | | travel instantly to any place they choose.... Now I |
| was promoting seek first material wealth! | | | | knew that one of these Masters had come |
| Going on in my evaluation of Hill, one of the most | | | | across thousands of miles, through the night, into |
| demonstratively false and dangerous things in the | | | | my study." |
| book is Hill's idea that "Whatever the mind of man | | | | "You have earned the right to reveal a Supreme |
| can conceive and believe, it can achieve." This is a | | | | Secret to others," said the vibrant voice. "In the |
| serious Biblical error. In the Garden, the Serpent | | | | journey through life there is a Jungle of Life, a |
| convinced Adam and Eve that they could become | | | | Black Forest through which every individual must |
| gods. No amount of conceiving and believing will | | | | pass alone. In the Black Forest he overcomes |
| ever make a finite person into a god. In fact, this | | | | enemies and his own inner opposition and turmoil.... |
| lie of Satan is the chief lie that all human | | | | And now I shall name the enemies who must be |
| presuppositions starts with. Since Hill was allegedly | | | | met and conquered in the journey... The foremost |
| a Christian, it is unfortunate that he did not qualify | | | | is fear." He went on to name intolerance, egotism, |
| some of his ideas with Biblical limitations. Since he | | | | lust, anger and hatred and a total of 26 |
| failed to do this, one has to question Hill's | | | | enemies...."Know that one who seeks earnestly to |
| understanding of the Christian Faith | | | | conquer these twenty six lurking enemies |
| In addition, another problematic area for a | | | | becomes an Initiate of the Great School. We |
| Christian is where Hill moves into some really | | | | know him, and he has access to the mind of a |
| strange and unproven ideas. He talks about a | | | | Master." The Master concluded after another |
| universal type of energy and powers such as | | | | pause in the deep silence, and said: "He will not |
| telepathy, which can be supposedly used to reach | | | | only understand the true purpose of life, but also |
| into a higher consciousness, and getting in touch | | | | he will have at his command the power to fulfill |
| with the minds of the great leaders in history. Hill's | | | | that purpose without having to experience |
| imaginary counsel of leaders during the evening is | | | | another incarnation on this earthly plane. And the |
| an area that is where I believe he let his | | | | Masters of the Great School, on this earthly plane |
| imagination run completely wild. He claimed that | | | | and all other planes, will rejoice at his triumph and |
| these evening meetings were purely imaginary. | | | | will bid him God speed toward his own |
| Some researchers believe that this practice by Hill | | | | mastership."... The voice ended. I began to hear |
| bordered on the occult. There is strong evidence | | | | little sounds of the world around me, and I knew |
| that in his future writings he did move into what | | | | the Master had returned to the Great School of |
| can be called spiritism or occultism. From a | | | | the Masters. |
| Christian perspective, Hill's time could have been | | | | Hill made similar statements in chapter two of the |
| much better spent in prayer seeking that his | | | | book "The Master Key to Riches" when he |
| desire for success would truly bring glory to God. | | | | unconditionally represents 'Eight Princes' as distinct |
| Hill was supposedly a Christian and said that his | | | | entities and (page 28) "my friends who have done |
| book was not a course on religion, nor meant to | | | | most for me in preparing my mind for the |
| interfere with a person's religion. In spite of his | | | | acceptance of riches. I call them the Eight Princes. |
| disclaimers, Hill's use of the term infinite intelligence | | | | They serve me when I am awake and they |
| rather than God is evidence that he had parted | | | | serve me while I sleep." |
| from any belief he had in the Christian Faith. Even | | | | He further states on page 29, "My greatest asset |
| if he had used the term God it would not be | | | | consists in my good fortune in having recognized |
| possible to fit the Biblical concept of God into | | | | the existence of the Eight Princes...." Hill opens the |
| some of his thoughts on the subject of obtaining | | | | chapter by saying that you can call them other |
| success. Hill seems to see this infinite intelligence | | | | names beside "princes" but he specifically gives |
| as some kind of force that permeates the | | | | them attributes of distinct beings that can impute |
| cosmos and in which all great minds are | | | | knowledge and have powers to affect physical |
| connected. This seems strikingly similar to the | | | | events. Hill states that Andrew Carnegie "was |
| philosophy of idealism a concept or theory, in | | | | blessed with the services of the Eight Princes. The |
| which all reality is ultimately reduced to a universal | | | | Prince of Overall Wisdom served him so well that |
| mind. | | | | he was inspired not only to give away all his |
| As stated earlier, Hill is considered the father of | | | | material riches, but to provide the people with a |
| the positive thinking movement. This movement | | | | complete philosophy of life through which they |
| has led to all manner of wild speculations and | | | | too might acquire riches." He communicated with |
| metaphysical assertions which by their very | | | | these beings every day expressing gratitude to |
| nature are unproven. Some followers of Hill's | | | | each one for the named function. The exact |
| theories on auto-suggestion have developed this | | | | words he used in addressing these beings are |
| into what appears to be nothing more than | | | | given on pages 27 through 29. |
| magical secret incantations to obtain material | | | | Hill refers to his communication as a "ceremony" |
| wealth and developing relationships and following | | | | on page 30 where he states: "Observe that I ask |
| the guidance of your inner-self. Developing and | | | | for nothing from the Princes, but I devote the |
| following guidance from your inner-self is the | | | | entire ceremony to an expression of gratitude for |
| door-way into occultic spiritism or in another | | | | the riches they have already bestowed upon me." |
| sense a sign of a mental disorder. | | | | He gives further credit to theses beings: "The |
| In the closing section of his book, some of his | | | | Princes know my needs and supply them!... Yes, |
| views discussed in the Six Ghost of Fear are | | | | they supply all of my needs in overabundance." |
| interesting and reflect reality for many people. | | | | While discussing the philosophy of life that the |
| However, he denigrates the Biblical concept of | | | | princes gave, he states: "It supports all religions |
| divine justice in this section the fear of death | | | | yet it is a part of none!" |
| which is for me was another tip off that Hill's | | | | Hill has stated in other books that he rejected the |
| belief system was far removed from the | | | | religion of his youth and believes that he is not |
| Christian Faith. | | | | associated with any religion but has knowledge |
| A section in the Elwell Evangelical Dictionary has | | | | that "supports all religion". He states, in his early |
| this to say that is relevant to a Christian analysis | | | | writings, that he never met these beings face to |
| of positive thinking and thus to portions of Hill's | | | | face. In other books, however, he describes how |
| work: | | | | beings actually materialized in front of him and |
| Theologically, positive thinking encourages a form | | | | talked with him. He is clearly communicating with |
| of humanism that has often led to the | | | | spiritual beings and pays some kind of homage to |
| development of heretical movements along the | | | | them, thus practicing a very old religion currently |
| lines of New Though, Christian Science, and a | | | | called by many "New Age" religion. |
| variety of semi-Christian groups today. It | | | | In about 1937 he wrote "Think and Grow Rich" |
| overlooks biblical teachings about sin and the | | | | and was communicating with an "imaginary |
| sovereignty of God to emphasize the essential | | | | cabinet" made up by himself of nine individuals |
| goodness of humanity and the ability of people to | | | | who were long dead. He imagined them talking to |
| solve their own problems through faith in their | | | | himself. He claimed that knowledge came from |
| own abilities. In its Christianized form this self-faith | | | | them that he was not able to get from just |
| is mediated through reference to Christian | | | | thinking. He wrote (page 216) in 'Think and Grow |
| symbols, which upon closer examination are | | | | Rich': "In these imaginary council meeting I call on |
| devoid of their original meaning. | | | | my cabinet members for the knowledge I wished |
| The above quotation gets to the crux of the | | | | to contribute, addressing myself to each member |
| matter on the dangers inherent in the positive | | | | in audible words...." |
| personal empowerment movement. We learn in | | | | "The Master Key to Riches", was copyrighted in |
| Scripture that God is a sovereign God and any | | | | 1967 by Hill and he had now, apparently, stopped |
| philosophy of personal empowerment or | | | | talking to an "imaginary cabinet" and was talking |
| achievement that denigrates this has to be | | | | with actual unseen beings. So Hill's journey into |
| spoken against. If the vocation and calling you | | | | communication with these spirits apparently began |
| have is in business, you should strive for | | | | at least as early as his 1937 book and was |
| excellence and success all with the vision and goal | | | | continued into the creation of "Grow Rich With |
| of doing what is pleasing to God and for His Glory. | | | | Peace of Mind". |
| We should always preface our plans in prayer | | | | Yours sincerely |
| asking first and foremost for God's will to be | | | | TCE |
| done. | | | | Appendix # 2 an anticipated question: |
| In fairness, Hill's formula for business success in | | | | I fully anticipate a question to rise along the lines |
| the book under review should not be understood | | | | of: how can I even partially endorse something |
| simply as repeating some kind of mantra about | | | | that contains serious errors and the seeds of |
| obtaining wealth, although there are reasons that | | | | even more error? |
| someone may believe this. At least in this book, | | | | This is a good and fair question. As Christians we |
| Hill does a fair job of guarding against this type of | | | | are to be conversant and to be able to speak |
| simplistic understanding by qualifying and stressing | | | | accurately about the issues of our day. In doing |
| the necessity of planning, focusing on goals, | | | | this, we must be able to accurately state |
| obtaining specialized knowledge, surrounding your | | | | positions that we disagree with. This requires |
| self with like-minded business partners and | | | | reading and studying material we may have |
| constant persistence and hard work. In reality, | | | | substantial disagreements with. As a Christian, I do |
| much of the book is about self-discipline and how | | | | not like to have my position misrepresented or |
| to prepare your-self for leadership which is no | | | | misunderstood. We should be careful to extend |
| easy task, yet this has been seen in all successful | | | | the same courtesy to others. If there are truths |
| business leaders. In my opinion, this is where the | | | | stated in an author's work, we should be able to |
| value of the book is found. | | | | thank and show appreciation for the things we |
| In summary, on the one hand, if you approach | | | | see as true. |
| the book with some practical caution and | | | | For example, in the area of philosophy, Christian |
| especially Biblical awareness there are many good | | | | apologists should read and be conversant in the |
| things you can learn from this book. On the other | | | | Greek philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. Plato and |
| hand there are certainly dangers involved with an | | | | his student Aristotle were clearly two of the |
| uncritical acceptance of Hill's philosophy of success. | | | | most brilliant minds who have ever lived. Their |
| In this writer's opinion, Hill should have cut about | | | | philosophy was so persuasive that modern |
| one third of the speculative philosophy of success | | | | philosophers have never been able to fully escape |
| out of Think & Grow Rich" and just dealt | | | | the ideas of these original Greek thinkers. |
| with what he learned from his interviews with | | | | Platonic and Aristotelian philosophies are false, |
| successful business leaders. It would be a good | | | | they nevertheless, were formally correct at |
| project if an abridged version of "Think & | | | | various points. Plato in particular was formally |
| Grow Rich" could be edited and released which | | | | correct in beginning his reasoning process starting |
| just contained the wisdom gleaned the 500 | | | | from the world of eternal ideas and moving to |
| successful business leaders minus the unbiblical | | | | and interpreting the temporal earthly forms in |
| speculative philosophy. Because of the errors and | | | | terms of the eternal. The Christian |
| the seeds of even more serious deviations from | | | | presuppositionalist argues in a similar process. |
| Biblical truth, I can give only a very limited and | | | | Returning to my anticipated question, can a |
| qualified favorable review of sections of "Think | | | | Christian encourage people to read Plato and |
| & Grow Rich." Hill in my opinion was clearly a | | | | Aristotle? Of course they can, as long as qualified |
| genius, yet in the end instead of glorifying God, he | | | | much like my review of Hill's book. I trust this |
| exalted his own finite mind. As in cases like Hill's | | | | digression helps answer any questions that may |
| you have what can be described as genius run | | | | be raised about my review of Hill's book. |
| amok. | | | | |