Get it on Kindle
(paid links)
While I have a whole stack of books in my study just waiting to be reviewed, for some reason I cannot let this little book wait. I picked up As a Man Thinketh in good faith, hoping that it would be the classic that so many have claimed it to be, yet still I was shocked by how mistaken I was.
A book discussing how one’s thoughts ultimately dictate his actions is absolutely appealing, don’t get me wrong. This is what attracted me to it in the first place.
That his title stems from the words of Christ attracted me even more. Yet as I delved into his miniature chapters and became entangled in his philosophical prose, I was shocked to find that, far from being a work of Christian inspiration, this book is really nothing more than a humanist manifesto. “You are the Master of Your Fate” is a more worthy title, here, and “Everyone is Jesus” could be its sub.
Hundreds of false religions have hi-jacked Christ in the past, but no author that I have read has ever done it so shamelessly as James Allen. His book is littered with quotes of Christ–though only someone familiar with Scripture would notice, since Allen attributes nothing to the Lord–and each quotation is twisted toward the deification of man.
I was excited about this “Revell Inspirational Classic” until I began reading, and now I am just a little bit ill. Read it if you enjoy magnifying yourself. Avoid it if you have God.
©2012 E.T.
Many religions have some truths of the Bible in them. But them they lead you away from God to self. Saying things about your thoughts, and what you speak, etc, are very true how it affects you. But the whole of this book is humanism and the meditation part is a big no. This is why we only meditate on Gods word alone and come into his presence and worship him. Not ourselves
I agree totally. Christ path is to deny SELF pick up your cross and follow Him. Christ’s path is to lose your life to find it. Being excellent in life in your soul comes from a relationship with God. This teaching presents the exact opposite. I also noticed a Budah reference in the book in the chapter on meditation. Gods word also talks about the fellowship of Christ’s suffering. Self help is just that. Depending on yourself not being dependent on God. The whole of Christianity is based on being totally surrendered to Gods love and care for us. This book is very dangerous thinking. The truth about soul prosperity is being completely humbled and submitted to serve God and others. That’s true excellence not this. So glad for this review. I was like something is really wrong with this book. This isn’t right thinking.
My friend offered to read this book out loud for me and after a minute my spirit was troubled. I immediately told her to stop it because something wasn’t right. The ideas totally contradicted with scripture. I did not want to be unfair or judgemental because she got angry at me for trashing her kind gesture. I told her we would read it and if I am wrong about the man’s spirit I would apologize. The whole book was nonsense. Looked up Allen’s biography and it confirmed my fears. My friend had already been living by certain principles from Allen’s book I observed. I still thought I was being extreme so I searched more and found this blog. I am persuaded that the Holy Spirit is surely always there to guide us. I hope Allen repented before his death because he tried to usurp Christ’s power.
I can’t wait to read it!!!
you are wrong in this. He actually says the way a man thinks is the master of his fate and if you purify your thoughts, you change your fate – basically being more Christ like by lifting up your thoughts completely makes your life and circumstances blessed.
The Bible says much about changing one’s thinking, I agree (see Romans 12:1-2; 1Cor 2:14-16; 1Peter 4:1-3). But such change comes only after a person’s been regenerated and Spirit-filled. Digest this passage from Paul (2Cor 4:1-6) and you’ll see James Allen’s book for the godless, Humanistic trash that it is:
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
i was just about to read it! Got it from a friend. Thank you for sharing this! I’ll keep the book somewhere not easy to be found.
excellent review. If I work is not grounded in the word of God then I don’t want it in my heart. I’m sticking with scripture.
Thank you for this blog, lots of rotten people in the world publishing crap; James Allen
I knew James Allen couldn’t be a Christian within the early reading of this book, and it’s a sorry read and was a waste of money! People want to ban books they should ban this one because it’s trash. He contradicts his own self, it has staid in print because it lures people into believing they can reach God and eternal life by doing basically isolating theirselves from the world. The Holy Spirit changes lives and James Allen needed a change!
Quite misleading indeed! Any one who is born again will knows that man is what he thinks after and only after he has been set free by the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary! Without Jesus transforming power in the heart and mind of a man, he is incapable of controlling his thoughts toward God, and what is good!
I have to agree. The title is deceiving. As I began to read I expected Allen to give Jesus some glory and found none.
I tried reading thinking oh, maybe just as a person thinks in his natural mind he’s just giving thoughts.
I am sorry I purchased this book. This is not a book for a Spirit fill Christian to feed on.
The Holy Bible is our only safe place to Study Gods Word.
I agree. A very shaming book. And one without any hope for victory would want to, indeed give up.
As a born-again Christian, I am utterly dumbfounded at this lackluster review and these other comments completely saturated in fear and worry of…what exactly? Responsibility for our thoughts and actions? Allen’s book is just another perspective of innate Christian truth and the Gospel of the kingdom—living a holy life as Jesus Himself did and commanded us to do, empowered and made possible by His death and Resurrection for all people across all time…Or was it mere hyperbole for Christ to forgive sins and then command the sinner to “go and sin no more?” or “…be Holy as I am Holy?” —apparently inconceivable, metaphorical concepts to this reviewer and subsequent commenters. Have any of you read the Book of James? Or taken to heart the scathing remarks of Christ against the 7 Churches in Revelation? How is this book any different in its aim than reading all of Galatians 5, 100 times in one sitting? And speaking of fruit, what is the fruit of your own lives—the evidence of a changed heart and renewed mind, perfected in Christ? Is it better to think on the brokenness which separates us from God or the good that brings us to Him? Is it enough to accept Christ in every word but never in all your deeds?
““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
-Matthew 7:21-23
Sanctification is clearly the goal (Eph 2:8-10), yet not under our own power. Galatians 5 describes the Fruit of the Spirit not the fruit of my own efforts. James Allen believes we can do this on our own; Jesus told us the opposite (John 15:5). Gotta side with Jesus…in my own lackluster way.
Wow!! My thoughts exactly, I read the 2nd part and thought wait a minute, something is not right. Checked to see if he was a Christian and was disappointed I purchased it. Oh well, to the trash it goes
Something didn’t sit right within me when I saw the audio book ‘as a man thinketh’ appear on my YouTube feed. I wanted to know more about the book and James Allen, to test the spirits as the bible instructs. Lo and behold I stumble on other books he wrote, discovered he wasn’t a Christian and when anyone including James Allen reduces Jesus Christ to a subconscious, that’s a clear sign this isn’t Truth from the Holy Spirit.
Then I stumbled on your blog and your summary also mentioned the same thing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and allowing the Truth of Gods Word come to light here!
Thanks for this. I frantically searched for the religion of this man and landed on your blog.
Great service to Christians!
God bless you ☺️
Thank you for your honest and Christian review. I selected this book for the same reasons you did. Unfortunately, red flags were flying by the end of the first page of the first chapter. Immediately, I went in search of a trusted review; and was glad to see your post. I will be returning the book to the store. Thank you, again. May The Holy Spirit continue to guide you in your endeavors as you journey with Him. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This book and its narrow philosophy killed my daughter.
That’s a tragedy and I’m sorry for your loss.
My thoughts exactly. I picked up this discrepency in the first chapter and thought maybe I was wrong as it is tucked into a book called “The Treasury of Christian Classics”. Clearly it doesnt deserve to be under that title. Glad to have that gut feeling confirmed.
Hmmm, actually earned my respect , when I was defiant about anything Jesus, as a man thinketh brought me back.
Different ways to skin a cat
Thank you for this. I very much agree with your experience. I grew up in a “Christian” family that was so negative, filled with worry and anger. I have since heard in church and read in the Bible to ponder beautiful things, but overcoming what I grew up in is hard. “As A Man Thinketh” helped me to want to dig deeper into the Bible and change my thoughts in a Godly way.
Perhaps I’m not as refined as other readers. I do not have big words and intellectual labels to throw at the book to make myself look smart. I will simply say that surviving last year was hard, and it is very easy for me to get off track spiritually. When I read blogs from some Christians I respected stating to “stay away from the law of attraction”, I saw their point and even though books like this brought me closer to God, I abandoned it. But then I found myself in a negative spiral. I questioned all my beliefs and lost focus. I recently decided to go back to what brought me joy. Again… this book concisely tells me what the Bible says (granted, without crediting it and does add some thing I absolutely do not agree with)… and this book makes me want dig back into my Bible and deepen my relationship with the one true god.
Some are very harsh in their criticism. I understand what they are staying about crediting the Bible. However, I also have very anti any kind of religion friends. If Allen stated these things come from the Bible, these people would not give the book the time of day.
That’s a very interesting perspective for sure. Thank you for sharing.
Just as a practical rebuttal, Ma, I find it strange that all the authors and witnesses of the New Testament knew Christ to be a true flesh-and-blood human who was in fact God-made-flesh, yet two millennia later James Allen and his followers have distilled this reality down to a mere “consciousness,” a how-to perspective on life. King David cried through the Spirit, “Oh magnify the Lord with me! Let us exalt his name together!” James Allen cries, “Oh minimize the Lord with me! Let us dilute his Truth together!” I can’t get on board with such heresy. But thanks for sharing.
Thank you.
Hi. Just found this after rereading same little gold mini book. Some highly polished turns of phrase within tho’ almost no ref to their origins!? Christ gets no direct credit (or at least a co author with Shakespeare/Hamlet’s soliloquies..) much less the Bible. He dsnt seem to be anti-Christian just cerebralizes/ philosphizes quite brilliantly. I just always wondered (hoped) he knew God privately even if the changing Victorian elites were a bit flat-earth trendy to admit He was the “Master” he was so thought-fully writing about. PR
Nice work here. I’m in the process of starting a blog of my own and came across yours in research. I’d considered purchasing Allen’s book, but now I see from your review that it won’t be necessary. I’m more interested in the history of self-help as a related to New Thought. As humans most of us face the conundrum of Absurdism as coined and taught by the brilliance of Nobel winner Albert Camus. Unfortunately, H. Sapiens is not capable of directing his own destiny due to the circumstance of Man’s incomplete biological programming. Whether or not he has sufficient time to complete the programming in self-help fashion before succeeding in his own demise remains the open question.
I recently purchased a Bible for my grandchildren, but when I received it, I struggled at how much it looked like a comic book. Initially, I thought about not sending it, as it seemed irreverent, but eventually I did send it. Several weeks later, my daughter-in-law mentioned that our grandson enjoyed reading the Bible and that it stimulated his curiosity. In the same way, I found that “As a man thinketh” was not only thought provoking, but helpful…
For me, the humanist element was clear (almost comic book-like), but the underlying Bibical principles were crystal clear, compelling and relevant…
I suspect that God used Mr Allen to help some of us to understand the Bible, just a little bit better…
That’s God’s grace alone at work for sure, and praise Him for it. Some can draw godly conclusions from such entertainment as The Matrix, Shawshank Redemption or The Walking Dead, but only because God’s True Truth (forgiveness, sacrifice, redemption, etc.) are universal and cannot be hidden. The questions remain: Why must God’s Truth be couched in filth? and How many beyond the already-saved could say they see the same?
Whew! I’m thankful for your review. I heard someone who talks God hold this book up so high it made me want to read more to see if my initial take on the book was discerned accurately. I found a pdf of it online and started to read and then googled what a Christian might think of this book. That’s how I came across your blog. I agree with certain aspects but all of that can be found in the book written by God. Nothing new under the sun I guess. Lies and deception and twisting Truth have always been around. We do know about repetitive thoughts and how they wear a groove in the brain…how to change those thoughts and the effort involved in doing so. However, the Lord always stands ready to help us be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” I also saw the book as humanistic. Like the reader above, I’m thankful I’m not the only one.
I’m happy to find I’m not the only one crazy enough to perceive this as a humanist work. Before I experienced a new birth, even if I’d have read this, given my natural personality, there is no way that I could have mustered the “energy” to make myself think positively. It took the Holy Spirit to mellow me out and fill my heart with the desire to acquaint myself with “God’s thought” through the Holy Scriptures, which in turn became my thought focus. That was what turned around my thought – a changed heart. A changed attitude under the Lordship of Jesus Christ resulted in a positively changed life. For me it was an act of pure Grace.
Thanks for writing this review. If you’d care to read it, here’s my blog on the same subject. Blessings! http://withintheholyspirit.wordpress.com/2014/10/18/the-reservoir-of-thought/
I can see your point. I thought as much as I read it too. However, I took something from it very valuable from it. I don’t know if I can articulate it all that well but it came down to this: how I think plays a large part in how I feel. I don’t believe that I am the master of the universe, but I learned that I am able to “steer” certain elements of my inner life by choosing what I think. For instance frequently turning my thoughts the all powerful God (who I don’t think is me), has greatly reduced my anxiety. This has made a big difference in my behavior. Additionally, I was not one to forgive easily, and certainly did not love my enemies. I thought that I was just wired to be critical and hold grudges. However I have made great strides with regard to forgiveness by consistently and purposely thinking differently.
I am sure that I could have gotten this from any number of sources that are more consistent with Christian belief, however this is the one that fell into my lap.
The point I am getting to is, while there is plenty of bathwater in this book, there is a baby as well.
Thanks for giving your time to write this blog!
Thanks for your review. I suspected as much. If he inspired Napoleon Hill, then they are likely cut from the same cloth. Another deceiver.