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God is not calling us to become a version of ourselves. Although we are made in his image, he seeks to recreate us in the likeness of Christ. The goal of the spiritual life is move beyond the self and into Christ, as Paul teaches: “It is now no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). In an age of individualism, it might be tempting to adapt the Christian message to the centrality of the individual. This would be to subvert the true message of the Christian life: transformation in Christ.
It is staggering how ubiquitous the phrase to be “the-best-version-of-yourself” has become in Catholic circles. My students regularly express it, and I hear it from the mouths of priests and even bishops. Matthew Kelly has popularized the phrase by making it his mantra, as he uses it ad nauseam, even in catechetical material for children. His books have become omnipresent in Catholic parishes due to their next to nothing per copy wholesale price (see the National Catholic Reporter for why that is the case). Dynamic Catholic has found a way to enter into the void of parish life and offer engaging content that many people find engaging, largely, I have come to realize, because of its focus on self, which resonates with modern Catholics.
Kelly’s writings, however, do not generally appeal to the theologically educated, who find them not only shallow, but even fraught with New Age language. The worst suspicions have been confirmed by two articles from Tessa Parisek: Something’s Really Off Here: Is Matthew Kelly’s Rediscover Catholicism a Rediscovery—or Is It Warmed-Over New Age Selfie Talk? (The Traditionalist, Winter and Spring 2019). She shows how Kelly draws on New Age concepts–principally the Seven Laws of the Universe–giving specific examples of how he relies upon these concepts and even matches (or occasionally quotes) their language. This includes Kelly’s literally trademarked expression, the best-version-of-yourself, which draws upon the New Age law of polarity and the process of becoming by following one’s north star. Due to Parisek’s work, there is no doubt that the concept of becoming the best-version-of-yourself flows from New Age spirituality (here is additional proof).
Continued below.
buildingcatholicculture.com
It is staggering how ubiquitous the phrase to be “the-best-version-of-yourself” has become in Catholic circles. My students regularly express it, and I hear it from the mouths of priests and even bishops. Matthew Kelly has popularized the phrase by making it his mantra, as he uses it ad nauseam, even in catechetical material for children. His books have become omnipresent in Catholic parishes due to their next to nothing per copy wholesale price (see the National Catholic Reporter for why that is the case). Dynamic Catholic has found a way to enter into the void of parish life and offer engaging content that many people find engaging, largely, I have come to realize, because of its focus on self, which resonates with modern Catholics.
Kelly’s writings, however, do not generally appeal to the theologically educated, who find them not only shallow, but even fraught with New Age language. The worst suspicions have been confirmed by two articles from Tessa Parisek: Something’s Really Off Here: Is Matthew Kelly’s Rediscover Catholicism a Rediscovery—or Is It Warmed-Over New Age Selfie Talk? (The Traditionalist, Winter and Spring 2019). She shows how Kelly draws on New Age concepts–principally the Seven Laws of the Universe–giving specific examples of how he relies upon these concepts and even matches (or occasionally quotes) their language. This includes Kelly’s literally trademarked expression, the best-version-of-yourself, which draws upon the New Age law of polarity and the process of becoming by following one’s north star. Due to Parisek’s work, there is no doubt that the concept of becoming the best-version-of-yourself flows from New Age spirituality (here is additional proof).
Continued below.
The Problem with “Becoming the Best Version of Yourself”
God is not calling us to become a version of ourselves. Although we are made in his image, he seeks to recreate us in the likeness of Christ. The goal of the spiritual life is move beyond the self …
buildingcatholicculture.com
