TEST-YOURSELF QUESTIONS You may use these self-evaluation questions to guide your own thinking as you read and study the lessons in the three accompanying volumes, or you may answer them on a separate sheet of paper which may then be sent to: Home Study Course Unity School for Religious.Studies Unity Village, Mo. 64065 Unity will not grade your answers or return them to you. No correspondence will be entered into, therefore you should copy your answers if you will need to refer to them again. We recognize that the only true criterion upon which to measure your progress is the positive change that has taken place in your own thought and feeling. The submitting of answers is designed only to demonstrate to us that you have read and assimilated our material. We can then recognize this accomplishment by mailing to you a certificate of congratulation and achievement. Please make any written answers brief— and as closely conformable to the text of the lessons as is possible. In answering these questions, the lesson and commentary should be used together. There are points in the lesson which are expanded in the commentary. Your purpose in answering the questions is to focus on the living of these principles in everyday life. Questions for Series Two Vol. 1 Lesson I Bondage or Liberty, Which? 1. According to the lesson material, we suffer in life because we are in bondage to a certain belief about ourself. What kind of belief is it that keeps us in “bondage”? Write this down in your own words. You might want to make your own personal list of beliefs that tend to keep you in bondage. 2. What does it mean to be an heir of God? To what are we heirs? 3. Could you outline some of the specific ways which this lesson suggests for getting out of “bondage”? 4. What is the ultimate aim or objective of every man? 5. When we have problems and suffering, where is our freedom (victory) first won? How would you apply this to your own life? Lesson II Statement of Being 1. According to the lesson, what was Jesus’ definition of God? Check John 4:24 in your Bible; also Jeremiah 23: 23-24 and Zeph. 3:17. 2. Look at paragraph 5 in the lesson and 2 complete the following: “God is not _ __________________God_______________that invisible, intangible, but__________ ______________ ____ ___________Also, look at paragraph 11 and complete the following: “God is not a being___________________but He is_____ ________________’’ Why do you think it is important to emphasize that God is not “a being having qualities”? Will you live your life any differently because you know this truth? How? 3. Make a list of some of the names used in the lesson to define the meaning of God. What name(s) is most helpful to you? Why? 4. How would you explain the difference between your individuality and your personality, as defined in the commentary? Explain how this understanding might help you relate toothers more effectively. 5. Explain the trinity of God as you understand it from the commentary on this lesson. Can God be separated from His creation? (p. 51.) 6. What is the will of God for man? (p.47) What difference does this make in your life? Lesson III Thinking 1. You wiil notice that the purpose of this lesson is to develop our understanding of the relationship that exists between God and man. The lesson material speaks of man as a threefold being (spirit, soul, body). Explain in your own words the function of each of these aspects of 3 man’s being. (Paragraphs 6 & 7, also Lesson 2, paragraph 18.) 2. Read paragraphs 11 through 27. In this section the lesson is contrasting two different ways of coming to a knowing of Truth, or spiritual understanding. How would you describe those two different ways, in your own words? Which way is the lesson encouraging you to follow? Why? 3. Read paragraph 28 and complete the following: “Troubles and sorrows are the result of ____________________ We think wrongly because we are misinformed by our_________” Can you think of any specific ways in which your senses give you wrong information in your everyday life? List some. 4. Why does God not keep our thoughts right instead of permitting us through ignorance to drift into wrong thoughts, and so bring trouble on ourselves? (Paragraphs 34 through 36, and commentary.) 5. Read paragraphs 40 through 49. Explain your “relation to God” as described in this section, and tell what it means to you in your everyday life. Why don’t we have to beseech God? Lesson IV The Secret Place of the Most High 1. This lesson begins by talking about a great “restlessness” that we feel which often causes us to seek satisfaction in many outer things. In what ways does this happen to you? Explain. (See lesson and commentary.) 2. Read the whole lesson through and ex- 4 plain the meaning of the “secret place of the Most High” as clearly as you can (see paragraphs 6, 10, and the commentary, pages 84-86). Along with reading, take a little time to meditate on the idea of the “secret place” as you might experience it within yourself. 3. What is the difference between knowing about God, and knowing God? Explain. (See commentary, p. 87.) 4. What is given to us in the secret place? (See paragraphs 7, 10 through 14, 16, 25.) Explain how what you receive in the secret place can satisfy you in a way that “things” alone can never do. (Also, see commentary on nourishment.) Lesson V The Divinity of Man 1. The purpose of this lesson is to set forth the metaphysical understanding of the divinity of man. Complete the following: “Before there could be a man, there had to be____________________, and this idea is_________, the offspring of His Mind, the_________________.” (Paragraph 3; also see page 41 on the trinity of God.) 2. Read paragraphs 4, 6 through 13, and the commentary. How would you explain the metaphysical meaning of each of the following: Christ? Jesus? Jesus Christ? How are we to understand the way Jesus Christ functions for us as “savior”? (p. 107.) 3. What is the “Word”? (Paragraphs 14, 31, 32, 34.) 4. What is I AM? What is the difference be- 5 tween “I AM” and “I will”? (Paragraphs 26, 27.) How does this understanding help you to know what your part is in manifesting health, prosperity, or good human relationships? 5. Explain the difference between involution and evolution. (Paragraphs 33-36.) What could evolution mean in understanding our everyday challenges? 6. The lesson says that man “forms” but God "creates” (Paragraph 35.) How might this help you to understand yourself better in relation to solving the problems of your life? 7. Write in your own words the meaning of your own divinity as you understand it. Take some time to meditate on this real Self of you. Can your divine nature be poor or sick? Is it eternal? Appendix Take some time to become familiar with the meaning of the terms in the appendix. This will be helpful to you in coming to an understanding of the Unity viewpoint. 6 Questions for Series Two Vol. 2 Lesson I Faith 1. Describe the difference between blind faith and understanding faith as explained in the lesson and commentary. Which kind of faith do you want? Why? 2. Read paragraph 23, and complete the following: “One of the unerring truths in the universe is that there is already provided __________________ _____ _______ ________________Another truth is that the How would you apply these principles to your everyday life? 3. What are the promises of God? (Paragraph 25, commentary, p. 27.) Does asking mean pleading? If not, what does it mean? (Paragraphs 26-27.) 4. Read paragraphs 28-30, 35-37, also commentary, pages 21-24. What is the meaning of your own desires? Can you make a list of some of your own desires and see what lies behind them? 5. What does it mean to have faith in God, self, and others? (Commentary, pages 29-31.) What specific things could you do right now to begin expressing this faith in your own life? Lesson II Denials 1. How would you summarize paragraphs 1 through 5 in your own words? What is the common misunderstanding about denial? What did Jesus mean by saying that man must “deny himself”? (Para- 7 graph 10; commentary, pages 50-51.) 2. Explain the meaning of denial as you understand it from the lesson and commentary. Study carefully what it is that we really deny. Do we deny problems and difficulties, or certain wrong beliefs that we have about problems and difficulties? Explain. (Paragraphs 8, 10-15; commentary, pages 44-47.) What makes a belief “wrong”? 3. State the two aspects of denial as expressed in paragraph 9. From your study up to this point, what is our basis for denying the reality of negative conditions? Do they really “exist” in God Mind? (See paragraph 7; also Vol. 1, pages 28-30; Vol. 1, Lesson II, paragraphs 12, 17.) 4. List the four denials. How would you see yourself using these denials in everyday life in regard to your success? Health? Prosperity? Give some examples. 5. Explain why we should not judge according to appearances. (Lesson and commentary, pages 47-49). What can you do right now to begin judging rightly? Lesson III Affirmations 1. Explain clearly what an affirmation is. What are the primary and secondary purposes of affirmations? Does an affirmation change God’s attitude toward us? Who does it change? Explain. (Paragraphs 6, 21; commentary, pages 62-65.) 2. List the four basic affirmations. How would you see yourself using these affirmations in your everyday life? Give some examples. (Paragraphs 12-28.) 3. Read paragraphs 9, 30-31, and the commentary on the Power in Affirmation and The Spoken Word. When we speak words of Truth (affirm), do the words themselves accomplish the results? Do we of ourself accomplish the results, or is it something else? Explain. What are the two most powerful affirmative words you can speak? Why? 4. After reading through the lesson material, why would you say that practice and persistence are necessary in using affirmations? What is important about committing affirmations to memory? (Paragraph 29; commentary, p. 68.) 5. Formulate an affirmation that is meaningful to you, and start using it for a planned period of time. Put down your results in the Spiritual Diary at the end of this volume. Lesson IV Finding the Secret Place 1. Read lesson and commentary, choose the best statement: This lesson is trying to get us to: a) believe that God is friendly; b) have faith that God will give us the good we want; c) come directly to God at the center of our being and let Him “speak” to us; d) pray with greater fervor and effort in the hope that God will hear us. (See correct answer on page 16 ) Read paragraphs 6 through 8, and com- 9 plete the following: “After all our beating about the bush, we must _________ _____ __________ who is the___________ _______________The light that we want is 2. What is “the silence”? Outline the steps to the silence and explain which steps are most meaningful to you. (Paragraphs 10 through 33; commentary, pages 101-106.) 3. What is the ultimate goal of prayer as understood in this lesson? (See commentary, pages 89-91.) Is begging God for things helpful? Why, or why not? 4. Is Jesus Christ the means of our reaching God? What part does He play in our coming to God? (Commentary, pages 87-89.) How would you explain the “still small voice of God” (pages 97-101)? 5. What does it mean to “wait” upon God? What comes to us when we do? Is there any purpose for expressing those blessings that come to us? (Paragraphs 29, 32 through 36, and commentary.) Lesson V Spiritual Understanding 1. How would you explain the meaning of spiritual understanding? How did Peter know that Jesus was the Christ? (Paragraphs 1-4, 8; rest of lesson; commentary, pages 122-1 23.) 2. How are spiritual understanding and intellectual knowledge related to each other? Can you give some examples from your life? (Paragraphs 1-3; commentary, pages 1 23-1 25.) 10 3. Why is it that one man cannot reveal God to another? (Paragraph 10; commentary, pages 126-128.) Explain how God is revealed to us. What part do people, situations, and experiences play in this process? 4. What part do our motives play in receiving spiritual understanding? What motives would you encourage in yourself? Which ones would you release? (Paragraphs 12, 21; commentary, pages 129-130.) 5. Read paragraphs 23 through 25. What is a good starting point in developing spiritual understanding? List some of the results experienced by us when we attain spiritual understanding. (See commentary, pages 131-133.) Are there any of these results that are beginning to appear in your own life? Questions for Series Two Vol. 3 Lesson I Spiritual Gifts 1. Read the lesson and commentary, and choose the staterrent which best describes the purpose of this lesson. This lesson is encouraging us to: a) Choose a spiritual gift and develop it. b) Become more spiritual. c) Demonstrate as many good things in our life as possible. d) Stop limiting God and “risk” abandoning ourself to a new life by expanding our view of His “gifts.” 11 e) Understand Paul’s nine spiritual gifts and develop them. (See correct answer on page 16 ) 2. Read paragraphs 1 through 11, and pages 15-17. Why do we “need to take our eyes off the ends of the branches, the results, and keep them centered in the vine”? What limitation do we place on ourself by focusing on “the branches”? List some of the “branches” that you tend to focus on in your own life. 3. Read paragraphs 15 through 19. Why do you think we often have the fear of abandoning ourself to God and letting “Him have His own way with us, and through us”? Are we afraid that we will lose the good we already have? What things might you do in your own life to have more courage as understood in the lesson? 4. Read paragraphs 32 through 36, and pages 17-24. How would you explain what it is that each of us has been given as a gift from God? What is our “greatest gift”? 5. Read the commentary, pages 24 through 31. Make a list of some important things to keep in mind in the development of your spiritual gifts. Do we look any differently at our problems and “failures”? How? Do we measure our work by those of others? What is our most important standard of measurement? Lesson II Health 1. Why do you think we can say that health 12 is God’s will and man’s birthright (inheritance)? (Paragraphs 6-23.) 2. If a health problem comes to you, what are three ways that you can regard it? Is “having an illness” wrong? Explain. (Paragraphs 25-28.) 3. What is your body? (Paragraphs 29-33.) What attitude should you have toward your body? How would you explain the cause of ill health, and where must healing begin? 4. Does “healing” mean more than the restoration of the body? Explain. (Paragraph 36.) 5. Give some of the methods of healing and show how healing is related to: a) forgiveness, b) love, c) faith, d) joy. Lesson III Prosperity 1. Is this a lesson about how to get more material things? How would you explain “true prosperity” as understood in this lesson? What relationship does it have to ideas? Read paragraph 10 and explain the first two steps in the prospering process. 2. From a metaphysical standpoint, what does “substance” mean and what is its relation to our outer supply? (Paragraphs 15-31.) How can you become conscious of substance? (Paragraphs 24-29.) Does the concept of “substance” help you to understand how God can be everywhere present? Explain. 3. Read paragraphs 37 through 44. How would you explain what determines the 13 type of supply and the time of receiving it? Explain what happens when we worry over supply. What can you do in your life to stop worrying? 4. Give some of Jesus’ teachings about “prosperity” that apply to your life. What is the difference between “the simple life” and “poverty”? How could you live a simpler life? (Paragraphs 45-53.) 5. How does the “law of giving and receiving” apply to your life? If you sometimes feel that you have nothing to give, what can you do? What does “no strings attached” mean? Finally, make a personal list of some positive ways in which your attitudes toward your income and your work will change as you develop true prosperity. (See paragraphs 54-84.) Lesson IV Human Relations 1. Read paragraphs 1-11. Why is it important in our relations with others to love ourself? Can you give the difference between self-love and selfishness? What makes it possible for us to love ourself and others authentically? 2. How does it help our human relationships to know both our divine self and our human self? Can you give some examples from your own experience? (Paragraphs 1 2-1 3.) 3. Read paragraphs 14-38. Explain the sense in which we are and are not our “brother’s keeper.” What attitudes of mind do we need to have in “freeing others” and “loosing him and letting him 14 go”? Does this mean that when we have trouble with others, it is better to forget about them? Explain. What part does prayer play? 4. Read paragraphs 39-69. What causes the habit of condemnation, and how do we overcome it? What are some of Jesus’ practical methods for overcoming this habit? How does listening help in our relationships with others? Can you give some examples from your life? 5. Read paragraphs 70-109. Share some of the ideas from the lesson that are meaningful to you about marriage. Does Jesus condemn divorce? Explain. What is the best gift that can be given to a child? Lesson V Unity of the Spirit 1. Read paragraphs 1-7. How would you explain what it means to have “narrow vision”? Do we all have it? What would it mean in your life right now to begin looking at everything through a larger “aperture”? Give some examples. 2. From your study of the lesson as a whole, explain what is meant by “unity of the Spirit.” What does “unity within diversity” mean, and what makes possible our taking this approach? What should you do if you find yourself getting anxious and upset about another teaching or denomination? 3. What method of “ecumenism” seems to be the most productive at the present time? Why? (See commentary.) 4. Read the commentary, pages 153-157. Does the spiritual life keep us from being 15 involved in a positive and helpful way in the community? What is our place in the community? Does Paul’s concept of the “Body of God” shed any light on this? Explain. 5. Explain the process of moving from “dependence” to “independence” to “interdependence.” Why do we miss the full life that God has for us by remaining in either of the first two stages? How is this insight helpful for understanding your own spiritual growth? Answers for: Question 1, Vol. 2, Lesson IV - c Question 1, Vol. 3, Lesson I - d Printed U S A 16 X-323-5913-1OM-12-82 C