Last night, Richard Winter, professor of practical theology at Covenant Theological Seminary spoke on perfectionism at Veritas on the campus of Butler University. He was quite engaging and essentially presented the material in his new book Perfecting Ourselves to Death.

He explores the positive and negatives of being a perfectionist - and we all are in certain ways. I found the book helpful in terms of understanding the pressures out culture exerts upon us, why certain people feel the pressure they do to be perfect, and ways to aim at healthy perfectionism. Winter attempts to hook unbelievers by becoming more explicitly Christian as the book progresses. Ultimately, he shows that Christ is the only one truly perfect, and that when we have been justified by him, then we have true freedom to pursue perfection without fear by grace. On the whole, the book is profitable, and those with strongly perfectionist tendencies will benefit most.

Some Christians may wish he were more explicitly Christian up front, but understanding his purpose goes a long way to understanding why the book is structured the way it is. At points, the book feels a bit "clinical", but I suppose that is to be expected from a psychiatrist.

Additionally, Dr. Winter has another good read writen a few years ago titled Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment. The title is pretty much self explanatory, and it is worth your time if your schedule is full -but especially if you are bored!