What do you think?
The Living Word of Saint John
A chapter-by-chapter interpretation of the fourth gospel. Deeply mystical, White Eagle's teaching brings transformational insights and depicts St John representing or foreshadowing the teacher for the New Age.
- GenresSpirituality
194 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1983
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 4, 2013
This extensive interpretive commentary on the Book of John in the New Testament was written/revealed by Grace Cooke, from the entity referred to as White Eagle, in the early 1940s. I have read this book several times and every time I have found new insights and wisdom. Each chapter of the gospel is assigned its own chapter in the book. It is not necessary to use a Bible with the book for reference because the full text is recited with the commentaries preceding or following the text.
White Eagle has a mystical, but also practical message to convey for anyone who is open to a spiritually universalistic interpretation. He emphasizes that we are all subjected to the consequences of whether we follow the spiritual law which is ingrained in the principle that man must love his brother. However, each one has his/her own level of understanding and maturity to live by. Soul progress is determined by each one’s intent or motive, whether it is love-based (of the Higher Self) or ego-based (of the lower self). Referring to soldiers who fight in war, he says that “Individually, the souls of these men and women caught up in battle receive recompense and blessing in accordance with their degree of sacrifice and the motive impelling them.” p 190 And “…while we must be able to recognize right from wrong, we may not pronounce judgment on the sinner because we cannot know his karma, nor the circumstances which have caused him to act in such a way. We dare not judge; and the older a soul grows the stronger grows its conviction of the truth.” p 67 Ultimately, each one bears the responsibility and reaps the consequences. “A soul is its own accuser. Once it sees itself-–its lower self—-revealed it will accuse itself and needs no outside judgment.” p 66
The book can provide a new, freer and liberating religious mindset than that dispensed by orthodoxy. Numerous sentences and paragraphs are succinct in providing inspirational sustenance. “A gentle word and feeling can often bring about a miracle. Live and breathe and serve your brother man in the spirit of true brotherhood, which is an over-all awareness of the at-onement of spirit, the harmony of all life.” p 131 “Jesus said: ‘I and my Father are one’ (John 10:30). He tried to teach the world the deep truth that God is within man. But man has been given free will. He can allow God to develop, he can encourage the growth of Christ in him; or, by becoming immersed in his lower self, he can reject this very growth.” p 109
The book delves profoundly into the difference between God, the Father; Jesus, the Master; and Christ, the divine spirit. Love, peace and forgiveness are the qualities that pervade the life of the sincere seeker. But White Eagle presents a balanced approach, not a navel-gazing ascetic lifestyle. He says “Do not neglect the duties of the world, for the development of the soul takes place through these [worldly] experiences, and if the individual cares only for heavenly things without he balancing factor of worldly experience there must come a fall.” p 30 Just think of all the ‘holy’ people who have segregated themselves from ‘the world’ but as a consequence have eventually gone over the edge and ended up worshiping and striving for their own egocentric ambitions.
[Sorry, page numbers are from the 1979 hardcover edition.]
White Eagle has a mystical, but also practical message to convey for anyone who is open to a spiritually universalistic interpretation. He emphasizes that we are all subjected to the consequences of whether we follow the spiritual law which is ingrained in the principle that man must love his brother. However, each one has his/her own level of understanding and maturity to live by. Soul progress is determined by each one’s intent or motive, whether it is love-based (of the Higher Self) or ego-based (of the lower self). Referring to soldiers who fight in war, he says that “Individually, the souls of these men and women caught up in battle receive recompense and blessing in accordance with their degree of sacrifice and the motive impelling them.” p 190 And “…while we must be able to recognize right from wrong, we may not pronounce judgment on the sinner because we cannot know his karma, nor the circumstances which have caused him to act in such a way. We dare not judge; and the older a soul grows the stronger grows its conviction of the truth.” p 67 Ultimately, each one bears the responsibility and reaps the consequences. “A soul is its own accuser. Once it sees itself-–its lower self—-revealed it will accuse itself and needs no outside judgment.” p 66
The book can provide a new, freer and liberating religious mindset than that dispensed by orthodoxy. Numerous sentences and paragraphs are succinct in providing inspirational sustenance. “A gentle word and feeling can often bring about a miracle. Live and breathe and serve your brother man in the spirit of true brotherhood, which is an over-all awareness of the at-onement of spirit, the harmony of all life.” p 131 “Jesus said: ‘I and my Father are one’ (John 10:30). He tried to teach the world the deep truth that God is within man. But man has been given free will. He can allow God to develop, he can encourage the growth of Christ in him; or, by becoming immersed in his lower self, he can reject this very growth.” p 109
The book delves profoundly into the difference between God, the Father; Jesus, the Master; and Christ, the divine spirit. Love, peace and forgiveness are the qualities that pervade the life of the sincere seeker. But White Eagle presents a balanced approach, not a navel-gazing ascetic lifestyle. He says “Do not neglect the duties of the world, for the development of the soul takes place through these [worldly] experiences, and if the individual cares only for heavenly things without he balancing factor of worldly experience there must come a fall.” p 30 Just think of all the ‘holy’ people who have segregated themselves from ‘the world’ but as a consequence have eventually gone over the edge and ended up worshiping and striving for their own egocentric ambitions.
[Sorry, page numbers are from the 1979 hardcover edition.]
May 9, 2021
This book truly spoke to me on so many levels at this stage in my life. Beautiful words for a loving world.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews