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The mystical way in the fourth Gospel: Crossing over into God
Book by Countryman, L. William
- GenresTheology
148 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 10, 2017
I'm currently re-reading, was referred to it in a weekend retreat that was a turning point in my life. More here later after I've finished re-read.
January 21, 2019
Conversion, the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, believing in Jesus are the path; to love one another is the way; union, to come to know that we are one with God and God with us, is the completion.
Countryman's thesis is that John's Gospel is a manual for the mystical way in Christianity. He translates the Gospel in a manner which preserves John's simple syntax, limited vocabulary, and repetitions and intersperses commentary, interpretation, and some cultural and historical context. He shows how John's choice and ordering of events from Jesus' life and ministry, differing from the synoptics, emphasizes the path of spiritual growth. Characteristic of Jesus' teaching in John is the inappropriate response, the seeming non-sequitur when questioned that is meant to break his hearer out of old ways of thinking. It reminded me of the idea behind Zen koans.
Countryman writes clearly, precisely, intellectually, spiritually and with belief. The book is scholarly but direct, not dry, and faithful.
Countryman's thesis is that John's Gospel is a manual for the mystical way in Christianity. He translates the Gospel in a manner which preserves John's simple syntax, limited vocabulary, and repetitions and intersperses commentary, interpretation, and some cultural and historical context. He shows how John's choice and ordering of events from Jesus' life and ministry, differing from the synoptics, emphasizes the path of spiritual growth. Characteristic of Jesus' teaching in John is the inappropriate response, the seeming non-sequitur when questioned that is meant to break his hearer out of old ways of thinking. It reminded me of the idea behind Zen koans.
Countryman writes clearly, precisely, intellectually, spiritually and with belief. The book is scholarly but direct, not dry, and faithful.
February 24, 2012
This is a difficult book although it inspires discussions in the group that I read it with. The book begins to "warm up" only with the chapter entitled "Enlightenment". That's where the author's thesis of the purpose of John's Gospel begins to make sense, at least to me. This chapter stimulated quite a discussion.
The book is not a devotional book. It is scholarly in that it sets out a thesis why the Gospel of John progresses in the way it does, so differently from the synoptic gospels. It is a cross between the presentation of a unified theory of John's gospel and a passage-by-passage commentary. Accordingly, it plods along and is frequently boring. I think, however, that an attempt to understand this gospel comprehensively was a worthy enterprise and shed light on my thinking about these really rather remarkable documents.
The book is not a devotional book. It is scholarly in that it sets out a thesis why the Gospel of John progresses in the way it does, so differently from the synoptic gospels. It is a cross between the presentation of a unified theory of John's gospel and a passage-by-passage commentary. Accordingly, it plods along and is frequently boring. I think, however, that an attempt to understand this gospel comprehensively was a worthy enterprise and shed light on my thinking about these really rather remarkable documents.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews