Synopses & Reviews
Novelist, essayist, dramatist, and philosopher, Count Leo Tolstoy is most famous for his sprawling portraits of nineteenth-century Russian life, as recounted in
Anna Karenina and
War and Peace. But at the age of fifty, he endured a spiritual crisis that prompted him to seek answers from learned men on "the problem of life." When they were unable to offer solutions, he turned to the study of Christianity. Dazzled by the light of truth that illuminated mankind for more than two thousand years, he found answers to his questions that led him to write his own version of "the greatest story ever told."
As he reinterpreted the first four books of the New Testament into a single, integrated version that expressed the essence of Christ, Tolstoy avoided the mystery and miracles emphasized by the Church. Instead, he worked exclusively from the actual words and actions of Jesus, uncluttered by what he regarded as the Church's false interpretations. The result: a revolutionary work that challenged long-held doctrines, presented in a way that reflects Tolstoy's views on the divine purpose for human existence in a chaotic world. As brilliantly written as his other literary treasures, The Gospel in Brief is a remarkably modernand movingmeditation on spirituality.
Synopsis
Seeking answers to "the problem of life," Tolstoy reinterpreted the first four books of the New Testament to create a single, integrated version of Christ's philosophy. The Russian author disregarded issues related to Jesus's divinity, focusing strictly on his words and teachings, for a remarkably modern meditation on spirituality.
Synopsis
The Russian author reinterprets the gospels, disregarding issues related to Jesus's divinity and focusing strictly on his words and teachings. The result is a remarkably modern meditation on spirituality.
Table of Contents
My ConfessionMy ReligionThe Gospel in Brief: Author's Preface 1. The Son of God 2. Life in the Spirit 3. The Source of Life 4. God's Kingdom 5. The True Life 6. The False Life 7. I and the Father are One 8. Life is not Temporal 9. Temptations 10. The Warfare with Temptation 11. The Farewell Discourse 12. The Victory of the Spirit over the Flesh A Prologue: The Understanding of Life A Summary: The Understanding of Life is to do GoodA Recapitulation: 1. The Son of God 2. Life in the Spirit 3. The Source of Life 4. God's Kingdom 5. The True Life 6. The False Life 7. I and the Father are One 8. Life is not Temporal 9. Temptations 10. The Warfare with Temptation 11. The Farewell Discourse 12. The Victory of the Spirit over the Flesh