- Paperback
- Publisher: Lilian Barber Press (March 1997)
- ISBN-10: 1852309679
- ISBN-13: 978-1852309671
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Are you acquainted with Tolstoy's The Gospel in Brief? At its time, this book virtually kept me alive... If you are not acquainted with it, then you cannot imagine what an effect it can have upon a person." Ludwig Wittgenstein, in a letter to Ludwig von Ficker.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Book Description
Written in 1883, 'The Gospel in brief' is Tolstoy's harmonization of the four Christian gospels into one. So now we have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John - and Tolstoy. It is, he says, 'an examination of Christian teaching not according to the church's interpretations, but solely according to what has come down to us of Christ's teaching, as ascribed to him in the gospels.' That which Tolstoy retains from the originals, and that which he leaves out, tells us much about what he regards as essential Christianity. So here we find Tolstoy not concerned with events, but with the teaching; for it is the teaching that gives meaning to life. In his version, there is no place for the famous birth story; the healing miracles or Christ's resurrection. In Tolstoy's view, these were put there to persuade people of Christ's divinity, and are therefore superfluous. We should not be focusing on Christ the Son of God, but on Christ the teacher; and to this end, Tolstoy always refers to Jesus' disciples as 'pupils'. He also never misses a chance to place the Orthodox Church firmly with Christ's opponents. He calls the Scribes 'Orthodox professors' and refers to the teachers of the law, simply as 'Orthodox.' We also find expressed clearly here the 5 commands that Tolstoy regarded as the essence of the gospel: 1 Do not be angry, but live at peace with all men. 2 Do not indulge yourself in sexual gratification. 3 Do not promise anything on oath to anyone. 4 Do not resist evil, do not judge and do not go to law. 5 Make no distinction of nationality, but love foreigners as your own people. Will the church like this version? Tolstoy doubts it, and expects a response: 'If they will not disavow their lies, only one thing remains for them: to persecute me - for which I, completing what I have written, prepare myself with joy and with fear of my own weakness.' But Tolstoy was both too aristocratic and too famous to be seriously harmed. Simon Parke, author of The One Minute Mystic
--This text refers to an alternate
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Gospel in Brief,
By
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
The translator plays a primary role,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Gospel in Brief (Paperback)
This translation was done by Isabel Hapgood -- a late 19th century translator. She is the WORST translator of Tolstoy. She misses most of the meaning most of the time. Constance Garnett, on the other hand, is good. Michael Glenny is superb. You have to pay attention to the translator.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful book.... for those who like it....,
By J. Michael Showalter (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Gospel in Brief (Paperback)
This is the kind of book either you like or you hate. Three kinds of people will read this book. The first (and most moderate) will be Tolstoy scholars, etc. interested in his religious beliefs and influences, and there readings of this book will be value-empty and hygenic. The second group of people will be those akin of mind to Tolstoy, and they will love and cherish this book ahead of almost any other: when the philosopher Wittgenstein first read this book he decided that it was spectacular and went off into the countryside to begin to change the world (and failed... leaving Austria to go and study with Russell at Oxford....) The third group will be more traditional Christians-- for whom Jesus' particular authority and the authority of the Church handed down through the Fathers is paramount, and they, generally, will detest this work..... I love this book. I find it splendidly written, insightful, and clever: I'm of the sort who would toss out the whole of the Bible excluding Ezekiel, Daniel, and James: I want Christ as a man and a social reformer. Unfortunately, Gandhi and Christ were not usually considered one in the same. For people like me, this book is a must-read and almost guaranteed as a world-changing event. For more traditional Christians, this book is probably better left forgotten. It's going to be objectionable and even with his style being beautiful, there are better things to be read....
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