The Gospel in Brief (Eastern Philosophy and Religion) [Paperback]

Leo Tolstoy (Author), Isabel Hapgood (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Eastern Philosophy and Religion | Publication Date: November 24, 2008

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Tolstoy's no-frills, just-the-facts-ma'am version of the life of Jesus Christ and his teachings makes a readable account out of the four Gospels that begin the New Testament, but it bears little stylistic trace of the Tolstoy familiar to most readers. Starting with the conception by an "unknown father" (but glossing over the first 30 years of Jesus' life) and ending with the crucifixion (but avoiding the resurrection), Tolstoy's account is a tight, accessible, and refreshing distillation of Christ's teachings. The author eschews the miracles from Christ's story to focus instead on his messages. Those messages can be pedantic, but generally are conveyed with economy, although some of Christ's teachings--for instance, his views on celibacy for bachelors--are a hard sell today. Tolstoy's preface, in which he explains his conversion to Christianity and justifies his reconstruction of the Gospels by arguing that Jesus never wrote his own version, is a nice addition, as is the appendix of verses the Russian author draws on for his life of Christ. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Booklist

Tolstoy is best known as a novelist and towering figure in world literature, but he is also the author of several works of Christian theology, owing to a midlife crisis that sent him on a quest for spiritual meaning. Unfulfilled by many conventional answers, Tolstoy returned to the Russian Orthodox Christianity of his youth and determined that the teachings of Jesus could indeed give meaning to life. In this short work, he sets out to distill the essence of that teaching from the four Gospels and present the reader with one, harmonized account of Jesus’ teachings that is free from irrelevant details in the Gospel texts and the gloss applied to them by church ritual and hierarchy. Omitted, for example, is the resurrection story because Tolstoy believed it recounted only an event and did not present a teaching. The result is a fascinating and thoroughly unorthodox rewriting of the Gospels and restatement of Christianity. --Christopher McConnell --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Dover Ed edition (November 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486468119
• ISBN-13: 978-0486468112
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #693,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > History & Surveys

More About the Author

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) wrote two of the great novels of the nineteenth century, War and Peace and Anna Karenina.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tolstoy attempts to unearth mystical meaning of gospels, October 15, 1999

By 

K.T. Flubacker (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gospel in Brief (Texts & Contexts) (Paperback)

Leo Tolstoy, in the thick of his spiritual journey, attempts a dangerous and potentially offensive act: re-interpret the gospels of the christian new testament. Abandoning the miraculous claims of the christian doctrine (Jesus' divine birth, numerous miracles of ministry, the resurrection, etc.), Tolstoy shifts his focus onto the social message of Christ. Whereas most orthodox and modern day christian churches emphasize the authority of Christ, Tolstoy considers such blasphemy and instead, emphasizes the spirit of truth, which dwells within every man, and its power towards transformation of the individual and the societal standards. Combining the four gospels into one account, Tolstoy creates a concise and appropriate representation of the teachings of the social philosopher Christ. A must read for christians and non-christians alike. Like Tolstoy, we must search for truth first and christianity second. -Kyle Flubacker

54 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Father is not flesh, but spirit., September 4, 2001

By 

Peter Snyder (NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gospel in Brief (Texts & Contexts) (Paperback)

I have always felt that much of the Bible and the Church was hiding the heart of Christ's message. The Bible seems a tool that the Church arbitrarily canonized to use for justification; eerily much like the teachers of law that Christ came to nullify.

Tolstoy goes to the original Greek texts and renders a striking and illuminating account of Christ's message from the four gospels. He purposely does not delve into Christ's miracles or divinity. Why?

Well, Christ himself was more concerned that people understand his message of how to live one's life in the spirit than to worship him because of his divine acts. Religion is dead if it is not lived continually. Tolstoy dared to explain with clarity how to live Christ's message. It is harrowing if you understand what is asked of you.

"...small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." -Matthew 7:24

I know why this was said now and is rarely emphasized in churches. Read this book if you want to change and are open to the idea that Christianity has been severely perverted.

87 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The translator plays a primary role, October 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Gospel in Brief (Texts & Contexts) (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.