And Now I See . . .: A Theology of Transformation [Paperback]

Robert Barron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

“Christianity is, above all, a way of seeing. What unites figures as diverse as James Joyce, Caravaggio, John Milton, the architect of Chartres, Dorothy Day, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the later Bob Dylan is a peculiar and distinctive take on things, a style, a way, which flows finally from Jesus of Nazareth. Origen remarked that holiness is seeing with the eyes of Christ. Teilhard de Chardin said, with great passion, that his mission as a Christian thinker was to help people see. And Thomas Aquinas said that the ultimate goal of the Christian life is a ‘beatific vision,’ an act of seeing. This book is about coming to vision through Christ.” — Robert Barron, from the Prelude

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Barron, professor of systematic theology at Mundelein Seminary, near Chicago, offers an accessible exploration of Christian theological concepts He divides his book into three sections as he examines Christianity as a source of human transformation. In his first section, Barron argues that human nature is alienated from itself and thus humans are in need of a mediator who can draw them back to God and self. The second section takes up a renewed understanding of God in light of the alienated nature of humanity. In his final section, Barron contends that Christ is a healer and reconciler who seeks to draw humanity back into relationship with God. Along the way, Barron draws on sources as diverse as Dante, Paul Tillich, Thomas Merton and Flannery O'Connor.

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: The Crossroad Publishing Company (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824517539
• ISBN-13: 978-0824517533
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Catholicism > Roman Catholicism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Going Beyond Our Mind and Religion to See Reality, May 29, 2000

By 

Slobowty "Ty" (San Luis Obispo, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: And Now I See . . .: A Theology of Transformation (Paperback)

I picked this book up knowing nothing about its content. As a reward, I received the most readable, sensible and well-supported view of Christianity I have ever read. This is not a religious book in the sense that it does not about Church or religions. (In fact, the author, Catholic Priest, seems to recognize that churchs and religions can be of the most difficult obstacles to understanding Christ.) Rather it is a book that focus on a multi-level interpretation of scripture and its call to transform our view of ourselves and our place in creation. This is done in part by reference to literary works be Dante, Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor and others in a successful effort to show a common search for the real Christ in us and in our midst. This book about transformation can transform the way you view the Bible and your place in and beyond the world. I set it aside to reread in two weeks and will probably do so several times.

As an aside, Barron is very similar to Richard Rohr in many of his views. (He quotes Fr. Rohr's works at least once.) If you find Fr. Rohr interesting, Barron, intentionally or not, follows and expands many of his themes.

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly enlightening theology for today's Christian, April 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: And Now I See . . .: A Theology of Transformation (Paperback)

Barron draws on religious writings ranging from the Old and New Testament,Augustine, Thomas Aquinas (the subject of one of his previous books),Martin Luther and Dante to more contemporary writers like Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Paul Tillich, Hans Kung and Thomas Merton to position the story and meaning of Jesus' life in a profound new way. This book gave me, a lifetime seeker, powerful new insights into why Jesus really is the way, the truth, and the light. The writing style is intelligent, brilliant, yet wholly readable. You'll want to savor and underline many of the thoughts and observations. For example, the succinct interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount is reason enough to get and read this book. Barron, a priest who is a theology professor at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, provides us with a fresh way of viewing the Trinity which gives new meaning to the divine love it represents and what the Trinity says about how we can make love, and thereby personal fulfillment and happiness, integral aspects of our lives. If your looking for a book that will invigorate your faith and spiritual life, then get and treasure this book. It's a reference manual that you'll go back to often for encouragement and counsel. You'll keep it handy alongside books by Richard Rohr, Anthony DeMello and Thomas Keating. If anything its brilliance, scholarship, and insights exceed any of these authors. This book may well be for you the next best thing to having your own spiritual director. It could be the basis of a turning around, a metanoia, that will change your life!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkable, Very Readable Work, May 3, 2007

By 

P. Bruce "Everyman" (Albuquerque, NM (USA)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Now I See . . .: A Theology of Transformation (Paperback)

Robert Barron's aptly titled book, "And Now I See: A Theology of Transformation" is a work that will potentially change your life, if only you invest the effort in its very readable, yet "dense" pages. They are to be pondered and incorporated into your heart. He synthesizes saints and sages, poets and writers, philosophers and theologians into a remarkable "symphony of voices" -- each enriching the others -- with Jesus Christ as the Conductor. The result is a mind- and heart-opening work, the likes of which you are unlikely to find anywhere else. This is not a book to be read or taken lightly, although a likely outcome is that your own heart will become lighter; and with time and grace, it will soar like a hawk. Our salvation is Fr. Barron's only interest. Chapter 13, "Jesus the Revealer of the True God: Christmas, Chalcedon, and the Cross", is itself worth the price of the book, even more. And while Fr. Barron has been extended deserved accolades (as on the front cover we see that he has entered the front ranks of contemporary American Catholic theologians), he writes for us -- the faithful. I cannot recommend this work highly enough. If it was possible, I would give it a sixth star.