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A Retreat With John the Evangelist: That You May Have Life

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The last book published by Raymond E Brown prior to his death, it combines serious scholarship and prayerful reflection on the author of the Fourth gospel. The reader gets the feeling that Brown knew the "beloved disciple" on a personal basis. Many of the insights he shares about the community of the beloved disciple and the significance of the Fourth Gospel are profound and deeply moving. A book that is a real page turner.

I am a Catholic deacon, educated in a conservative seminary, and I can witness categorically that Fr. Raymond Brown is acknowledged to be the premier Catholic Scriptural scholar of the last 50 years, and among the finest if not the finest of all faiths for that period as well. The breath of his knowledge (in several languages),his orthodoxy and at the same time his openness and contributions to the revelations of ongoing scholarship and study is awe-inspiring. It is not a boast but a statement of my great pleasure and blessing to say I have read every book he has written.

It was therefore such a special joy to read this "On Retreat With" volume Fr. Brown wrote, for herein he indulges himself and allows himself creativity and humor that he did not permit himself in his other writings. It was a joy to behold him free in this book, like a frisky colt allowing himself freedom gambol in fertile green fields, and to write with creativity and humor. So we have inthis book the double joy of unsurpassed insights into St. John the Evangelist, and into the contemporary genius of Fr. Brown.

I have read most of the "On Retreat With" books (a joy in my life is taking seven-day self-directed retreats on the ocean, and I make it a practice to bring several "On Retreat with" books with me each retreat), and this one is the best of the lot (followed closely by that on Brother Lawrence). Let me say that once again if I may, this one is the best of the series.

F. Brown probably would wince at anyone calling him a "genius", but, in our time, there is no other biblical commentator who can bring the wonders of the Bible more clearly to thoughtful lay persons than he can. His knowledge of the Johannine corpus is encyclopedic - his ability to synthesize the full range of scholarship on a subject is amazing, and, then, and only, then dos he give the reader his position. His "The Community of the Beloved Disciple" is the seminal work on that subject - God had other plans, but I do wish he had had time to finish his update of his two-volume commentary on the Fourth Gospel...

What better companion could one have during this most holy time of the year than this book. I loved the interaction between the Evangelist and the author on various texts from St. John's Gospel. It was thought provoking about the impact of this gospel for our times but also has the depth for meditation that is very much part of Holy Week. Yet it can be used for any time of the year when one wants to retreat from the world. Definitely a book to take with you if you want to spend some solitude, and know that we indeed may have life, eternal life in Christ.

This is the second "A Retreat With" book I have read (the first being Matthew).

Although Fr. Brown brings out the points of the Gospel of John with clarity, I can see where many more orthodox Catholics have trouble with his writings.

Historically, the Apostle John was author of the Gospel and referred himself as the "Beloved Disciple". Fr. Brown seems to want to hammer home that he only does not believe this, but the author of the Gospel, the Apostle John, and the "Beloved Disciple" are actually three distinct persons.

If you can get past the personal bias, this book can help in your spiritual development.