The Gospel in Brief (Texts & Contexts) (Paperback)

by Leo Tolstoy (Author), Francis A. Flowers III (Editor, Preface), Isabel Hapgood (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

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.

Product Description
The Gospel in Brief is Leo Tolstoy's integration of the four biblical Gospels into a single account of the life of Jesus. Inspired in large measure by Tolstoy's meticulous study of the original Greek versions of the Bible, The Gospel in Brief is a highly original fusion of biblical texts and Tolstoy's own influential religious views. Tolstoy explains that his goal is a solution to "the problem of life," not an answer to theological or historical questions. As a result, he sets aside such issues as Jesus' genealogy and divinity, or whether Jesus in fact walked on water. Instead, he focuses on the words and teachings of Jesus, stripped of what Tolstoy regarded as the Church's distortions and focus on dogma and ritual. The result is a work that emphasizes the necessity of maintaining one's spiritual condition in a chaotic and indifferent world.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 215 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803294328
• ISBN-13: 978-0803294325
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #461,835 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #17 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( T ) > Tolstoy, Leo
  #86 in	Books > Nonfiction > Foreign Language Nonfiction > Russian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 54 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

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

63 of 76 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 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.

52 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful book.... for those who like it...., September 25, 2000

By	J. Michael Showalter (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

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....