The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism
"The main qualification for an interpreter of a religious text is the ability to discern true wisdom—something Ravindra certainly can do... . Christ the Yogi is one of the best studies on a book of the Bibles that I have read. It has opened aspects of John's Gospel that were previously closed to me.”- Gnosis, 1998
About The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism
Explores St. John's Gospel from an Eastern perspective to reveal the interconnectedness of all faiths and the need for interfaith dialogue
● Takes readers beyond academic and historical analyses by exploring the mystical foundation of the Gospel
● Includes the full text of the Gospel of John interwoven with passage-by-passage interpretations
The Gospel of John is different from the other canonical gospels in its overall point of view concerning Jesus Christ and his mission on earth. It is much more cosmological in scale and mystical in nature and has long been considered more esoteric. The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism presents an unusual and rewarding exploration of this Christian text from a Hindu perspective as Ravi Ravindra takes us into the heart of St. John's words, eloquently and convincingly revealing the interconnectedness of all faiths and the growing need in today's world for interfaith dialogue. For those concerned with the emergence of a universal spirituality, Ravindra provides a source of light, a translucent pool of wisdom that offers from its depths an immense and lasting spiritual vision.
Ravi Ravindra
About the Author of The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism
Born and educated in India before moving to Canada, Ravi Ravindra holds master's degrees in technology, physics, and philosophy and a Ph.D. in physics. He was the founding director of the Threshold Award for Integrative Knowledge and is currently professor emeritus at Dalhousie University in Halifax, where he was professor and chair of comparative religion and adjunct professor of physics. His other books include Science and the Sacred, Krishnamurti: Two Birds on One Tree, Yoga and the Teaching of Krishna, and Whispers from the Other Shore. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Praise for The Gospel of John in the Light of Indian Mysticism
"Looking at Christ through Hindu eyes, Ravindra's 'external' view of Christ is in ways more faithful to Christian history than much Western Christology now manages to be. This makes Christ the Yogi something of a landmark in interfaith dialogue.”
Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions
"Catches the tone and spirit of St. John and this gospel's profound coherence with other traditions, particularly the Hindu tradition in India and of course the Bhagavad Gita.”
Father Thomas Berry, co-author of The Universe Story
"This nonsectarian evaluation of Jesus and the Gospel of John is another good example of the fruits of interfaith dialogue.”
Frederic Brussat, Cultural Information Service
"The book's real value lies in bringing readers into contact with the Gospel itself, highlighting its yogic nature, connecting us to the mystery that leads to rebirth in the Spirit.”
Yoga International
“A loving pondering over one of the most beautiful and probably most esoteric of the Four Gospels of the Christian tradition.”
The Theosophical Society
"The main qualification for an interpreter of a religious text is the ability to discern true wisdom—something Ravindra certainly can do... . Christ the Yogi is one of the best studies on a book of the Bibles that I have read. It has opened aspects of John's Gospel that were previously closed to me.”
Gnosis, 1998
“A dazzlingly brilliant spiritual and cross-cultural study of the most mystical of the books of the Bible, the Gospel of John. Few will finish this book unchanged, either intellectually or spiritually.”
Robert Ellwood, author of The Cross and the Grail
"In this new revision, Mr. Ravinda is surely helping to establish an interfaith sensibility in which beauty and truth in all religions can be simultaneously appreciated and embraced.”
The Beacon, May/June 2005
"Shows the benefits that cross-cultural perspectives can bring, helping readers to see with the heart as well as the head... . The best study of St. John's Gospel that I have found.”
James George, Parabola
The Spirituality OF Jesus, Not the Religion ABOUT Jesus
February 23, 2006
By Brian Robertson (Austin, TX USA)
The odd part is, when Christianity tries to present itself as exclusive because of the person of Jesus it limits God and, as Ravi Ravindra states, belittles the depth of both Jesus and God and certainly their relationship.
As a Christian who has studied Hindu, Vedanta, Buddhist, Sufi, Taoist and other paths, I find Ravindra's book does more to bolster my faith in God and my respect for Jesus and, I hope, that makes me a better Christian. By going through the Gospel of John and commenting on the verses from an"outsider's"point of view, Ravindra has crafted a wonderful source that no only illuminates Jesus' words but also mixes in the remarkable parallels found in the Bhagavad Gita, for instance, perhaps the supreme spiritual text in humankind.
Ravindra is careful to say again and again that when Jesus spoke the"I"statements found in John (as opposed to the other gospels) he must be read with the understanding that Jesus had emptied himself completely and surrendered to God. In becoming, as I would say, transparent to the Transcendent, Jesus can easily be misunderstood as either an egomaniac or a madman or speaking so exclusively about himself that we have no use for him.
I'm not sure this book will immediately open the eyes of a hardened Fundamentalist to the fact that we can often make God as small and petty and territorial as we can be. For people who have been a part of Christianity and have looked into other avenues to God, this will be a welcome addition to their spiritual readings and meditations.
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