Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom Review

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Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom ReviewAlbert Nolan was born in 1934 in Cape Town a 4th generation South African who rose to international acclaim with the publication of his first book, Jesus Before Christianity, was recently reissued on its 25th anniversary. Jesus Before Christ, translated into nine languages, was described by theologian Harvey Cox as "the most accurate and balanced short reconstruction of the life of the historical Jesus."
In 2003, the South African government awarded him the Order of Luthuli in recognition of "his lifelong dedication to the struggle for democracy, human rights and justice and for challenging the religious dogma including theological justification of apartheid." The award is named after Chief Albert Luthuli, South Africa's first Nobel Peace Prize winner.
In this long-awaited sequel, Nolan describes the modern signs that underlay our spiritual hunger: the crisis of individualism, ecological breakdowns, the global divide between rich and poor, our unprecedented skepticism and a disconnect with our past and our failing efforts to reconnect through fundamentalism and Neo-conservatism.
Besides spiritual hunger we face the crisis of individualism that is ending up in a cultist worship of the ego and the erosion of community. People have fewer friends than they did 20 years ago and this rising disconnect can be seen in the growing prevalence of anger and anxiety. The hunger for spirituality is a hunger for freedom from materials, self-indulgence, postmodernism, oppression, and individualism. It is a freedom from self-sufficiency, independence, and separation that have brought us to the edge of chaos.
When Nolan discusses the contributions of a new science beginning with Einstein a new and more hopeful world paradigm emerges: science as an ally with faith in the discovery of new mysteries of the universe: "Light, for example, is neither a wave nor a particle: it is something beyond our mind and imagination . . . it is a mystery." (P. 36). The world is filled with puzzles yet unsolved and possibly never solved like how the writing out of a tiny strand of DNA instructions would fill a thousand books each 600 pages long or Niels Bohr's quantum leap where particles in orbit may jump from one orbit to another without passing through the space between them--another mystery.
His reflections on mysticism's essentially incommunicable insights into God and reality are particularly good. Christian mystical writing form two paths: Apophatic (Via Negativa) and Kataphatic (Via Positiva). Nolan presents Apophatic mysticism without over complicating it with too much information. Christianity was, after all, a mystical sect that grew out of Judaism as Gnosticism grew out of Christianity. In the Apophatic tradition we can know only what God is not. God is not an object that can be compared to other objects, nor is God a mystery, one mystery among others, but the mystery. This is the language of paradox that, like a Zen kaon, puts into words what cannot be described but must be experienced as Moses experienced a hidden God in the burning bush.
Nolan proceeds to describe the elements of Jesus' spirituality: a way of healing that combines prophecy and mysticism with profound love. And love itself is a mystery since, if one is allowed one descriptor of God, it is Love, a term that belies a galaxy of words but is understood instantly in its experience:
"The way my mother loved was a mighty force. And she loved me so much sometimes it scared me. I knew by the way her eyes were almost backlit with affection when she saw me coming up the stairs and the way her voice was raised an octave when she heard my voice on the other end of a call to her. There was nothing she would not have done for me all my life."
-- Dorothea Benton Frank, The Land of Mango Sunsets.
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The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake Review

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The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake ReviewHow is it possible that Blake was able to articulate the full enormity of his vision while keeping up with the complex mythological narrative he invented? Through much of his longer poetical works he so effortlessly associates his mammoth cosmic figures with a riveting and impassioned philosophical discourse. One wonders whether the man was even human. And yet it is precisely this disbelief he and, a bit later and with more severity, Nietzsche preached against.

For Blake, the human imagination is the gateway to eternity, and anyone is capable of it. Yet even this vote of confidence in man falls short of Nietzsche's often misunderstood optimism when he asserts that artistic achievement has nothing to do with the "muse" and is wholly within the boundaries of human ability. For Nietzsche, man alone responsible for his great works, and to credit anything else with their sublimity is to undermine human potential. But Blake, a man of profound faith, contends that "When I am commanded by the spirits, then I write; and the moment I have written, I see the words fly about the room in all directions." Yet how telling it is that even this humble explaining-away of his powers is fraught with poetry.

But whether or not Blake credited himself with his evident genius, the works speak for themselves. And for "The Complete Poetry and Prose," two of the most competent Blake scholars join forces to offer a clear, extensive and informed presentation of Blake's output. Astonishing in scope and scholarship, this Erdman/Bloom edition is as indispensable for Blake's work as it is for their notes and commentary. My only complaint is the inconsistency of Bloom's commentary. He skips entire sections of Blake's worth here, whereas he covers every last word of it in his own book, "Blake's Apocalypse." Hmm . . . Harold wouldn't, by any chance, be trying to get us to, um, SPEND a little more, you think? Naaahhh.

But no commentary -- no matter how illuminating -- will ever approach the radiance of Blake's own words. From the plainspoken awe of the early masterpieces, "Ahania" and "The Book of Thel," to the astonishing epics "The Four Zoas" and "Jerusalem" and right down to "The Mental Traveler," that late fruition of Blake's bitingly ironical voice, "The Complete Poems and Prose" reads like a Bible in its own right. Routinely taking on such lofty subjects as the fall of man, love and jealousy, desire and reason, good and evil, a reading of Blake's work all together yields just as much beauty, mystery and genius.

Equally as riveting are the many letters with which the primary portion of the book concludes. Rife with the fierce inquisitiveness and confidence that characterizes the famous "Proverbs of Hell," Blake's letters rank with those of Keats and Hopkins as some of the most stirring autobiographical sketches ever produced by a master poet.

Erdman's "Prophet Against Empire" and Bloom's aforementioned "Blake's Apocalypse" make for great companion pieces, as does Frye's "Fearful Symmetry." But I think the best way for new readers to take on Blake's work is by diving blindly into its initially cold waters, and only calling in Erdman, Bloom and Frye to turn up the heat later on.

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Interior Castle: The Classic Text With a Spiritual Commentary (Classics With Commentary) Review

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Interior Castle: The Classic Text With a Spiritual Commentary (Classics With Commentary) ReviewI have, more than once, picked up Interior Castle, but each time my innate preference for logical progression and precise explanations got in the way. With Dennis Billy as a guide, I am now able to appreciate Teresa's spiritual counsel even though I still find some of the metaphors confusing.
Though the commentary is short when compared to Teresa's texts, it is invaluable. In the introduction Billy gives an overview of Teresa's background, call to write, and spiritual doctrine presented through a description of seven mansions within a spiritual castle. He also offers 10 pointers for interpreting Interior Castle, including details of its development, Teresa's view of religious life "in the hierarchical order of sanctity," her combative posture toward the world, and her primary image of God as beloved spouse.
He previews her nine sections--one for the introduction, each of the seven mansions, and the epilogue--and before each chapter within the sections he offers a short summary that prepares us for Teresa's words. Finally, Billy has added four reflection questions at the end of each chapter to help us further examine Teresa's teachings and our own spiritual lives.
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