The Mystical Way in the Fourth Gospel: Crossing Over Into God

by L. William Countryman

Book Overview

Here is a sustained literary-critical reading of John's Gospel in terms of mystical theology. Arguing that John "is guiding, perhaps at times impelling, the reader along a path that leads from conversion through Christian initiation to mystical enlightenment and union", the author suggests that his concern controls the Gospel's literary structure and unity.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800619498
• ISBN13: 9780800619497
• Release Date: January 1772
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishing
• Length: 148 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Excellent book about John's Gospel; englightenment and the mystical way...

Enlightenment in Christ, a mystical sense of the cosmos, an exegesis of the Fourth Gospel (John's) are all some of the things that make this book by L. William Countryman a useful and imaginative text of the Bible. The full title of the work includes, "Crossing Over into God" which gives one the idea that entering into a life that is capable of following a path to mystical union and also as a writing "preserve the outward form of a 'life' of Jesus" becomes for the believer a warm and rewarding goal. Albeit more acheivable and perhaps even held by more people of the Christian faith than know it, they may be enlightened, yet interested in or wishing to be introduced to a theology that is so available. Before writing in this review about the definition of these spiritual matters, well defined in L. William Countryman's book right from the beginning, here is a sense of the way the book is constructed. Divided into sections, the work takes on the life of Jesus as described in John with subjects like "Conversion," "Baptism," "Eucharist," "Enlightenment," New life," "Union I, II, III," and an "Epilogue." One can see that this introduction of the life of Jesus allows the reader to discover in the Christian Way that Jesus "...has already ascribed to the logos a glory far greater than that of any miracle worker--'glory as of an only child from the father'. Now he tells us that Jesus 'revealed his glory' through the sign, meaning that the same note of unique access to God is again struck here." For this reader, this kind of consideration began to lead him to recognize that there were large and enormous meanings for living life attributed in the mystical way, and that enlightenment is attainable. Something not always so common in its statement about Christianity in these times. This quote from the introduction explains enlightenment: "...an experience of things or persons outside myself as direct and unmediated as my experience of myself is." The author, in going through the book of John, tells the story of the blind man whose site is restored. This is a world rebuilding event for the blind man, and it suggests a new understanding of the world (cosmos) and the beginning of a new life and relationship that was out of joint with God, as Christ offered. So the book exposits. Regarding the blind man who can see: "The experience of mystical enlightenment is precisely this kind of world-shattering and world rebuilding event, which grounds our view of the world no longer in tradition or intellectual or religious systems, but in the unshakeable recollection of an immediate, personal encounter with ultimate reality." For me, this was a dramatic statement. In part, so dramatic because as I read along I read the idea that the change was not a "thunderbolt" like President George Bush had when he stopped drinking, or a supernatural healing like one might have heard about that was a miraculous kind that ended a cancer. Though there is the miracle aspect, and the healin

At first there was the logos

This book answered for me the question of how Christians can claim to be followers of THE Way without denigrating and dismissing those of other faiths experience with God."At first there was the logos, and the logos was with God, and the logos was God. This one was at first with God. All things came to be through him, and apart from him not one thing that was created came to be. In him was life, and the life was the light of human beings. And the light is shining in the dark, and the dark has not apprehended it." Logos means "word", "saying", "speech", "reason", "plan", etc. It is differentiated from God, yet identified as God. The logos is the only link between God and God's creation. Our life is only resident in the logos. Not only life, but also light, that is, it shines in the dark -- everything that is not of God.So, any path that leads to God is in the logos. There is no other way. "And the logos became flesh and lived among us... As for God, no one has ever seen him; the only-child God, the one who is in the father's bosom, that one has explained." And later this only-child God says, "I have other sheep, which are *not* of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd."It's a message that is so inclusive it includes ALL truth, and so exclusive because there is no other reality. The truth is not Christianity. The truth is the logos.I've probably taken this conclusion a step beyond what the author has directly mined from translating on the original author's intent in the fourth gospel, but Countryman invites you to reflect on the truth and draw conclusions. It's more than a Bible study, it's an experience with God.