Description
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.
Praise and Reviews
"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
"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
"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
"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 loving pondering over one of the most beautiful and probably most esoteric of the Four Gospels of the Christian tradition."
The Theosophical Society
"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
“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
“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
"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
