An elegant, provocative meditation on one of the Gospels’ most emotionally complex moments.
A psychoanalyst puts Jesus and his apostles on the couch regarding the pivotal moment between the Last Supper and the crucifixion.
Recalcati is a prominent Italian psychotherapist; his translator, Goldstein, is a prominent literary translator, most notably of Elena Ferrante’s novels. So in terms of both the contents and provenance, this brief but insightful book evokes the religious-literary secular writings of Marilynne Robinson or Geraldine Brooks. Recalcati argues that the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed by both Judas and Peter, is central to a story not just about the Messiah, but the nature of man: “his frailty, his lack, his torments.” Because the setting provides a backdrop to Jesus’ anticipated death, it is a window into suffering, and because the ways Judas and Peter betrayed him are divergent, the Gethsemane story reveals the different ways mankind is consumed by fear. Recalcati notes that Judas’ betrayal was stoked, ironically enough, by a sense of righteousness; he thought it was wasteful for Jesus to allow himself to be anointed with costly oil in Bethany. Judas’ decision to reveal Jesus to the Romans was motivated not solely by money, but the woundedness of “a man in love with his teacher” who resented that his love was not returned. Peter’s three betrayals, by contrast, reveal the fragility of that love, how “we are not always consistent with our desire.” As the author writes, God’s silence in this particular moment underscores the anxiety and humility of the human condition, leaving all three of the scene’s central players—and by extension, humanity—forced to reckon with an inherent isolation and uncertainty. Neither homily nor academic study but inspired by both, the narrative thoughtfully explores how we tangle with faith, fear, and suffering.
An elegant, provocative meditation on one of the Gospels’ most emotionally complex moments.Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-60945-622-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Europa Compass
Review Posted Online: July 22, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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