The Gospel in Brief - Tolstoy's Life of Christ (Aziloth Books)

by Leo Tolstoy, Aylmer Maude

Overview

Leo Tolstoy is famous the world over for his epic novels of Russian history and society. But during the last 30 years of his life Tolstoy devoted himself to spiritual matters in an attempt to return Christianity to the fundamental teachings of Christ, shorn of both biblical additions and interpolations, and the obfuscating hand of Church dogma. 'The Gospel in Brief' is the culmination of this long endeavour, a composite account taken only from the Four Gospels. Working with the oldest original Greek versions, Tolstoy set aside all accounts of miracles, genealogies, and prophecies, seeking the core philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth, and a solution - in the words of Christ himself - to "the problem of life". The result is a compelling account of a teacher whose basic message was the Unity of all existence: God is the giver of life, and within all things. For Tolstoy, acknowledgement of this central fact, that "the Kingdom of God is Within You", immanent in all existence, bestows liberation from the illusions of time and selfhood, and makes easy Christ's admonition to "love God, and your neighbour as yourself" The Aziloth edition is fully annotated, allowing each section of Tolstoy's compilation to be related directly to the relevant Gospel passage. A book that will uplift and give new direction to both Christian and agnostic alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781911405115
Publisher:	Aziloth Books
Publication date:	07/14/2016
Pages:	130
Sales rank:	967,740
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.28(d)

About the Author

A Russian author of novels, short stories, plays, and philosophical essays, Count Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was born into an aristocratic family and is best known for the epic books War and Peace and Anna Karenina, regarded as two of the greatest works of Russian literature. After serving in the Crimean War, Tolstoy retired to his estate and devoted himself to writing, farming, and raising his large family. His novels and outspoken social polemics brought him world-wide fame.

Date of Birth:

September 9, 1828

Date of Death:

November 20, 1910

Place of Birth:

Tula Province, Russia

Place of Death:

Astapovo, Russia

Education:

Privately educated by French and German tutors; attended the University of Kazan, 1844-47

Table of Contents

Author’s Preface 5

I: THE SON OF GOD 15

II: THE SERVICE OF GOD 19

III: THE SOURCE OF LIFE 25

IV: THE KINGDOM OF GOD 30

V: THE TRUE LIFE 37

VI: THE FALSE LIFE 45

VII: I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE 53

VIII: LIFE IS NOT TEMPORAL 61

IX: TEMPTATIONS 67

X: THE STRUGGLE WITH TEMPTATION 74

XI: THE FAREWELL DISCOURSE 80

XII: THE VICTORY OF SPIRIT OVER MATTER 85

A Prologue 91

A SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTERS 93

A RECAPITULATION 97

KEY TO THE GOSPEL TEACHING 118