by Derek Dunwoody
October 12, 2008
This is one of those un-put-downable gems! In gentle but irrefutable ways the author demonstrates that as followers of Jesus it’s not what we believe but how we live that matters. The way to do that is to grow into the unitive mindfulness of Jesus as he lived, taught and died. Bourgeault quotes St. Paul’s advice to the community at Phillipi: “Make your own the mind of Jesus” (Phil.2.5); this means to acquire his conscious self-awareness and perception of the purpose of human life on Earth. This would seem to be a very tall order but the author shows how we all have the innate capacity to do so. This transformational way of thinking is the true foundation for living compassionately. From it flows the wisdom that enables us to promote justice, reconciliation, civility, integrity and whatever else is needed for humans to live in harmony and peace. More importantly, this “Wisdom way” enables us to grow into perceiving the cosmos not only with a deeper awareness of the purpose of human life within it but also of its ultimate reality.
The book is set out in three sections:
In the first section Bourgeault writes: “From at least four directions new evidence has been streaming in to suggest that we are long overdue for a fundamental re-evaluation of the Jesus event………There is simply too much new information out there to ignore”. She then describes the core sources of this information, the most important of which are the gospels of Thomas and Mary Magdalene. These gospels reveal a Jesus whose intent is to propose “a total meltdown and recasting of human consciousness….” “He pushes us towards it, teases us, taunts us, encourages us and ultimately walks us there”. In the rest of the section, Bourgeault describes how he does this. Inevitably, it becomes almost embarrassingly clear how the Church somehow got off on the wrong tack by substituting a well intentioned but deviant theology; Jesus’ core teaching was almost obliterated in the European Church. This is stirring stuff!
In the second section Bourgeault heads a sub-section “Who Screwed up?” and writes: “Unfortunately, Christianity as a religion has never had a sufficient metaphysical understanding of its own core truth. The message gets obscured by its primary interpretive vehicle: the theology of fall and redemption.” She then quotes I Corinthians 15:20 as the classic Pauline formulation of this idea; “As in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive”.
The section continues with the author leading us through the events of Holy Week and Easter and interpreting their inner meaning from the point of view of Jesus’ core teaching. Much food for thought here. One aspect of this section does puzzle me however and that is the author’s almost biblical literalist interpretation of St. John’s gospel. Elsewhere in the book Bourgeault refers to the support of mainstream biblical scholarship in relation to the gospels of Thomas and Mary Magdalene but when dealing with St John’s she justifies her interpretation of it as being “…. out of my own inner work”.
In the final section Bourgeault has written a most helpful primer on learning how to begin the form of contemplative prayer known as “centring prayer”. It is this form of prayer that not only gives us the spiritual energy to follow the path that Jesus encourages us to take but also, more importantly, is the portal through which we learn how to perceive the spiritual reality that is invisible to biological vision.
How often we have seen how publishers and reviewers have said, “This book could change your life!” I have read several books that have certainly nudged me along more enlightened paths and this is another one. For those searching for a Christianity that is free from the baggage of “churchianity” Cynthia Bourgeault’s spiritual maturity and gentle scholarship may well help you to “change your life!”
The Wisdom Jesus by Cynthia Bourgeault is available through Koinonia Christian Books, downtown Victoria.
More information on Cynthia Bourgeault's work is through Victoria's Contemplative Society.