Second Simplicity: The Inner Shape of Christianity

Front Cover
Paulist Press, 1999 - Philosophy - 281 pages
"Bruno Barnhart's new book uncovers the contours of a Christian wisdom and explores the ways that a Christian faith often bound by rule, structure, and order can open itself to the unitive vision at its root." "This book proposes an opening of consciousness beyond thought, of theological vision beyond rational knowledge, and of Christianity beyond the perimeter of church. Bruno Barnhart invites us to move into a fuller experience of Christianity, an experience of wisdom that brings all created reality into unity with God. Therein lies the "second simplicity.""--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

From inside the book

Contents

6 Human Energy
114
7 Divinization and Creativity
115
8 New Creation as Continuing Event
118
9 The Fire of History
121
10 Music and Spirit
123
11 Poetry and Wisdom
131
A Meditation
135
The Dance
141

A Meditation
37
The Word
39
The Human Condition
44
2 The Word in the World
45
3 The Gospel of the Word Incarnate
47
4 Christian Wisdom
51
Its Container and Shadow
55
6 Institutional Christianity
61
7 The ChristQuantum and the Dominance of the West
66
8 The West Today
71
Shadow and Light
73
Redshift
77
Christianity as the New Torah
81
A Meditation
82
The Music
87
The New Testament
91
The Divine Movement
94
3 The Third Age
98
4 Third Order Emergences Today
101
Human and Divine
106
1 The Missing Fourth
147
2 Return to the Ground
154
3 The Body of Christ
161
Mandala and ChristMystery
167
5 Contemporary Encounters at the Frontier of Four
174
6 Work
175
7 Marks Gospel and the Cruciform ChristMystery
182
8 Eucharist and Omega
187
Sophia
198
A Meditation
206
Epilogue
209
From Old to New Glossary of Terms
215
Quaternity Mandala
221
The Christian Mandala and Its Variants
227
Notes
237
Bibliography
255
Abbreviations
267
Index of Authors
270
Index of Subjects
273
Copyright

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Popular passages

Page 44 - KNOW then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great : With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, With too much weakness for the stoic's pride, He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest; In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast; In doubt his mind or body to prefer...
Page 32 - Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love ; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling ; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Page 27 - God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope ; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Page 159 - I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Page 54 - He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together.
Page 172 - But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ.
Page 79 - For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.
Page 49 - Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Page 123 - Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ - if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Page 120 - When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

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