Size: 6 x 9 inches
Pages: 208
Reviews
“James Resseguie has given us a stirring, sensitive, and compelling reading of Luke’s Gospel, which refuses any facile detachment of spirituality from relationality, any clumsy disconnection of spirituality from physicality. Here is an earthly spirituality whose power is drawn from its ability to discern images of the formative work of divine encounter in the desert and on the lake, at table and in prayer, in one’s finances and in one’s clothing.”—Joel B. Green, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Asbury Theological Seminary
“Resseguie’s literary analysis of 'landscapes' in Luke is an immensely important work, a mature theological reading that employs sophisticated methodological approaches. It is an engaging and artistic reading but also rigorous and disciplined. Exploring topographic, social, and economic landscapes as a way to map out the spirituality of Luke represents a fresh and lively approach to the biblical text. In sum, Resseguie’s work is a splendid treatment of the Gospel of Luke.”
—Louis Stulman, Professor of Religion, University of Findlay
"It is a distinct pleasure to commend this volume to discerning readers. Dr. Resseguie treats Luke’s Gospel as providing arresting models of spiritual development and formation, and does so from a biblical-exegetical standpoint. He shows himself well versed in modern studies on the Third Gospel (as befits his proven expertise), yet he brings a deft touch to his writing that makes his book both user-friendly and challenging. His chief emphasis is on the motif of 'life as a journey'—a well-known theme in Luke—and his treatments of physical landscapes, economic issues, and social applications in this Gospel are always incisive and telling. He will rebuke, as Luke does, the materialisms of our age."
—Ralph P. Martin, Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Fuller Theological Seminary
His interpretations of Luke's landscape at the very least stimulate the impetus for change, and the copious endnotes offer further details for the more stout-hearted researcher although most will just want to read and reflect. In the hands of a skilled Bible class teacher, this book has the potential to transform those who take the time to meditate on it."
—Restoration Quarterly
“Resseguie . . . contends that Luke uses the physical, social, and economic landscapes of the Gospel to develop and elaborate the contours of the spiritual life. After an eight-page introduction, he deals with the following topics: topography—the landscape of spiritual growth; journeys—the itinerary of spiritual formation; families and households—models of spiritual development; meals—spirituality of hospitality; clothing—a map of the spiritual life; and consumption—the spiritual life and possessions. He concludes that in Luke the spiritual life is a journey, an exodus to a new promised land, the kingdom of God, and that is involves tests of spiritual integrity, spiritual awakening, spiritual formation and development, spiritual distractions, and spiritual disciplines (prayer, almsgiving, economic justice, fasting) .”
—New Testament Abstracts
"I think that Spiritual Landscape provides an interesting view of Luke's Gospel. While the reader may not agree with all of Resseguie's conclusions, one will be given plenty of resources for further research. Resseguie balances theology and literary criticism to help the reader see Luke in a more personal way. This book is valuable to any Luke scholar, and I definitely recommend this to any minister who wishes to teach and/or preach from Luke. I found the book enjoyable and look forward to using Resseguie's style in my presentations of Luke's texts. I would like to see Resseguie carry this style into Acts by writing another book in order to see if Luke carries this theme into his next volume."
—Review of Biblical Literature
“This book is an original, penetrating and well-written analysis of Lucan spirituality. Resseguie uses refreshingly contemporary examples from film and literature to illustrate his themes. The clarity of his writing is backed up by extensive notes with detailed linguistic analysis. Highly recommended for students, clergy, and teacher of theology.”
—Expository Times
Spirituality, in Luke, is defined as a journey, an exodus (Luke 9:31) to the new promised land, the Kingdom of God. Two are characteristics are: material, everyday decisions are inseparable from spiritual decisions; the aim is to fulfill God’s will. With these three characteristics in mind, the author explores how Luke sketches landscapes of spiritual growth (Jordan desert, mountain, lake), journeys, families and households, table etiquette, possessions, and other subjects. Lukan spirituality is here sketched on a basis of a narrative approach.”
—International Review of Biblical Studies
“I am most enthusiastic about this study of Luke’s gospel. Its thesis ‘is that Luke uses the physical, social, and economic landscapes of the Gospel to develop and elaborate the contours of the spiritual life’ (p. ix). After a brief definition of Christian spirituality and a description of methodology (literary/narrative criticism), Resseguie ‘unpacks’ Luke, giving close readings of texts under the headings topography, journeys, families and households, meals and clothing. The work is wonderfully readable; the arguments are limpid, and the scholarship (which is prodigious) appears in the notes where it belongs. Each chapter ends with a concise summary which keeps the reader ‘on track’ with the larger argument of the book. . . .While the primary scholarly approach is narrative criticism (a fine example of the fruitfulness of the method), the author also exhibits wide knowledge of the ethos and treats both in their context in Luke and in the Greco-Roman world of first-century Palestine. He also highlights the metaphorical and poetic quality of Luke’s writing. Since the work focuses on Luke’s spirituality much here translates directly into ‘homiletical help.’ I know few more helpful studies of Luke for the preacher/pastor which are not commentaries. In fact, I recommend the book as an excellent text for an adult Bible study. Its keen insights into Luke, its implicit criticism of our society, diagnosis of how we have gone awry and, as a study in spirituality, its prescription for return to health will both introduce Luke’s theology and engender lively discussion of the ‘relevance’ of this portrait of Jesus. I wish all current New Testament scholarship were this balanced, well-written, and ‘user friendly.’
—Lexington Theological Quarterly
“Spiritual Landscape is an engaging read which makes accessible a spirituality that is both simple and challenging. The author is well attuned to recent developments in Lukan studies and works from a narrative-critical and reader-response perspective. He uses the everyday reality of Luke as an index of one’s spiritual insightfulness, something evidenced in his observations about meal etiquette, ‘Whom we do or do not eat with expresses our spiritual values’ (p. 85). . . . The strength of Spiritual Landscape is that it in no way imparts an other-worldly spirituality, as it constantly insists upon the formation and development of the spiritual life in relation to the everyday world of the individual. This book works, so to speak, because its author, like Luke, recognizes the importance of picture, image and metaphor as food for the Christian and human imagination. For this reason, the book is suitable for a wide audience: scholar, student, spiritual director, general reader. It should prove ‘easy-access’ for those who are unfamiliar with the vision of Luke, while, at the same time, permitting those who have an (over)familiarity with the text to rediscover the wonder of Luke.”
—Irish Theological Quarterly
“This study examines the variform pictures of the life of the spirit found in Luke which according to Resseguie, are deliberately used by the evangelist to flesh out the tangible, humanly interactive, and economic aspects of the gospel message. Amply supplied with scholarly references and a large bibliography, the text is easy to read and should be of help to those who wish to mine the gospel of Luke for its many hidden spiritual treasures.”
—Religious Studies Review
“Physical, social and economic landscapes provide the framework for James Resseguie’s literary reading of spirituality in Luke’s Gospel. . . . Resseguie’s lucid, fresh reading succeeds in offering a fine example of the benefits of applying narrative criticism to a biblical text. The endnotes are in constant dialogue with the Greek text and with a wide range of scholarship, ensuring that the book has much to offer the student and Lukan scholar, while at the same time remaining accessible to the general reader. Those coming to the book from Christian contexts will appreciate Resseguie’s suggestions along the way as to how ‘we’ (= Christians today) might apply principles of spirituality, though the main triumph of the book is certainly Resseguie’s engaging and insightful reading of Luke’s Gospel.”
—Journal for the Study of the New Testament
"Resseguie's new way of interpreting biblical texts will definitely interest scholars and prove spiritually helpful to many readers."
—Theological Studies
“Resseguie’s work is extremely useful. . . . a commendable compilation of Lukan thought on nascent Christian spirituality.”
—Themelios
“This timely book brings to our attention the yet-to-be mined treasures of spiritual wisdom contained in the Gospel of Luke. Using recent advances in narrative and literary criticism, Resseguie combines sold critical analysis of Luke’s texts with practical wisdom in order to elaborate a spirituality for everyday living. . . . What is particularly striking in the book is R.’s combination of a close, scholarly reading of the text (frequently in the original Greek accompanied with his own translations) with practical applications with which we can readily identify. . . . Resseguie has taken his own advice seriously: new expressions of spirituality need to be found for our own times. He resolutely acknowledges that ‘the expressions of the spiritual life must change in appropriate ways as God breaks into our work in new ways.’ We can be grateful that his book has taken us a long way down the road of discovery of these ‘new ways.’”
—Theoforum
“. . . This is a creative and suggestive book, which will instruct—and challenge—readers who hope to gain fresh insight into Luke’s Gospel, as well as those whose primary interest is exploring the contours of a spiritual life that possesses integrity in our own time.”
—Interpretation
“Resseguie’s writing on the individual pericopes is fluent and vivid and often full of insight. The book leaves one with a desire to dig further into the various areas of emphasis he has uncovered, as well as to spend time contemplating how they can be applied practically to the spiritual life. . . The analysis of the text will be valuable both for scholars seeking to understand the theology of Luke and for pastors preparing sermons on Lukan passages or themes.”
—Seminary Studies
“This book is a novel approach to Luke’s Gospel; in essence it is a discussion of the gospel’s well-known ‘reversal motif.’ Different landscapes are investigated, which essentially work as ‘paratextual’ supplements to the themes which are developed in the text of the gospel. . . .This book is certainly a refreshing and original approach to the third gospel.”
—The Reformed Theological Review
“In Spiritual Landscape: Images of the Spiritual Life in the Gospel of Luke, James L. Resseguie posits that ‘Lukan landscapes develop and elaborate the contours of the spiritual life’ and he goes on to provide an illuminating discussion of the richness of spiritual symbolism in the Gospel of Luke. Resseguie defines three categories of landscape to structure his discussion: physical (chaps. 1 and 2), social (chaps. 3, 4, and 5) and economic (chap. 6). His uses literary or narrative criticism which allows for more critical flexibility in his discussion that would be the case with a strictly historical examination. . . . This is a well-researched and informative book, one which would be especially helpful for those in active ministry who wish to enhance their discussions with biblical texts.”
—Toronto Journal of Theology
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ISBN: 9781565638273
Catalogue code: N/A
Publisher: HENDRICKSON PUBLISHERS - published 15/04/2004
Format: Paperback