The Lord

Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Devotional Reading
Review: Guardini takes on the worthy goal of writing a life of Christ. Projects, such as The Lord, which seek to encapsulate the life of Christ and, in so doing, synthesize the Gospels can often lead to tedious reading.

In most cases, I'm convinced that it is simply better to let the Gospels speak for themselves and forego the project to wrap them all into one whole. However, Guardini has done a masterful job in this work. Some of his chapters simply read like excellent homilies on Christ and his love for man.

In preaching the Gospel through this book, however, Guardini does not lose sight of the primary goal of laying out the life of Christ in one compact (though lengthy) work of literature. The facts are there and are presented in a straightforward and understandable manner.

I believe there is only one true way to judge a book such as this. The simple standard is whether the book leads you to contemplate the life of Jesus and then reflect on what that means to you. It is certainly a subjective standard, but I believe it is the one standard that a person who is contemplating this book would use.

As for me, I've been blessed to read this book a couple of times now. This book, and Guardini himself, is well respected by protestant and Catholic alike. I can fathom no person who would not be encouraged and enlightened by this work of literature.

Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Devotional Reading
Review: Guardini takes on the worthy goal of writing a life of Christ. Projects, such as The Lord, which seek to encapsulate the life of Christ and, in so doing, synthesize the Gospels can often lead to tedious reading.

In most cases, I'm convinced that it is simply better to let the Gospels speak for themselves and forego the project to wrap them all into one whole. However, Guardini has done a masterful job in this work. Some of his chapters simply read like excellent homilies on Christ and his love for man.

In preaching the Gospel through this book, however, Guardini does not lose sight of the primary goal of laying out the life of Christ in one compact (though lengthy) work of literature. The facts are there and are presented in a straightforward and understandable manner.

I believe there is only one true way to judge a book such as this. The simple standard is whether the book leads you to contemplate the life of Jesus and then reflect on what that means to you. It is certainly a subjective standard, but I believe it is the one standard that a person who is contemplating this book would use.

As for me, I've been blessed to read this book a couple of times now. This book, and Guardini himself, is well respected by protestant and Catholic alike. I can fathom no person who would not be encouraged and enlightened by this work of literature.

Rating:
Summary: It's as good today as it was when it came out in 1954.
Review: I cherish this book of Guardini. I remember reading it as a seminarian in college in 1957 and it was passed around with eager anticipation. What makes this book truly a classic is that, like classics, it never loses it touch. Guardini (remember this is before Vatican II) has a way of delving into the heart and mind of Jesus with deep reverence. It's not a psychology of Jesus which he says no can write anyways. But he reverently explores the life and words of Jesus in the gospels and with a clarity that is startling lays out the deep meaning of Jesus words. Sometimes, what he says is so rich in meaning, I have to catch my breath and sit back and try to let his words sink in. As I said it was written before Vat II but it fits in right now in the pastVatII era. The reason I'm sure is that Jesus is neither pre or post....He's Jesus for all time. Marvelous. This is the 3rd time reading for me and it won't be the last.

Rating:
Summary: An insight rarely found today
Review: I stumbled upon Romano Guardini's "The End of the Modern World" in my readings concerning technology (Jacques Ellul) and culture (Walker Percy). "The Lord" provides a humble insight that deeply challenges the reader to reconsider their understanding of Christ (S. Kierkegaard's "Practice in Christianity" may have been an inspiration for Guardini). A powerful section of the book deals with Christ arriving in Jerusalem and the events leading to his death. Guardini draws on the humility of Christ and challenges the reader with the gravity of imitating Christ. Perhaps what I enjoy about Guardini is that he is readable by all Christians -- his theology does not adopt a dictated theological system. No, the reader experiences a man struggling to understand Christ as if Christ were contemporary with him.

Rating:
Summary: An insight rarely found today
Review: I stumbled upon Romano Guardini's "The End of the Modern World" in my readings concerning technology (Jacques Ellul) and culture (Walker Percy). "The Lord" provides a humble insight that deeply challenges the reader to reconsider their understanding of Christ (S. Kierkegaard's "Practice in Christianity" may have been an inspiration for Guardini). A powerful section of the book deals with Christ arriving in Jerusalem and the events leading to his death. Guardini draws on the humility of Christ and challenges the reader with the gravity of imitating Christ. Perhaps what I enjoy about Guardini is that he is readable by all Christians -- his theology does not adopt a dictated theological system. No, the reader experiences a man struggling to understand Christ as if Christ were contemporary with him.