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Christ the Eternal Tao
This book looks at Christ through the innocent vision of Lao Tzu. People of the modern West have to a great extent become jaded by Christian terminology and doctrinal constructions, yet many of them are drawn to the person of Christ Himself. This book seeks to develop not only a new way of seeing Christ, but also a new language by which to express His message, drawing from the enigmatic style and poetic language of Lao Tzu.
552 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
95 people are currently reading
1400 people want to read
About the author
Damascene Christensen
8 books31 followersHieromonk Damascene (secular name John Christensen) is hieromonk of Serbian Orthodox Church, and deputy abbot of St Herman of Alaska Monastery, Platina, California.
Born in 1961 in family with Scandinavian roots. Raised as a nominal Protestant Christian. By the time he began college, however, he believed that the highest spiritual reality was not a personal deity or God, but rather a transpersonal reality (a la Buddhism).
He considered himself a buddhist, specifically, in the Zen tradition, and he had various experiences, which he writes, included darkness, infinite nothingness, existing outside of space and time, where everything is now, and time has no meaning. Despite these experiences, there was still something missing in the soul.
While in college at U.C. Santa Cruz, John Christensen met Eastern Orthodox Christian students and was invited by them to a lecture by an American priest and monk, who had also been a serious student of Eastern philosophy and Buddhism. It was through this lecture that Father Damascene met the man through whose influence his life would be radically altered. This man was Seraphim Rose, spiritual seeker, Eastern Religious scholar, Orthodox monk and priest. It was through this meeting, his ongoing studies, and many pilgrimages to the monastery Father Seraphim founded in the secluded woods of Northern California, that John Christensen came to discover that truth was not just an abstract idea, sought and known by the mind, but something personal, even a person, sought and loved by the heart.
Developed a dialogue with Fr Seraphim, who taught him that Truth was personal and Person (rather than abstract concept). Met Christ through this.
Eventually, Fr Seraphim became his spiritual father. Less than two years later, he was at Fr Seraphim's bedside at his repose.
Fr Damascene joined St Herman of Alaska Monastery, where he has lived for over 25 years.
Born in 1961 in family with Scandinavian roots. Raised as a nominal Protestant Christian. By the time he began college, however, he believed that the highest spiritual reality was not a personal deity or God, but rather a transpersonal reality (a la Buddhism).
He considered himself a buddhist, specifically, in the Zen tradition, and he had various experiences, which he writes, included darkness, infinite nothingness, existing outside of space and time, where everything is now, and time has no meaning. Despite these experiences, there was still something missing in the soul.
While in college at U.C. Santa Cruz, John Christensen met Eastern Orthodox Christian students and was invited by them to a lecture by an American priest and monk, who had also been a serious student of Eastern philosophy and Buddhism. It was through this lecture that Father Damascene met the man through whose influence his life would be radically altered. This man was Seraphim Rose, spiritual seeker, Eastern Religious scholar, Orthodox monk and priest. It was through this meeting, his ongoing studies, and many pilgrimages to the monastery Father Seraphim founded in the secluded woods of Northern California, that John Christensen came to discover that truth was not just an abstract idea, sought and known by the mind, but something personal, even a person, sought and loved by the heart.
Developed a dialogue with Fr Seraphim, who taught him that Truth was personal and Person (rather than abstract concept). Met Christ through this.
Eventually, Fr Seraphim became his spiritual father. Less than two years later, he was at Fr Seraphim's bedside at his repose.
Fr Damascene joined St Herman of Alaska Monastery, where he has lived for over 25 years.
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February 9, 2025
An absolutely fascinating book --- this was recommended to me by one of my fellow believers at my parish. I am glad that I got this one.
It's fascinating because it examines the teachings of Chinese sage, Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism, against the teachings of Orthodox Christianity, and an astonishing parallel evolution of the many of the tenets between the two is found.
Orthodox Christianity is neither religious fundamentalist (believing that all teachings outside one's own traditions are automatically wrong) nor religious syncretistic (believing that all teachings and traditions are equal). Nevertheless, as this book shows, while many pagan philosophers and thinkers wandered in ignorance of a knowledge of God, yet they earnestly sought the Truth beloved of God, and, in such pursuit, achieved a partial knowledge of spiritual truths and principles touching on knowing the nature of God.
In such a way, this book shows this parallel agreement on the Truth both arrived at in Christianity and by Lao Tzu. Many of the teachings of Lao Tzu are uncannily close, if not identical, to Christianity.
The first portion of the book is a series of aphorisms, developed by the author, a Chinese Orthodox monk, relating the teachings of Christianity with those of Lao Tzu --- accompanying them, in the back of the book is a commentary further expounding on these in greater detail. I found both the aphoristic poems and commentary very interesting and profound.
The second portion is more analytical, discussing in further how Christ is the personification of the Tao (the Way), yearned especially for in the East. Indeed, while the Chinese were seeking the Tao, early Christians self-described themselves as followers of The Way.
The next portion is a relation of teachings of the asceticism of Orthodox Christianity with practices of Taoism towards the same end --- achieving a knowledge of The Way, building spiritual strength, and growing closer to God --- there are a number of interesting parallelisms between "The Philokalia", that great Orthodox work on how to live the Christian life --- and sayings of Lao Tzu and Taoist sages who followed him.
Finally, there is an Appendix detailing the history of Orthodox Christianity in China that I found very interesting.
Adding to the book's presentation are, throughout it, are lovely prints of Chinese art and calligraphy that complement the text.
Overall, an amazing book --- I recommend this book for Christians of all traditions interested in learning commonalities between Christianity and Chinese philosophy as well as how to apply this to growing closer to God.
It's fascinating because it examines the teachings of Chinese sage, Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism, against the teachings of Orthodox Christianity, and an astonishing parallel evolution of the many of the tenets between the two is found.
Orthodox Christianity is neither religious fundamentalist (believing that all teachings outside one's own traditions are automatically wrong) nor religious syncretistic (believing that all teachings and traditions are equal). Nevertheless, as this book shows, while many pagan philosophers and thinkers wandered in ignorance of a knowledge of God, yet they earnestly sought the Truth beloved of God, and, in such pursuit, achieved a partial knowledge of spiritual truths and principles touching on knowing the nature of God.
In such a way, this book shows this parallel agreement on the Truth both arrived at in Christianity and by Lao Tzu. Many of the teachings of Lao Tzu are uncannily close, if not identical, to Christianity.
The first portion of the book is a series of aphorisms, developed by the author, a Chinese Orthodox monk, relating the teachings of Christianity with those of Lao Tzu --- accompanying them, in the back of the book is a commentary further expounding on these in greater detail. I found both the aphoristic poems and commentary very interesting and profound.
The second portion is more analytical, discussing in further how Christ is the personification of the Tao (the Way), yearned especially for in the East. Indeed, while the Chinese were seeking the Tao, early Christians self-described themselves as followers of The Way.
The next portion is a relation of teachings of the asceticism of Orthodox Christianity with practices of Taoism towards the same end --- achieving a knowledge of The Way, building spiritual strength, and growing closer to God --- there are a number of interesting parallelisms between "The Philokalia", that great Orthodox work on how to live the Christian life --- and sayings of Lao Tzu and Taoist sages who followed him.
Finally, there is an Appendix detailing the history of Orthodox Christianity in China that I found very interesting.
Adding to the book's presentation are, throughout it, are lovely prints of Chinese art and calligraphy that complement the text.
Overall, an amazing book --- I recommend this book for Christians of all traditions interested in learning commonalities between Christianity and Chinese philosophy as well as how to apply this to growing closer to God.
November 7, 2023
There was a time in my life when I thought my Christian faith required me to prove that other religions were wrong. I remember being given handouts that listed a series of theological topics - creation, sin, salvation, etc. - and compared what different religions said about each one. The goal was to show that Christianity was true and everyone else was false.
At the same time, I always found religions fascinating. I majored in religion in college. Early on in my studies I came to realize that such simplistic charts were not really helpful at all. I learned from CS Lewis, and then others, that Christians could find commonalities with other religions. All truth was God’s truth and we ought not be surprised in finding truth outside our particular religion. Over time I studied early church history and learned that the early Christians such as Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria and others frequently argued that the Greek philosophers were given philosophical truth in much the same way the Hebrews were given scripture.
I spent over fifteen years working in campus ministry on a secular university campus. Ostensibly I was doing evangelistic work. Part of my work was to help Christians grow in their faith, the other part was to convert nonChristians. But I was always a pretty crappy evangelist. I was more interested in learning what others thought about things rather than trying to change their thoughts. Thankfully the organization I worked with did not judge success based on the number of converts. The secret was, I rarely had any interest in converting people. I felt kind of guilty about this. I mean, didn’t my Christian faith require trying to convert others?
It has taken many years, but I can comfortably say that the idea of religion as some sort of zero-sum game is not the only way to view religion. I have a lot more I could say about this, but I do need to comment on the book. Coming to believe in universal salvation played a key part in my changing views on religion. I am still a Christian, but I believe God loves all people. I am not sure on the details of how my Christian faith relates to other religions, but I do know it is more fruitful to converse than attempt to convert. I also believe God’s love for all does not include all people coming to see things my way, nor does it include all people becoming “Christian”, as if the afterlife is merely some sort of place for mass conversion. Rather, all of us humans are invited to move deeper into God’s love, a love which defies our understanding and language.
Anyway, in all my years of ministry, I never met a Taoist.
That’s the transition to the review. I hope you liked it.
But I have read The Tao-Te Ching and a few others books. This book is thick and detailed as the author examines the teachings of Lao Tzu, who lived 500 years before Jesus, and argues that Lao Tzu, like ancient Greek philosophers, had an understanding of truth that integrates well with the life and teaching of Jesus. This sort of reflection fits better in the Eastern Christian church than the West, though it has made inroads in the West as well.
For us Westerners to truly enter into the ancient Christian transmission and catch the essence of Christ's teaching, it is necessary for us to crucify our rationalizing minds and rise above the level of thought and emotion. For a society founded on Descartes' proposition "I think, therefore I am," this of course means a kind of suicide; and it is to precisely such an ego-death that Christ calls us. Contemporary Western Christianity trains us how to think and what to think; whereas Christ Himself, as did Lao Tzu before Him, taught us how not to need to think. The only way to get past a merely external apprehension of religious words and concepts is to seek, without compromise and self-pity, the Reality behind them. If our rapidly diminishing Western Christendom has become too jaded by intellectualized or emotionalized religion to see the essence of Christianity, then we must, as it were, start over. In this book we will look at Christ and his message as would Lao Tzu, who, although he lived five hundred years before Christ, intuitively sensed the presence of Christ in creation” (24).
Overall, this is a thick book. It includes an adaptation of the Tao Te Ching:
“The poems that follow are not a translation of the Tao Teh Ching, but rather comprise an entirely new work which is based on and quotes from the Tao Teh Ching. In these poems we will look at Christ through the innocent eyes and intuitive vision of Lao Tzu, and at the same time present Lao Tzu's teaching in the light of a new revelation. Therefore, what follows might be considered a "New Testament of the Tao Teh Ching." In keeping with the aim of this work, we have at tempted to follow the form and style of the Tao Teh Ching, including the latter's division into eighty-one chapters, based on multiples of three” (51).
That is the highlight of the book. Much of the rest is extended instruction on spiritual practice. I read a few pages each morning and found a lot to think about. That said, I was getting bored at the end. Though that is probably more me than the book - I do not work in ministry anymore and actually have to clock-in at a job which has certainly changed my reading habits a bit. But this is a fantastic work for any looking to consider how Christianity relates to other religions, specifically Taoism. Some of what is learned here could be applied to other religions as well.
Finally, here are a few quotes that stuck out at me:
“There exists a Being undifferentiated and complete,
Born before heaven and earth.
Tranquil, boundless,
Abiding alone and changing not,
Encircling everything without exhaustion.
Fathomless, it seems to be the Source of all things.
I do not know its name,
But characterize it as the Tao.
Arbitrarily forcing a name upon it, I call it Great…”
TAO TEH CHING, CHAPTERS 25 AND 4
“In the beginning was the Tao, And the Tao was with God, And the Tao was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by Him;
And without Him was not anything made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in darkness,
And the darkness comprehended it not....
He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, And the world knew Him not....
And the Tao became flesh, And dwelt among us,
And we beheld His glory …”
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, CHAPTER I
“THOUGH NOT with the same power as in the people of God [the Hebrews], nevertheless the presence of the Spirit of God also acted in the pagans who did not know the true God, because even among them God found for Himself chosen people. Such, for instance, were the virgin prophetesses called Sibyls who vowed virginity to an unknown God, but still to God the Creator of the universe, the all-powerful ruler of the world, as He was conceived by the pagans. Though the pagan philosophers also wandered in the darkness of ignorance of God, yet they sought the Truth which is beloved by God; and on account of this God-pleasing seeking, they could partake of the Spirit of God, for it is said that the nations who do not know God practice by nature the demands of the law and do what is pleasing to God [cf. Romans 2:14]....
So you see, both in the holy Hebrew people, a people beloved by God, and in the pagans who did not know God, there was preserved a knowledge of God--that is, a clear and rational comprehension of how our Lord God the Holy Spirit acts in man, and by means of what inner and outer feelings one can be sure that this is really the action of our Lord God the Holy Spirit and not a delusion of the enemy. That is how it was from Adam's fall until the coming in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world.”
St. Seraphim of Sarov
St. Seraphim: ”If we concede that the pre-Christian philosophers did seek the truth, and that they did catch glimpses of it, it only stands to reason that their teachings should bear some similarities, like a broken reflection of the moon
in water, to the fullness of Truth in Jesus Christ. Therefore, these similarities need not appear as a threat to Christianity; instead, they offer one more proof of Christ as universal Truth” ( (41).
“Only God is self-existent. When man began to fall under the illusion of being a self-existent individual, he was essentially making himself into a little god. This was the meaning of the primordial trap into which he fell: "Knowing good and evil, you will be as gods. Man had been created to rise, in his simple and uncompounded nature, in noetic contemplation of the simple and uncompounded God. To rise in love, and to unite all of creation with himself in love, raising it also to the Creator. Instead of regarding the Way, however, he chose to regard what was easier and closer at hand: his own visible self. Instead of rising with God, he fell in love with himself” (220).
“The illumination that Christ offers us does not end with this life, nor is it static in the life to come. It is only the beginning of a progress that will never end. "Indeed," says St. Symeon, "over the ages the progress will be endless, for a cessation of this growing toward the end without ending would be nothing but a grasping at the ungraspable. The One on Whom no one can be sated would then become an object of satiety. By contrast, to be filled with Him and to be glorified in His Light will cause unfathomable progress, an undefined beginning. Just as those, possessing Christ Who took form in them, stand near the One Who shines in the inaccessible Light, so does the end become a principle of glory in them or--to explain my thought more clearly in the end they will have the be-ginning, and in the beginning the end" (
At the same time, I always found religions fascinating. I majored in religion in college. Early on in my studies I came to realize that such simplistic charts were not really helpful at all. I learned from CS Lewis, and then others, that Christians could find commonalities with other religions. All truth was God’s truth and we ought not be surprised in finding truth outside our particular religion. Over time I studied early church history and learned that the early Christians such as Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria and others frequently argued that the Greek philosophers were given philosophical truth in much the same way the Hebrews were given scripture.
I spent over fifteen years working in campus ministry on a secular university campus. Ostensibly I was doing evangelistic work. Part of my work was to help Christians grow in their faith, the other part was to convert nonChristians. But I was always a pretty crappy evangelist. I was more interested in learning what others thought about things rather than trying to change their thoughts. Thankfully the organization I worked with did not judge success based on the number of converts. The secret was, I rarely had any interest in converting people. I felt kind of guilty about this. I mean, didn’t my Christian faith require trying to convert others?
It has taken many years, but I can comfortably say that the idea of religion as some sort of zero-sum game is not the only way to view religion. I have a lot more I could say about this, but I do need to comment on the book. Coming to believe in universal salvation played a key part in my changing views on religion. I am still a Christian, but I believe God loves all people. I am not sure on the details of how my Christian faith relates to other religions, but I do know it is more fruitful to converse than attempt to convert. I also believe God’s love for all does not include all people coming to see things my way, nor does it include all people becoming “Christian”, as if the afterlife is merely some sort of place for mass conversion. Rather, all of us humans are invited to move deeper into God’s love, a love which defies our understanding and language.
Anyway, in all my years of ministry, I never met a Taoist.
That’s the transition to the review. I hope you liked it.
But I have read The Tao-Te Ching and a few others books. This book is thick and detailed as the author examines the teachings of Lao Tzu, who lived 500 years before Jesus, and argues that Lao Tzu, like ancient Greek philosophers, had an understanding of truth that integrates well with the life and teaching of Jesus. This sort of reflection fits better in the Eastern Christian church than the West, though it has made inroads in the West as well.
For us Westerners to truly enter into the ancient Christian transmission and catch the essence of Christ's teaching, it is necessary for us to crucify our rationalizing minds and rise above the level of thought and emotion. For a society founded on Descartes' proposition "I think, therefore I am," this of course means a kind of suicide; and it is to precisely such an ego-death that Christ calls us. Contemporary Western Christianity trains us how to think and what to think; whereas Christ Himself, as did Lao Tzu before Him, taught us how not to need to think. The only way to get past a merely external apprehension of religious words and concepts is to seek, without compromise and self-pity, the Reality behind them. If our rapidly diminishing Western Christendom has become too jaded by intellectualized or emotionalized religion to see the essence of Christianity, then we must, as it were, start over. In this book we will look at Christ and his message as would Lao Tzu, who, although he lived five hundred years before Christ, intuitively sensed the presence of Christ in creation” (24).
Overall, this is a thick book. It includes an adaptation of the Tao Te Ching:
“The poems that follow are not a translation of the Tao Teh Ching, but rather comprise an entirely new work which is based on and quotes from the Tao Teh Ching. In these poems we will look at Christ through the innocent eyes and intuitive vision of Lao Tzu, and at the same time present Lao Tzu's teaching in the light of a new revelation. Therefore, what follows might be considered a "New Testament of the Tao Teh Ching." In keeping with the aim of this work, we have at tempted to follow the form and style of the Tao Teh Ching, including the latter's division into eighty-one chapters, based on multiples of three” (51).
That is the highlight of the book. Much of the rest is extended instruction on spiritual practice. I read a few pages each morning and found a lot to think about. That said, I was getting bored at the end. Though that is probably more me than the book - I do not work in ministry anymore and actually have to clock-in at a job which has certainly changed my reading habits a bit. But this is a fantastic work for any looking to consider how Christianity relates to other religions, specifically Taoism. Some of what is learned here could be applied to other religions as well.
Finally, here are a few quotes that stuck out at me:
“There exists a Being undifferentiated and complete,
Born before heaven and earth.
Tranquil, boundless,
Abiding alone and changing not,
Encircling everything without exhaustion.
Fathomless, it seems to be the Source of all things.
I do not know its name,
But characterize it as the Tao.
Arbitrarily forcing a name upon it, I call it Great…”
TAO TEH CHING, CHAPTERS 25 AND 4
“In the beginning was the Tao, And the Tao was with God, And the Tao was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by Him;
And without Him was not anything made that was made.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in darkness,
And the darkness comprehended it not....
He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, And the world knew Him not....
And the Tao became flesh, And dwelt among us,
And we beheld His glory …”
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, CHAPTER I
“THOUGH NOT with the same power as in the people of God [the Hebrews], nevertheless the presence of the Spirit of God also acted in the pagans who did not know the true God, because even among them God found for Himself chosen people. Such, for instance, were the virgin prophetesses called Sibyls who vowed virginity to an unknown God, but still to God the Creator of the universe, the all-powerful ruler of the world, as He was conceived by the pagans. Though the pagan philosophers also wandered in the darkness of ignorance of God, yet they sought the Truth which is beloved by God; and on account of this God-pleasing seeking, they could partake of the Spirit of God, for it is said that the nations who do not know God practice by nature the demands of the law and do what is pleasing to God [cf. Romans 2:14]....
So you see, both in the holy Hebrew people, a people beloved by God, and in the pagans who did not know God, there was preserved a knowledge of God--that is, a clear and rational comprehension of how our Lord God the Holy Spirit acts in man, and by means of what inner and outer feelings one can be sure that this is really the action of our Lord God the Holy Spirit and not a delusion of the enemy. That is how it was from Adam's fall until the coming in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world.”
St. Seraphim of Sarov
St. Seraphim: ”If we concede that the pre-Christian philosophers did seek the truth, and that they did catch glimpses of it, it only stands to reason that their teachings should bear some similarities, like a broken reflection of the moon
in water, to the fullness of Truth in Jesus Christ. Therefore, these similarities need not appear as a threat to Christianity; instead, they offer one more proof of Christ as universal Truth” ( (41).
“Only God is self-existent. When man began to fall under the illusion of being a self-existent individual, he was essentially making himself into a little god. This was the meaning of the primordial trap into which he fell: "Knowing good and evil, you will be as gods. Man had been created to rise, in his simple and uncompounded nature, in noetic contemplation of the simple and uncompounded God. To rise in love, and to unite all of creation with himself in love, raising it also to the Creator. Instead of regarding the Way, however, he chose to regard what was easier and closer at hand: his own visible self. Instead of rising with God, he fell in love with himself” (220).
“The illumination that Christ offers us does not end with this life, nor is it static in the life to come. It is only the beginning of a progress that will never end. "Indeed," says St. Symeon, "over the ages the progress will be endless, for a cessation of this growing toward the end without ending would be nothing but a grasping at the ungraspable. The One on Whom no one can be sated would then become an object of satiety. By contrast, to be filled with Him and to be glorified in His Light will cause unfathomable progress, an undefined beginning. Just as those, possessing Christ Who took form in them, stand near the One Who shines in the inaccessible Light, so does the end become a principle of glory in them or--to explain my thought more clearly in the end they will have the be-ginning, and in the beginning the end" (
July 23, 2011
This book is truly an incredible read. For those who feel that Christianity is exclusively Western will be proved wrong by this book. This book attempts and succeeds in walking a balancing act between religious exclusivity and syncretism.
This book shows how Christianity is the fulfillment of all the worlds spiritual traditions both in their unique worldview's and practices, whether Judaism of the West or Taoism of the East, using this book and others I will attempt a great undertaking of trying to show how Christianity is the fulfillment of other Eastern traditions through Taoism.
This book is a highly recommended read because it is a fresh perspective from the East regarding Christianity, where most Westerns have gone these days to receive any and all spiritual fulfillment, may this book help some of those Westerns re-discover the depth of Christian teaching that is much closer to home.
This book shows how Christianity is the fulfillment of all the worlds spiritual traditions both in their unique worldview's and practices, whether Judaism of the West or Taoism of the East, using this book and others I will attempt a great undertaking of trying to show how Christianity is the fulfillment of other Eastern traditions through Taoism.
This book is a highly recommended read because it is a fresh perspective from the East regarding Christianity, where most Westerns have gone these days to receive any and all spiritual fulfillment, may this book help some of those Westerns re-discover the depth of Christian teaching that is much closer to home.
September 8, 2020
A really superb and moving devotional work, with stunning insight into the Tao (jarringly different to how others have perceived it). It was really two books in one: the first, a thesis on how Lao Tzu was divinely inspired , the Tao as the Word/Way and the Teh as the Spirit - the second, a lengthy and beautiful summary of certain aspects of Orthodox theology. I could read the author's recollections of Divine Light, or of suffering and repentance, or thoughts on the Jesus prayer, all day. His stories of Fr. George Calciu's imprisonment were especially moving. It's a complex and unique book that's hard to summarise, but immensely significant. I found it so moving at parts that I feel the need to read and re-read certain passages again and again.
We need not behold Uncreated Light or experience deification in order for our spirits to be re-created by the Uncreated Teh of Christ. Re-creation begins in baptism when the seed of Grace is planted into our spirit; and then, if we will cultivate the seed, re-creation continues, step by step. It is a process od dying and being reborn, dying and being reborn.With each step, painful for the ego, we are re-created in part. Our spirits are transformed by the Light; they become chalices to receive the Energy of God."
We need not behold Uncreated Light or experience deification in order for our spirits to be re-created by the Uncreated Teh of Christ. Re-creation begins in baptism when the seed of Grace is planted into our spirit; and then, if we will cultivate the seed, re-creation continues, step by step. It is a process od dying and being reborn, dying and being reborn.With each step, painful for the ego, we are re-created in part. Our spirits are transformed by the Light; they become chalices to receive the Energy of God."
May 25, 2012
Any religion that claims to be universal and exclusive must be capable of bridging the cultural gaps between the various cultures of the human race. Christianity makes that claim and this book does an incredible job of explaining how a faith with Jewish roots fits in with the history of philosophy all over the world.
More importantly, this book provides a detailed and awe-inspiring introduction to Eastern Orthodox spirituality, which is something both Protestants and Catholics lack (Catholics due to their paradigm shift of the 11th century and Protestants due to their Catholic heritage). As more and more people fall away from evangelical fundamentalism in search of something genuine, they find themselves looking to Catholicism and Orthodoxy. This book shows why Orthodoxy is the only choice to make.
More importantly, this book provides a detailed and awe-inspiring introduction to Eastern Orthodox spirituality, which is something both Protestants and Catholics lack (Catholics due to their paradigm shift of the 11th century and Protestants due to their Catholic heritage). As more and more people fall away from evangelical fundamentalism in search of something genuine, they find themselves looking to Catholicism and Orthodoxy. This book shows why Orthodoxy is the only choice to make.
March 18, 2017
Remarkable!
March 2, 2009
Good book. There's a lot of variety in the book revolving around Jesus Christ and the concept of the Tao; ranging from poetry to practical spiritual practice.
For me personally, I found a good bit of affirmation of the foreshadowing of Jesus that I found when reading a translation of the Tao Te Ching. I appreciated the consistent message of the necessity of humbleness in our walk with Christ, as well as the emphasis the Jesus Christ must be our focus. I think the book provides a good balance between the discipline required in our lives and the grace necessary for us to know and grow closer to Christ.
For me personally, I found a good bit of affirmation of the foreshadowing of Jesus that I found when reading a translation of the Tao Te Ching. I appreciated the consistent message of the necessity of humbleness in our walk with Christ, as well as the emphasis the Jesus Christ must be our focus. I think the book provides a good balance between the discipline required in our lives and the grace necessary for us to know and grow closer to Christ.
November 20, 2010
This is several sections in one book - and I may have ordered the sections differently.
Having said that, each section was fascinating and beautifully written. Many truths are in this excellent book, I will definitely keep it as a re-read.
Having said that, each section was fascinating and beautifully written. Many truths are in this excellent book, I will definitely keep it as a re-read.
May 18, 2019
WOW! A must-read for all dime-store mystics!
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May 17, 2021Paul said] “And He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth, and He ordained their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, in order for them to seek the Lord, if perhaps indeed they might grope for Him and find Him, and yet being indeed not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’” (Acts 17:26-28, EMTV)
As Paul made their ‘Unknown God’ known to the Athenians in the Person of Christ, so does Hieromonk (now Abbot) Damascene seek to make Christ known to those enamored of the Taoist religion of China. While this includes millions upon millions of Chinese, Taoism is also a faith often explored by Westerners turning from Christ towards Asia, looking for a spirituality and mode of life
that they (mistakenly) believe to be absent among the people claiming Him.
Having been introduced to Orthodoxy by Fr. Seraphim Rose (+1982), Abbot Damascene (and I) expressed a youthful admiration for the ancient writings of the Chinese sage, Lao Tzu, source of the Taoist religion. The Abbot has no interest in syncretism; his aim is not to weave together some “feel-good” hybrid of Taoism and Christianity. Instead, he takes a cue from the Church Fathers in their recognition of the incomplete, yet genuine, way that Plato and Socrates revealed something of the mind of the Father and prepared the way for Christ in the ancient Greek- and Latin-speaking worlds. Damascene says, “If the Greek philosophers can be honored in this way, cannot also Lao
Tzu, who came even closer that they to describing the Logos, the Tao, before He was made flesh, and dwelt among us?”
He opens the book with a series of seventy-eight poetic Christian reflections mirroring Lao Tzu’s Tao Teh Ching and exploring the similarities of spirit between Christ the Logos and the Tao as realized by Lao Tzu. Damascene demonstrates that the only thing lacking in Lao Tzu’s profound intuitions of ultimate reality was the knowledge of personalism of God as revealed in Christ. The book’s second part is a deeper analysis of the philosophical principles common to the two faiths. In the third part, the Abbot reveal how Orthodoxy and the monasticism of the Christian East offers a spirituality every bit as profound and powerful as that of the Far East, but completed by the full revelations of God in Christ.
As Paul made their ‘Unknown God’ known to the Athenians in the Person of Christ, so does Hieromonk (now Abbot) Damascene seek to make Christ known to those enamored of the Taoist religion of China. While this includes millions upon millions of Chinese, Taoism is also a faith often explored by Westerners turning from Christ towards Asia, looking for a spirituality and mode of life
that they (mistakenly) believe to be absent among the people claiming Him.
Having been introduced to Orthodoxy by Fr. Seraphim Rose (+1982), Abbot Damascene (and I) expressed a youthful admiration for the ancient writings of the Chinese sage, Lao Tzu, source of the Taoist religion. The Abbot has no interest in syncretism; his aim is not to weave together some “feel-good” hybrid of Taoism and Christianity. Instead, he takes a cue from the Church Fathers in their recognition of the incomplete, yet genuine, way that Plato and Socrates revealed something of the mind of the Father and prepared the way for Christ in the ancient Greek- and Latin-speaking worlds. Damascene says, “If the Greek philosophers can be honored in this way, cannot also Lao
Tzu, who came even closer that they to describing the Logos, the Tao, before He was made flesh, and dwelt among us?”
He opens the book with a series of seventy-eight poetic Christian reflections mirroring Lao Tzu’s Tao Teh Ching and exploring the similarities of spirit between Christ the Logos and the Tao as realized by Lao Tzu. Damascene demonstrates that the only thing lacking in Lao Tzu’s profound intuitions of ultimate reality was the knowledge of personalism of God as revealed in Christ. The book’s second part is a deeper analysis of the philosophical principles common to the two faiths. In the third part, the Abbot reveal how Orthodoxy and the monasticism of the Christian East offers a spirituality every bit as profound and powerful as that of the Far East, but completed by the full revelations of God in Christ.
May 13, 2020
A fantastic read for any person who has grown up in the context of Western Christianity and has found it lacking a certain spiritual element. Damascene approaches the teachings of the Tao Te Ching from an Eastern Orthodox prospective, leaving a deep impression on the typical Western reader. (By the way, in most of my treatments, "typical Western" = Me. Thanks) Widespread in its topics, this book offers a fresh alternative to the overly-academic systematic theologies offered us by Catholic and Protestant traditions. Particularly interesting were the treatments of the doctrine of the Trinity and the concept of prayer and meditation.
September 1, 2019
I'm not Orthodox, so I may have misunderstood some of the finer points in the book.
Most of it was an explanation of the salvation process in Christianity. The author used Lou Zhu's thoughts in parallel to ancient Greek thought to illustrate God's preparing the way for the incarnation. I enjoyed the sections where the author argued for Lau Zhu's Tao to be a better version of the Greek's logos and hence a better connection with Christ, but the rest was largely normal Christian speculation (at least for Protestants).
The bits of testimony from Orthodox Christians were interesting as well.
Most of it was an explanation of the salvation process in Christianity. The author used Lou Zhu's thoughts in parallel to ancient Greek thought to illustrate God's preparing the way for the incarnation. I enjoyed the sections where the author argued for Lau Zhu's Tao to be a better version of the Greek's logos and hence a better connection with Christ, but the rest was largely normal Christian speculation (at least for Protestants).
The bits of testimony from Orthodox Christians were interesting as well.
May 6, 2019
Part 1 is worth the price of the book. Simply put, Part 1 it beautiful poetry in the style of the Tao Teh Ching that focuses on The True Way (Jesus the Anointed).
The remainder of the book is more theological and practical. Not being Eastern Orthodox myself (though I appreciate much of the theology), I did not agree with everything, but I supposed that was to be expected (so I didn’t let it impact my review). Nevertheless, I will take many of the teachings on prayer to heart.
The remainder of the book is more theological and practical. Not being Eastern Orthodox myself (though I appreciate much of the theology), I did not agree with everything, but I supposed that was to be expected (so I didn’t let it impact my review). Nevertheless, I will take many of the teachings on prayer to heart.
September 15, 2020
"Of all the ancient philosophers, Lao Tzu came the closest to assimilating the essence of reality and describing the Tao or Logos. His Tao Teh Ching represents the epitome of what a human being can know through intuition, through the apprehension of the universal Principle and Pattern manifested in the created order." p.31-32
One of the best books I have ever read. Highly recommend.
One of the best books I have ever read. Highly recommend.
March 12, 2020
Absolutely loved the first half with the Tao Te Ching inspired poetry. The second half was very hit or miss for me, with more misses than hits.
March 27, 2024
Possibly the best, most enlightening account of Christian spirituality that I've ever read, at least in the context of our present age. This is the book that every modern-day person who takes an interest in spiritual affairs should read. Most Westerners these days live in a state of agnosticism, endlessly doubting which spiritual tradition or path to follow, if any. The different Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, appear clueless on how to address this problem, after coasting through the last centuries, when Christianity was taken for granted, in a sort of bubble.
The recovery of the fullness of Christ's message and vision is the task of outsiders like American Hieromonk Damascene, who typically came from a dessicated Protestant background to then discover the savoury salt of traditional Christianity, not before tasting the rich Asian spirituality, which left him wanting more.
Men like him are in a more suitable position to understand the mindset and the struggles of the average Western non-believer, and they are also equipped with a rare knowledge of spiritual traditions other than Christianity, which have always been regarded with suspicion or outright contempt, due to prejudice and self complacency.
It is my belief, as a Roman Catholic, that Christ is the ultimate Truth and the Pattern that informs the whole world, but to pit that idea against other spiritual traditions as if they were competing ideologies in an election or a debate is a ghastly mistake and a gross misunderstanding of how religion works and has historically worked. Only modern Western people are able to see it like this.
Hieromonk Damascene makes a perfectly convincing case here that the person of Jesus Christ is what the best axial age philosophers had foreseen, like through a veil, and then spoken of, tentatively, using terms like the Logos (Heraclitus, Socrates, Plato), or the Tao (Lao Tzu). They intuited a gathering unity behind the created, visible world. They thought long and hard of it and managed to obtain extremely impressive insights, considering how they lacked the advantage of direct revelation that the prophets of Israel were afforded. Among them, Lao Tzu seems to have been the one who got closest to the genuine article, expressing thoughts and meditations that would find an almost identical echo in the Gospels, some five centuries after his death.
The average Western person would explain that as Christians appropriating aspects and terms of Chinese philosophy, just like all Church Fathers have been written off as mere parasites of Plato's thinking, but again, that is a typically Western mistake of having spiritual stuff backwards, as a result of a materialistic, mechanistic mindset and worldview. If Christ is for a moment contemplated as God (the source and foundation of reality that the Lakota, for instance, call "Wakantanka", if the more usual term makes anyone uneasy), then his whole arc, including the early beginnings of the Genesis, appears not as a broom that sweeps all traditions away but a frame that gives them their ultimate meaning and perfects them, shedding all erroneous aspects. Chinese people bred in the tradition of the Tao don't need to become European at all in order to be Christians. They just need to become aware that what they call the Tao is an actual person who walked the Earth and completed the knowledge that they treasure, and in whose existence they can participate very actively. Same goes for any other spiritual path in the world, except for crass idolatry like it was practised in the Bronze Age.
This is what this book is all about. A must-read.
The recovery of the fullness of Christ's message and vision is the task of outsiders like American Hieromonk Damascene, who typically came from a dessicated Protestant background to then discover the savoury salt of traditional Christianity, not before tasting the rich Asian spirituality, which left him wanting more.
Men like him are in a more suitable position to understand the mindset and the struggles of the average Western non-believer, and they are also equipped with a rare knowledge of spiritual traditions other than Christianity, which have always been regarded with suspicion or outright contempt, due to prejudice and self complacency.
It is my belief, as a Roman Catholic, that Christ is the ultimate Truth and the Pattern that informs the whole world, but to pit that idea against other spiritual traditions as if they were competing ideologies in an election or a debate is a ghastly mistake and a gross misunderstanding of how religion works and has historically worked. Only modern Western people are able to see it like this.
Hieromonk Damascene makes a perfectly convincing case here that the person of Jesus Christ is what the best axial age philosophers had foreseen, like through a veil, and then spoken of, tentatively, using terms like the Logos (Heraclitus, Socrates, Plato), or the Tao (Lao Tzu). They intuited a gathering unity behind the created, visible world. They thought long and hard of it and managed to obtain extremely impressive insights, considering how they lacked the advantage of direct revelation that the prophets of Israel were afforded. Among them, Lao Tzu seems to have been the one who got closest to the genuine article, expressing thoughts and meditations that would find an almost identical echo in the Gospels, some five centuries after his death.
The average Western person would explain that as Christians appropriating aspects and terms of Chinese philosophy, just like all Church Fathers have been written off as mere parasites of Plato's thinking, but again, that is a typically Western mistake of having spiritual stuff backwards, as a result of a materialistic, mechanistic mindset and worldview. If Christ is for a moment contemplated as God (the source and foundation of reality that the Lakota, for instance, call "Wakantanka", if the more usual term makes anyone uneasy), then his whole arc, including the early beginnings of the Genesis, appears not as a broom that sweeps all traditions away but a frame that gives them their ultimate meaning and perfects them, shedding all erroneous aspects. Chinese people bred in the tradition of the Tao don't need to become European at all in order to be Christians. They just need to become aware that what they call the Tao is an actual person who walked the Earth and completed the knowledge that they treasure, and in whose existence they can participate very actively. Same goes for any other spiritual path in the world, except for crass idolatry like it was practised in the Bronze Age.
This is what this book is all about. A must-read.
March 5, 2025
First, just a helpful tip: This book is essentially divided into 3 sections: An introduction, an "updated/rewritten" Tao-Te-Ching-like poetry section, and commentary. I found it worked really well to read the introduction sections first (everything up until the Tao-like poetry section). Then I grabbed 2 bookmarks and simultaneously, but separately, made my way through the Tao-poetry and commentary. So I'd read a little poetry, then a little commentary each time I sat down (trying to generally keep to about the same percentage-progress of each, if that makes sense). Reading the poetry straight through was going to be a no-go for me. Anyway, that may help someone else.
As for the book, it goes from fairly general to very specific, in terms of spirituality and theology. I quite enjoyed the beginning 'general' approach of the intro and the commentary section which nicely showed parallels between the teachings of Jesus and the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching.
But, as I read further I slowly realized I was getting less and less out of it (it was losing me). Then had a bit of a revelation: The commentary starts with alot of references to Jesus, scripture, and the Tao Te Ching (Lao Tzu). But as it goes along, you'll notice the ideas, references, and theology slowly switches to quoting Russian/Eastern Orthodox monks, priests, and other 'church authority figures' more and more until, by the end, we're simply swimming in a dark (and not necessarily scripturally-inspired) Christian Orthodox dogma soup.
It was a strange journey to start out with beautiful pictures of Jesus as Tao but end up, essentially, in the same theology as the modern American Evangelical crazies we're trying to escape: The body is evil, suffer and die here with the only goal of getting to heaven, all my (self induced) pain is a sign that "I'm right" and God favors me over others. There's even a story in the last section where a holy man "sees God" and his immediate reaction afterwards is to instantly, and intensely, hate himself! Oof.
This is not the Tao of Love that I believe Jesus pointed us towards. It does not celebrate God's beautiful and holy creation (the world...but also us humans and our bodies!) It just ends with a dark picture of judgement and self-hate that is dogmatic and ugly.
I was pretty excited about the concept of this book because I truly have seen how much the Tao can enlighten our view of what Jesus was teaching us. But this book ended up right back where we started: with the church piling a crushing load of theology and dogma on the people, telling them it's the only way to heaven.
Boo.
As for the book, it goes from fairly general to very specific, in terms of spirituality and theology. I quite enjoyed the beginning 'general' approach of the intro and the commentary section which nicely showed parallels between the teachings of Jesus and the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching.
But, as I read further I slowly realized I was getting less and less out of it (it was losing me). Then had a bit of a revelation: The commentary starts with alot of references to Jesus, scripture, and the Tao Te Ching (Lao Tzu). But as it goes along, you'll notice the ideas, references, and theology slowly switches to quoting Russian/Eastern Orthodox monks, priests, and other 'church authority figures' more and more until, by the end, we're simply swimming in a dark (and not necessarily scripturally-inspired) Christian Orthodox dogma soup.
It was a strange journey to start out with beautiful pictures of Jesus as Tao but end up, essentially, in the same theology as the modern American Evangelical crazies we're trying to escape: The body is evil, suffer and die here with the only goal of getting to heaven, all my (self induced) pain is a sign that "I'm right" and God favors me over others. There's even a story in the last section where a holy man "sees God" and his immediate reaction afterwards is to instantly, and intensely, hate himself! Oof.
This is not the Tao of Love that I believe Jesus pointed us towards. It does not celebrate God's beautiful and holy creation (the world...but also us humans and our bodies!) It just ends with a dark picture of judgement and self-hate that is dogmatic and ugly.
I was pretty excited about the concept of this book because I truly have seen how much the Tao can enlighten our view of what Jesus was teaching us. But this book ended up right back where we started: with the church piling a crushing load of theology and dogma on the people, telling them it's the only way to heaven.
Boo.
January 12, 2024
This book is the most beautiful thing I have read in a while!
Mind does not exist without word,
Nor word without mind [...]
the Father, the all-embracing Mind,
The Thought above and beyond thoughts,
Has a Son, begotten of His Essence:
The Word above and beyond words.
Christianity is presented as philosophia perennis, the wisdom preserved throughout the centuries from the beginning of the world.
The book has many references to Philokalia and many other works and mentions several church fathers that remind pre-Christian Greek philosophers and poets who, like Lao Tzu, taught that there is only one God: the Uncreated Cause and Creator of the universe. Among those are: Orpheus, Sophocles, Pythagoras, Plato, Ammon, Eschylus, Philemon, Euripides and Menander, Hermes Trismegistus, Virgil, Ovid, Thales, Anaxagoras, Anisthenes, Cleanthcs, Chryssipus, Zeno, Democritus, Xenophanes the Athenian, Hesiod, Aristotle, Cicero, and Seneca.
Christ is the Way, the mother of the whole world (ch.20):
The Ancient Sage, follower of the Way, had said:
“There was something undefined yet complete in itself,
Born before heaven and earth.
I do not know its name”. (Tao, ch.25)
And the Way, when He became flesh, said:
“I Who speak unto you am He”. -this contradicts ch.15 where the valley spirit is identified with Mary. Though I do not subscribe to the entirety of the book (there are only two points of controversy: the interpretations on Mary are for me clearly off, plus a few touches of universalism?), I can readily appreciate many of the truths presented.
Mind does not exist without word,
Nor word without mind [...]
the Father, the all-embracing Mind,
The Thought above and beyond thoughts,
Has a Son, begotten of His Essence:
The Word above and beyond words.
Christianity is presented as philosophia perennis, the wisdom preserved throughout the centuries from the beginning of the world.
The book has many references to Philokalia and many other works and mentions several church fathers that remind pre-Christian Greek philosophers and poets who, like Lao Tzu, taught that there is only one God: the Uncreated Cause and Creator of the universe. Among those are: Orpheus, Sophocles, Pythagoras, Plato, Ammon, Eschylus, Philemon, Euripides and Menander, Hermes Trismegistus, Virgil, Ovid, Thales, Anaxagoras, Anisthenes, Cleanthcs, Chryssipus, Zeno, Democritus, Xenophanes the Athenian, Hesiod, Aristotle, Cicero, and Seneca.
Christ is the Way, the mother of the whole world (ch.20):
The Ancient Sage, follower of the Way, had said:
“There was something undefined yet complete in itself,
Born before heaven and earth.
I do not know its name”. (Tao, ch.25)
And the Way, when He became flesh, said:
“I Who speak unto you am He”. -this contradicts ch.15 where the valley spirit is identified with Mary. Though I do not subscribe to the entirety of the book (there are only two points of controversy: the interpretations on Mary are for me clearly off, plus a few touches of universalism?), I can readily appreciate many of the truths presented.
December 24, 2024
Peppered with incredible insight from the holy fathers, and inspiring illustration of the universality of Christ's Truth through comparison's with Lao Tzu's teaching, the book's connective tissue is at times awkward as it can't seem to decide on just who its primary audience is.
At its worst, every 20 or so pages you're met with something really special, only to then keep wondering for the next 20 pages if you should put the book back down. Not to mention that, the discourse doesn't start until after a 200 page long "New Testament" to Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, which while very often beautiful, has the same problem with certain chapters feeling like they lack any impact or weight (though I'm perfectly willing to admit that may be due to me just not getting them, or not being familiar with the original Tao Te Ching).
On the whole, Fr. Damascene does a compelling and very interesting job of displaying the universality of the Christian faith, and presenting the Tao as a sort of pre-figuring of Christ within the bounds of human reason not enlightened by divine revelation. The brief appendix on the history of Orthodoxy in China was also very interesting.
3.5
At its worst, every 20 or so pages you're met with something really special, only to then keep wondering for the next 20 pages if you should put the book back down. Not to mention that, the discourse doesn't start until after a 200 page long "New Testament" to Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, which while very often beautiful, has the same problem with certain chapters feeling like they lack any impact or weight (though I'm perfectly willing to admit that may be due to me just not getting them, or not being familiar with the original Tao Te Ching).
On the whole, Fr. Damascene does a compelling and very interesting job of displaying the universality of the Christian faith, and presenting the Tao as a sort of pre-figuring of Christ within the bounds of human reason not enlightened by divine revelation. The brief appendix on the history of Orthodoxy in China was also very interesting.
3.5
July 19, 2022
Absolutely remarkable book that dives into the pre-Incarnate worship of Christ found in Taoism. Like the monotheistic worship of some of the ancient Greeks and the search for the Logos, Hieromonk Damascene makes a solid case that the ancient Chinese belief in the Tao was a precursor to true Christianity that could only be found in the Incarnation of Christ, the God-Man.
The book gets into this quite a bit, and includes a breathtakingly beautiful poetry of the “high points” of the Gospels from the lens of a Taoistic perspective. Hieromonk Damascene writes of Christ as Lao Tzu would have, and it is riveting.
My only “criticism” is that, toward the end of the book, Hieromonk Damascene dives into a type of systematic theology, merely trading “Logos” for “Tao”. I would have wished for a more in-depth comparison of Taoism and Christianity.
Great book.
The book gets into this quite a bit, and includes a breathtakingly beautiful poetry of the “high points” of the Gospels from the lens of a Taoistic perspective. Hieromonk Damascene writes of Christ as Lao Tzu would have, and it is riveting.
My only “criticism” is that, toward the end of the book, Hieromonk Damascene dives into a type of systematic theology, merely trading “Logos” for “Tao”. I would have wished for a more in-depth comparison of Taoism and Christianity.
Great book.
July 28, 2025
The first section of this book is exceptional. It contains beautiful poetry with rich theological meaning. It is one of the most compelling works of art for understanding the Gospel I have ever consumed. It is fantastic. The later parts of the book are not as interesting; however, they do provide interesting insights into eastern orthodox spirituality and provide deeper theological explanations for choices made in the poetry at the beginning 0f the book. I was particularly impressed by the introduction to noetic prayer, guidance towards the Jesus prayer, and the Trinitarian theology presented in the text. The end of the book, describing experiences of the Light of Christ was challenging and fascinating.
February 8, 2022
One part a Christian reading on the Tao Te Ching in the spirit of St. Justin Martyr's concept of Spermatikos Logos. (The seed truth of Christ in all things).
One part explaining Orthodox spirituality and encounters with God's uncreated light from the lives of the saints.
One part a history of Orthodox Christianity in China and the persecution Christians have suffered there in recent times under the communist state.
Fr. George Calciu's account of serving divine liturgy with two murderers who were placed in a communist Romanian prison by the overseers to kill him will stay with you for a long time.
Verdict: essential reading for Orthodox Christians.
One part explaining Orthodox spirituality and encounters with God's uncreated light from the lives of the saints.
One part a history of Orthodox Christianity in China and the persecution Christians have suffered there in recent times under the communist state.
Fr. George Calciu's account of serving divine liturgy with two murderers who were placed in a communist Romanian prison by the overseers to kill him will stay with you for a long time.
Verdict: essential reading for Orthodox Christians.
July 1, 2023
Wow. I think this is one of the best books I have ever read. It's also hard to describe. Despite what one might assume based on the title and cover, this is not a work of perennialism nor of comparative religion. There's history, theology, poetry, spiritual direction, and a whole lot of mysticism--but none of these categories really do justice to the whole. You kind of just have to read it to get it. This book shifted my paradigm and really broadened my understanding. An easy 5 stars from me.
April 13, 2020
I can only read a little bit of this at a time! There is a lot to reflect on. I love the idea of the divine Logos at work in all people and all places. The idea that that small voice can move deeply within people to intuit the Gospel apart from the analytical current we have inherited, is just beautiful to me!
August 29, 2022
This is an outstanding devotional work. While particularly important for anyone who has studied/ practiced both Taoism & Christianity, I think it would prove illuminating for anyone from either of those traditions individually. The work unites the teachings of Taoism & Christianity, illustrating both in a fresh perspective and showing the commonality between them.
June 13, 2024
This is a wonderful little book that introduces Taoism to Christians and posits that Lao Tzu was pointing to the Truth with his conception of the tao/teh. Saint Photios Orthodox Theological Seminary has a YouTube video presentation given by Brother Jeffrey that explores Orthodoxy in Chinese philosophy that will be useful to readers of this book.
April 22, 2025
Never have a read a work that so thoroughly demonstrates (1) how Orthodoxy fulfills the words of the ancient sages and (2) what it means to be a follower of the Way. Damascene pulls you in as a whirlpool does its victim only to force inner contemplation and repentant thinking. Highly recommend for the truth seeker.
April 10, 2022
A beautiful book which I have been meaning to read for many years, but only now made the time for it. I was not disappointed. By far the best part of the book is the beginning - The Gospel According to Lao Tzu. The depth of the poetry is stunning and I hope to reread it often.
June 24, 2025
I read this book years and years ago and only just realized I never logged it on here. This book had a big influence on my early ecumenicism, and even if I don't really hold to a metaphysical system that makes its claims relevant for me today, it's still a fascinating and useful text.
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