Christ the Eternal Tao
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- Create Date：2021-09-04 09:54:33
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Damascene Christensen
- ISBN：1887904239
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Summary
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。
Reviews
Saint Katherine BookstoreVA
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Paul 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 Paul 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。 。。。more
Kevin
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"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。31-32One of the best books I have ever read。 Highly recommend。 "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。31-32One of the best books I have ever read。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Katie Bayford
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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 sto 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。" 。。。more
Augustinian
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Absolutely outstanding
John
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The best spiritual text I’ve ever read。 Could not recommend more highly。
Blake Paine
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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！
Ryan
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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。
Calm
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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 lea 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。 。。。more
Amani
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Excellent look into how our mind is so easily influenced by external factors， and what we need to do to keep grounded and focussed on the right things。
Shiva Seven
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WOW！ A must-read for all dime-store mystics！
James
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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。
Susan
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Great book！ would give more stars if I could！ Good to understand the history in China as well！
Ciera
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This is an exceptionally unique Christian book。 In it， the author（s） compare Christianity to ancient Chinese beliefs by philosopher Lao Tzu。 Before the coming of Christ， Lao Tzu attempted at reconciling himself with the unknowable overarching objective truth in the universe。 He called this truth the "Tao，" which can be comparable to Jesus being the "Word" who became flesh。 To use a pop-culture reference， the Tao can also be somewhat compared to the famous "Force" in George Lucas's Star Wars。 Chr This is an exceptionally unique Christian book。 In it， the author（s） compare Christianity to ancient Chinese beliefs by philosopher Lao Tzu。 Before the coming of Christ， Lao Tzu attempted at reconciling himself with the unknowable overarching objective truth in the universe。 He called this truth the "Tao，" which can be comparable to Jesus being the "Word" who became flesh。 To use a pop-culture reference， the Tao can also be somewhat compared to the famous "Force" in George Lucas's Star Wars。 Christ the Eternal Tao， then， is an assertion that the Tao that Lao Tzu was trying to get to know was， in reality， Christ， although he had no way of knowing。 I really enjoyed the spiritual truths found in this book， that one can only know Christ through the Spirit who comes forth from Christ。 While there are some portions dedicated specifically to traditions in eastern Orthodox Christianity， the majority of the messages can be related to by nearly all Christians who believe in the truths of the gospel of Christ。 I'd recommend for anyone wanting to know the spiritual nature of how God dispenses himself into man or， if this doesn't sound like your taste， to read the Economy of God by Witness Lee。 Recommended for believers in Christ who wish to know Him at a deeper level。 。。。more
Adam Gossman
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Remarkable！
Timothy Nichols
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You take your time with this one。 The second half is a clear， serviceable exposition of Eastern Christian spirituality -- well-crafted， but nothing you couldn't find in a dozen other books。 But the first half。。。the first half is a Christian engagement with and response to the Dao De Jing written in the same sparse， beautiful style。 This is old-school Christian cultural engagement at its absolute finest。 Buy it。 Read it。 Then read it again。 You take your time with this one。 The second half is a clear， serviceable exposition of Eastern Christian spirituality -- well-crafted， but nothing you couldn't find in a dozen other books。 But the first half。。。the first half is a Christian engagement with and response to the Dao De Jing written in the same sparse， beautiful style。 This is old-school Christian cultural engagement at its absolute finest。 Buy it。 Read it。 Then read it again。 。。。more
Elizabeth White
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Have read this several times over the years。 It's a book that requires time for contemplation。 Have read this several times over the years。 It's a book that requires time for contemplation。 。。。more
Jeremy
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**BOOK PROJECT COMPLETED！**This was the very last book in my "Great Book Project of 2015。" I set out to read every last book I had bought with my own money but not yet read。 I lined them up on my bookshelf and proceeded to read them one by one。 It started in the spring of 2015 with The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux， and ended today。 It's a nice feeling。As for the book itself， it's written from the Orthodox Christian view that some sages who preceded Chri **BOOK PROJECT COMPLETED！**This was the very last book in my "Great Book Project of 2015。" I set out to read every last book I had bought with my own money but not yet read。 I lined them up on my bookshelf and proceeded to read them one by one。 It started in the spring of 2015 with The Sacred Pipe: Black Elk's Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux， and ended today。 It's a nice feeling。As for the book itself， it's written from the Orthodox Christian view that some sages who preceded Christ were "believers" in the sense that they were describing Christ's values and purpose， but could only do so with the limited understanding available to them before He walked on earth。 Lao Tzu wrote about the Tao/the Way， and the Greeks described the Logos/the Word， before the Way or the Word was made flesh。 The book includes a "gospel" according to Lao Tzu， followed by some exegetical prose， and then the speeches and bios of a few Orthodox believers。 Quotes:Ultimately， the only law that Christ gave to man was the law of love。 Having this law "in their inward parts，" His followers would obey God's law naturally， spontaneously， without always having to think， to choose， and to worry over legalistic formulas。 "You shall love the Lord your God，" He said， "with all your heart， and with all your soul， and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself。 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets。"When we are living from our center， we are no longer reacting to outside pressures and temptations。 Not reacting to pressures， we are free from the thoughts， emotions and desires that these reactions engender。 We are internally rather than externally motivated， and thus we do not have to be constantly filling ourselves with that which is outside of us: attention from other people， material things， etc。Religious fundamentalism （believing that traditions outside one's own are all wrong） is intellectually satisfying to narrow minds， while religious syncretism （believing that all traditions are equal） is satisfying to broad minds。"At some thoughts a man stands perplexed， above all at the sight of human sin， and he wonders whether to combat it by force or by humble love。 Always decide: 'I will combat it by humble love。' If you resolve on that once for all， you can conquer the whole world。 Loving humility is a terrible force: it is the strongest of all things， and there is nothing else like it。" Father Zosima， The Brothers Karamazov。 。。。more
Bill
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I am not ready to properly review this book。 For now， it was good。 I am glad I read it。 I have more thoughts。
Alex Petrovich
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My Priest-Brother recommended this。 Changed my thinking on religion altogether in that it made me think Bigger about God and the Universe。 There is so much pride in religion these days; everyone thinks that only they have Truth。 This book helped me understand the humility of spiritual experience can perhaps come from outside the typical well; that perhaps we are all looking for Truth and each have to find our own Tao to reach It。Very Beautiful Literature。
Arthur Johnson
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The book really changed my life， and set me on such a different path than what I was already on， but one that was so familiar。Recommended to Christians， Buddhists， or anyone looking for answers。
Susan
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Rather obvious。
Shawn E
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There are precious few books that one returns to again and again。 This is one of them。
Tom Rehbeck
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Just started reading it！ From a person who has been discouraged by the Western Church culture， I can see how this book will give me a different， non-religious view of The Way！ Have only just begin to read， but feel this book will be one that challenges both my beliefs and non-beliefs！ I feel an organic connection to its premise so far！
Mike Simmons
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A fun read， if you want to wade through Lao Tzu。 Damascene and Seraphim Rose help us see that the eastern religions had a vision of God that is not contrary to what was revealed by Jesus Christ when He entered this world as the Logos and the Way。 A nice look into Eastern Orthodox Christianity in China。
Ryan
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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 Pr 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。 。。。more
David Withun
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Joshua
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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 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
Kierstin Butler
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Very good read。 Thought it was a different kind of read， didn't turn out to be something I personally would WANT to read。 But it was very well written。 Very good read。 Thought it was a different kind of read， didn't turn out to be something I personally would WANT to read。 But it was very well written。 。。。more
Kathleen
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Local book discussion。
Michelle-Marie
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After listening to the free podcast series from ANCIENT FAITH RADIO， I felt it was time to revisit the themes discussed and get a copy of the book， this time so I can take more notes。 Not being familiar with Eastern Spirituality， this is to me a more interesting way to go about an introduction， through an Eastern （Christian） Orthodox perspective。 Reviews by readers on Amazon encouraged me further in this direction。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Christ the Eternal Tao
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Christ the Eternal Tao&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft