Jesus: A Gospel

(Orbis, Sept.,2001, Hardcover), edited by Michael O'Laughlin

Introduced as "A unique retelling of the story of Jesus through the words of Henri Nouwen and the art of Rembrandt,"  this book promises to be a unique contribution to the growing number of books about Henri Nouwen, books by friends and disciples taking time to step back and assess the depth and scope, the richness and vision still waiting to be tapped in Nouwen's writings. 

In a telephone conversation kindly granted this reviewer, editor Michael O'Laughlin explains his intent in compiling the book:

"The reason I created this book is to facilitate the quest we are all in: to know Jesus better. Even if Jesus is the obvious midpoint of western culture, he remains mysterious and illusive for all of us.  This extended meditation on the Gospel combines the intimate reflections of one of the greatest teachers of Christianity in our generation with the words of the Gospels themselves and the timeless paintings of Rembrandt." I hope this book will deepen the experience of Jesus for many readers."

The book is structured into two major sections:

SECTION ONE, basically introductory, begins with a six-page introduction by the editor, followed by 4 chapters dealing with Nouwen's spiritual perspective, as follows:

Chapter One: Spiritual Living

Chapter Two: God's Hidden Way

Chapter Three: Descending With Jesus

Chapter Four: God and the world.

SECTION TWO, comprising the main body of the book is the editor's compiled reflections, each containing 2 elements in this order:

1. The Gospel Text.

2: A selected quote from Nouwen related to the text.

Highlighting the editor's Gospel reflections are 12 illustrations from Rembrandt's paintings, strategically placed to follow selected passages.

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