Read Online The Four Vision Quests of Jesus Steven Charleston 9780819231734 Books

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Download As PDF : The Four Vision Quests of Jesus Steven Charleston 9780819231734 Books

"A unique look at Christian biblical interpretation and theology from the perspective of Native American tradition, this book focuses on four specific experiences of Jesus as portrayed in the synoptic gospels. It examines each story as a “vision quest,” a universal spiritual phenomenon, but one of particular importance within North American indigenous communities.

Jesus’ experience in the wilderness is the first quest. It speaks to a foundational Native American value the need to enter into the “we” rather than the “I.” The Transfiguration is the second quest, describing the Native theology of transcendent spirituality that impacts reality and shapes mission. Gethsemane is the third quest. It embodies the Native tradition of the holy men or women, who find their freedom through discipline and concerns for justice, compassion, and human dignity. Golgotha is the final quest. It represents the Native sacrament of sacrifice (e.g., the Sun Dance). The chapter on Golgotha is a discussion of kinship, balance, and harmony all primary to Native tradition and integral to Christian thought."

Read Online The Four Vision Quests of Jesus Steven Charleston 9780819231734 Books

"I am savoring each chapter for the wisdom and insights into what a vision quest is about.
Jesus' vision quests and our own vision quests seeking God can be a great blessing.
Though I can't do the fasting or the sweat lodge experience for health reasons, it hasn't stopped
me from making my own vision quests in the past, alone with my dog on the sacred mountain of
Figuero Mountain in the Santa Inez Hills, not too far from the Chumash Indian Reservation in
Santa Inez, California. Even in the quiet of my prayer room, I can ascend in meditation on my vision
quest or meditation time, and come away strengthened, changed, renewed and refreshed."

Product details Paperback 176 pages Publisher MOREHOUSE PUBLISHING; large type edition edition (May 1, 2015) Language English ISBN-10 0819231738

Tags : The Four Vision Quests of Jesus [Steven Charleston] on . A unique look at Christian biblical interpretation and theology from the perspective of Native American tradition,Steven Charleston,The Four Vision Quests of Jesus,MOREHOUSE PUBLISHING,0819231738,Christian Theology - Christology,Christian theology,General Adult,Inspirational/Devotional,Native American,Non-Fiction,RELIGIOUS,Religion,Religion - Theology,Religion / Christian Theology / Christology,Religion Spirituality - General,Religion/Ethics,Religion/Spirituality,Religion/Theology,United States

The Four Vision Quests of Jesus Steven Charleston 9780819231734 Books Reviews :

The Four Vision Quests of Jesus Steven Charleston 9780819231734 Books Reviews

• In this book Steven Charleston interprets the story of Jesus from the vantage point of Native American spirituality. Whether he does so successfully depends upon the reader's understanding of Christ. I have no trouble with it, or only I only have trouble with it to the extent that I have trouble with Christian mythology, and essentially all religion, in general. However, those Christians for whom the Bible is “inerrant” historical truth, apparently 24% of Americans, will not reject Charleston's ideas. Charleston's people suffered near genocide committed by purported “Christians,” so he had a crisis of faith in accepting the religion of the whites.
  
  The Native American vision quest entails a vigorous ordeal. It involves not eating or drinking for several days, and forcing oneself to stay awake. Anyone who does this is going to have visions, or hallucinations. The question then is whether these visions have any meaning. In my opinion, they do. Such visions are obviously a product of one's mind, and a conscious quest will activate the subliminal mind. Whether or not such visions will foretell the future I'm skeptical about, to say the least, but they very likely enlighten the seeker to aspects of himself, and of the human condition. Charleston says, “I believe there are more out there who have had spiritual visions than who have not.” But we are taught to ignore them.
  
  In THE FOUR-GATED CITY, for instance, Rhodesian author Doris Lessing described her character, Martha Quest fasting and staying awake for several days. During this quest she encountered an aspect of herself whom she referred to as “the self-hater.” She said now she understood what went on in the mind of someone who would rape and murder a child. I encountered this thing myself in my own vision quest, before I read her book. Charleston points out that Native Americans interpretation of evil is that it is within all of us, so “Satan” is a projection of “Self.” Yes, an aspect of one's personality that is almost autonomous, as “the temptation to rugged individualism. . . the unmitigated sense of self as a pathway to deep spiritual error.” Human beings are responsible for everything they see. They must take care of nature; not rape it for personal benefit. Which, of course, is a diametric contradiction of American Christianity.
  
  Anyone reading BLACK ELK SPEAKS can see the similarity between his visions and those of Hebrew visionaries described in the Bible. It is simply historical fact, as Stevenson says, “Great deeds come from great visions, and history records how this process has happened in global cultures throughout the world.” Of course, it is also true that many of these great vision and “great” deeds have been quite evil. Hitler claimed to have had visions, and personally, I've always found Moses quite horrifying. Hardly had the dust settled from chiseling the Ten Commandment when he was “coveting the ass” of the the Canaanites and committing genocide to get it. It is nowhere as rare as we should hope for a father to have a vision in which God commands him to kill his child; unfortunately God does not stop it at the last second.
  
  In Charleston's understanding of Christ's self-sacrifice, he does not believe that Christ died man's sins, but for their blessing. “Things die so that things may live. In this cosmic reciprocity of life, the holy bargain is that God will die so that all creation may live.” I'm not at all sure that I understand what Christ dying on the cross is supposed to have accomplished, but I find this notion preferable to the traditional Christian interpretation. Charleston say, “Sacrifice presumes the existence of the divine in a conscious form.” Though in my “Vision,” I experienced God as the core of my being, I also don't think God can be self-aware except through mankind (or other self-w-aware beings). So God can't be more self-aware than people are. This is why people who experience “God” can be capable of great cruelty and evil “Satan is God's Self-ignorance.”
  
  The Christians settlers of America justified the butcher of “Indians” by quoting Psalms 28, in which God gives them the land of the heathens, whom they should shatter like pottery. Paul Johnson, in his right-wing propaganda tome MODERN TIMES, chooses the quotation as his frontispiece, apparently justifying the notion of the so-called White Man's Burden. The Christians who like Paul Johnson are not going to care for Charleston.
• This book and this author are amazing. I found it powerful to hear from a Native American Chritian bishop the way to see Jesus' experiences as vision quests. My reaction was, "Of course! Why didn't somebody see this before?!" I recommend this book to anyone who is open to insights on the interspiritual journey. As an interfaith-interspiritual minister, I will utilize these insights and teaching in my ministry.
• This book is powerful, amazing and, and has the power to change a life depending on the reason you read it. Steven Charleston is both a Choctaw Indian and a Christian bishop. he writes about the struggle he had to accept Jesus as a savior and still be true to the Covenant made with God 300,000 years ago. Reading history written from the other side made me feel like his ancestors on the Trail of Tears were my ancestors too.. Anyone who has an interest in Christianity and or Native American culture will learn much from reading this book. To me , I couldn't put it down because it was so fascinating. I bought a new bible which was identical to the one used in writing the FOUR VISION QUESTS OF JESUS. Then ,started to read it again, reading the text references directly from the Bible.
• stunning book- opened my eyes and heart- to the journey of Jesus, the wisdom of the Native American peoples- and the integrity of the author. I have given this book to quite a few people- practitioners of Christianity and Native American spirituality-and it has been a source of extraordinary conversations and reflections. Highly recommended- the discussion of the vision quest in the first chapters itself worth the price of the book-and the unfolding and opening of the Jesus story priceless!
• I was not familiar with the author when my book group selected it. I was surprised to learn that the Episcopal church had a Native American bishop, and I knew nothing of their mission to the Lakotas. The spiritual comparisons of Native American traditional worship to Christian tradition were interesting, but I have to admit that I enjoyed it more for the history of the (mis)treatment of Native Americans by the US Government from the Trail of Tears to recent times.
• Covers the interaction of Christian and Native American traditions and readings.in a unique way. Opens the history of the Native American tradition and it's relationship to Christian history. It needs to be read with a very open mind as it ties two seemingly disparate styles of worship that truly dovetail. Lots of notes and wonderful quotes. It can be easily read and yet deserves taking time to absorb the intricacies.
• I am savoring each chapter for the wisdom and insights into what a vision quest is about.
  Jesus' vision quests and our own vision quests seeking God can be a great blessing.
  Though I can't do the fasting or the sweat lodge experience for health reasons, it hasn't stopped
  me from making my own vision quests in the past, alone with my dog on the sacred mountain of
  Figuero Mountain in the Santa Inez Hills, not too far from the Chumash Indian Reservation in
  Santa Inez, California. Even in the quiet of my prayer room, I can ascend in meditation on my vision
  quest or meditation time, and come away strengthened, changed, renewed and refreshed.
• This book will force you to rethink Christian faith. It draws ideas from Scripture that I had never considered, by placing Christian doctrine and Native tradition on a singular plane and merging them together. This book will require multiple readings to fully grasp.