Reading the Gospel

John S. Dunne, C.S.C. (d. 2013) was the John A. O'Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame and the author of twenty books, including Circle Dance of Time (2010), Deep Rhythm and the Riddle of Eternal Life (2008), and A Vision Quest (2006), all published by the University of Notre Dame Press.

"This volume... is lyrical in style, draws pithy gems of wisdom from philosophers and poets as well as a personal meditation on the Gospels.... This is a book to be read in small doses for reflection and for literary enjoyment." —New Theology Review"Readers who desire a taste of lectio divina from a learned practitioner will probably enjoy Dunne's book." —Concordia Theological Review"John Dunne...explains how a lectio divina of the gospel can deepen our spiritual life. His book is 'an invitation to enter more deeply into the transformative power of the Gospel emerging from Jesus' encounter with his God, which is then played out in the lives of Christians. It is also an invitation to accompany Dunne on his own profound spiritual journey as he deftly weaves into the tapestry of his work literature, theology, philosophy, and music." —Theology Digest"Reading the Gospel, for Dunne, is no mere academic exegetical exercise in historical reconstruction, but an intensely personal affair that uses the sacred text as a springboard for a multitude of ruminations upon the human condition ('fides quaerens intellectum'). Included are chapters on reading in general, divine reading, parables, paradoxes, turning points, presence, and 'songlines' of the gospel. Herein is to be found a wealth of meaning, creative originality, and finely phrased epigrams: to seek the historical Jesus is to seek understanding, not certainty; the excessive search for certainty only leads to greater uncertainty. Readers will quickly recognize Dunne's accustomed style, that of a steady concatenation of literary quotations from a multitude of disparate sources: Schweitzer; Buber; Barthes; Hammarskjöld; Eliot; et al. This is leisure-time lectio divina at its best: theological expertise united to cross-disciplinary skills and spiritual insight." —Religious Studies Review"Those familiar with Notre Dame theologian Dunne's penetrating reflections and artful language will not be disappointed at his latest work." —The Bible Today"A Better Choice: Reading the Gospel, by John S. Dunne, a Catholic theologian who really does understand what it means to listen and discern the voice of God." —Newsweek"In each new book, this theologian at the University of Notre Dame adds luster to his expansive Christian faith, polishing it with wisdom from Islam, Buddhism, poets, fairy tale writers, literary figures, and spiritual teachers of all stripes." —Spirituality and Health Magazine"Reading Dunne is like riding a tourist train through a beautiful park, enjoying the vistas over and over again while the guide points out different features of the same landmarks. To read Dunne is to spend time with a deeply spiritual person with a vast sounding board of spiritual (though not necessarily religious) literature. It is to have him bring up the results of his mining and lay them at your feet." —The American Benedictine Review"The density of this book . . . flows from Dunne's poetic grasp of God's outpouring of love and humankind's longing to respond. It is a density that attracts, that rewards the reader with an increasing penetration of truth." —America"John of the Cross wrote that God spoke his Word once and having spoken needed to speak no more. John Dunne teaches us just how capacious that Word is. Not for the intellectually timid, Reading the Gospel is a work of profundity." —Commonweal