The Kingdom of God is Within You | Leo Tolstoy | Best Book on Christianity Ever Written

The Kingdom of God is Within You | Leo Tolstoy | Profoundly moving with earth-shattering ideas

books:

The Kingdom of God...

	The Kingdom of God is Within You Leo Tolstoy Wildside Press, 2007 - 230 pages average customer review:based on 37 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Best Book on Christianity Ever Written

The title of the book is a direct quotation from Jesus in response to a question from the Pharisees who wanted to know when the kingdom would come. Jesus said that the kingdom of God was there at that time, not in some future time. That was his message time and again. Yet there are pie in the sky "Christians" who are still looking for signs of the "coming" kingdom in direct opposition to Jesus' simple but true teaching.

Tolstoy points out the true teachings of Jesus, from the Sermon on the Mount, to the title of his book. He then compares that to the way that "Christianity" was taught all over the world in 1894 (today too) and concludes correctly that what is being taught is actually in opposition to the real teachings of Jesus, or more appropriately, anti Christ teachings, and not Christianity.

Tolstoy's writing is lucid, inspiring, and real. Anyone who denies its message will have to deny the real teachings of Jesus, which have been deliberately twisted into an arm of church and state power. Tolstoy points out just how that has in fact been so perverted.

Best secular book on Christianity ever written and just as true today as it was in 1894.

for more information click here

Profoundly moving with earth-shattering ideas

I think this book will change the world if enough people read it. After I read the last page of the book, I was so galvanized to put its principles into action, that I even contemplated becoming a politician! But I then understood why Gandhi was so inspired and moved by it. And in a sense this book did change the history of India. The first nine or ten chapters are very dryly written - almost like a scientific paper, with very little emotion or appeal to the reader. Tolstoy uses many examples and logic to argue his case. Towards the end, he becomes more passionate and thats why some people suggest reading the last chapter first. Either way, the book has amazingly powerful ideas that will change the way the world operates and thinks. I think this book should be made compulsory for all graduate students of philosophy , ethics, politics and social studies. I almost feel that 'war and peace' wrongly overshadows this piece of work. 'The kingdom of god is within you' is far more visionary, powerful and far-reaching.

for more information click here

This book is guaranteed to challenge your thinking

I first learned of Tolstoy and this book after reading Gandhi's book "All Men are Brothers"

Tolstoy sets out a challenging interpretation of Christ's teachings, namely, that all violence is a crime against God, as God lives in each person. Technically, in each living thing, as Tolstoy himself was a vegetarian for this very reason. He articulates that it is not merely the obvious violence of war which is a crime; it can also be violence committed through the use of courts or even through taxation. Even the threat of violence is tantamount to violence in Tolstoy's view; there may not be violence when taxes are collected, but there is an implicit use of violence behind their collection. Similarly, the use of the court system may not be violence in and of itself, but the threat of violence if its rules are not followed.

If nothing else, this book will make you think. I would advise reading it with an open mind. Few people will ever be able to follow the ideology or philosophy Tolstoy espouses to the level that Gandhi did, but that does not mean each and every one of us should not try. I am reminded of the saying "men use the North Star as a guide, but they never expect to reach it." Similarly here, Tolstoy points out to us the North Star; whether or not we reach it is up to us as individuals.

Highly recommended.

for more information click here

Historic Piece

Few people realize the insight of Tolstoy and his thoughts on the Kingdom of God add to the larger debate of the millenium and the existence of the full Kingdom of God even today. This is a book most people skip over to find a more "current" text. Whether you are post-mil or amil this book adds to our great discussion on the power and presence of God's Kingdom.

christianity revealed