Originally published 1893. A classic. The Bible and the Church often can hide the heart of Christ's message. The Bible seems a tool that the Church arbitrarily canonized to use for justification; eerily much like the teachers of law that Christ came to nullify. Tolstoy goes to the original Greek texts and renders a striking and illuminating account of Christ's message from the four gospels. Tolstoy dared to explain with clarity how to live Christ's message. Leo Tolstoy, in the thick of his spiritual journey, attempts a dangerous and potentially offensive act: he re-interprets the gospels of the New Testament. Abandoning the miraculous claims of the Christian doctrine (Jesus' divine birth, numerous miracles of ministry, the resurrection and more.....), Tolstoy shifts his focus onto the social message of Christ. Whereas most orthodox and modern day Christian churches emphasize the authority of Christ, Tolstoy considers such blasphemy and instead, emphasizes the spirit of truth, which dwells within every man, and its power towards transformation of the individual and the societal standards. Combining the four gospels into one account, Tolstoy creates a concise and appropriate representation of the teachings originating from 1893. I do wish Darton-Longman-Todd had chosen to give the content styling within the covers a work-over. A must read for Christians and non-Christians alike. Like Tolstoy, we must search for truth first and Christianity second. Laborious but stimulating!