Customer Reviews
Key to Spiritual Truth - By: Pieter, 13 Oct 2007 
Of the classical New Thought writers of the 20th century, Emmet Fox, Ernest Holmes & Thomas Troward are the ones who adhere most closely to the Judeo-Christian tradition. Fox focuses exclusively on the esoteric symbolic exegesis ("Sod"in Hebrew), althoughin same places he admits that the literal ("Pashat"in Hebrew) is as it stands. In this regard it is always helpful to study the wayin which the Hebrew sages approach the text,in both the Talmud & the Zohar.
The aim of the book is to provide the reader with a practical manual of spiritual development. Chapter One: What Did Jesus Teach? explains how the teachings of Messiah underpin 2000 years of Western civilization & shows that what he really taught was a practical method for the development of the soul & the shaping of our lives. Jesus explains to us the nature of God, our own nature, the meaning of life & death, why we make mistakes, & tells us how to overcome & bring health, joy & prosperity into our own lives & those of others.
Fox points out that Jesus taught no theology whatsoever - his teaching is entirely spiritual or metaphysical. Unfortunately historical Christianity has mostly concerned itself with theological & doctrinal matters that have little relevance to Gospel teaching. For example, there is no warrant at all for setting up any form of Ecclesiasticism, of any hierarchy of officials or system of ritual. Jesus taught principles of conduct, knowing that if the spirit is right, details would take care of themselves.
The author emphasizes that the recorded miracles did happen & that prayer does change things. But prayer is both a science & an art, & Jesus devoted most of his teaching to explain this. The Sermon on the Mount is the spiritual key that unlocks the mystery of Bible teachingin general & the Gospelsin particular. This key allows us to escape from superstitious literalism. It also inoculates us against so-called "Higher Criticism' which deals with externals only & misses the spiritual content of scripture.
Our free will residesin our choice of thought; the thoughts that occupy one's mind (The Secret Place) are what cause external conditions. Jesus Christ summed up this truth & demonstrated itin his own person. The Sermon on the Mount is thus a summary of the whole message of the Bible.
Chapter Two deals with the Beatitudes, the "Blessed Are" statements, & the next one: The Light Of the World, examines the concepts of the salt of the earth & the light of the world. Chapter Four: Resist Not Evil, explores the idea of the integrity of the soul - that one must bless instead of curse & guard one's thoughts.
The chapter Treasure In Heaven discusses the concept of prayingin private with faith & belief whilst shunning public displays of piety. This is the essential teaching of The Secret Place & its significance as the controlling centre of the teaching of the Messiah. Chapter Six discusses the matter of judging, the nature of man, the importance of conduct & the art of living.
By Their Fruits is the title of the next one, & focuses on wisdom, the perfect balance of intelligence & love. The book concludes with an interpretation of The Lord's Prayer under the sections Our Father, Which Art In Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done In Earth as It Is In Heaven, Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread, Forgive Us Our Trespasses ..., Lead Us Not Into Temptation ..., & Thine Is The Kingdom & the Power & the Glory Forever & Ever.
In this valuable book, Fox explains how to understand the true nature of divine wisdom, how to transform negativity into life affirming belief, how to pray effectively & how to develop an integrated & fully expressed personality according to the wisdom of the Bible. I also highly recommend his books Power Through Constructive Thinking & Alter Your Life, as well as The Hidden Power of the Bible by Ernest Holmes.
It'contains the very principles of life interactions - By: , 18 Sep 2000 An absolutely astounding book. Great by all accounts. Once started could not put it down. A refreshing interpretation of the christian principles. A must for every beliver.
Bizarre Christian-Science like interpretation of the gospels - By: , 12 Aug 1999 
The point of the this book is that through proper prayer you can achieve anything, even healing miracles. It is basically a recipe to control your environment. Although there are truthsin here, its message is very non-Traditional Christianin my opinion (for example Fox explicity espouses the principle of Karma), & almost completely contrary to AA's program where you are taught surrender to too seek God's will. In this book God's will is given only lip service--Fox says to pray for specific things that you want so you will granted them. This is more of new age book than a Christian book
One of the three most important books I have ever read. - By: , 09 Jun 1999 If I were allowed to own only three books, Sermon on the Mount would be one of them. It has literally brought me a new level of understanding of myself & of the working of my God. As Fox points outin this book, whether one believe's Jesus was the actual Son of God or not, no other man in our recorded human history has had a more dramatic impact on the world. And as such, I found the investigation by Fox into Jesus' Sermon on the Mount intellectually stimulating & spiritually motivating. There are too few jewels so precious as the wisdom, hope, & insight containedin this incredible work of literature.
A must-have for the serious Christian - By: , 01 Mar 1999 Emmet Fox masterfully translates Jesus' Sermon on the Mount into an understandable dictum for how we are to live our lives. His insight is clear, direct, & precise; he leaves no stone unturned nor does he bar any holds. This book is not for the part-time believer, but rather for someone who is seriousin their walk along the Christian path.
