The Shining Place of an Image

This is a book about spiritual depth. The first chapter begins by dealing extensively with spiritual depth in itself and indicates briefly how leading Biblical figures perceived and communicated such depth. Chapter II discusses Jesus as God’s word. Chapter III deals with the actual visual perception of spiritual depth and the concept of metaphorical perception with the help of a poem by Robert Browning. Moses’ encounter with God through the burning bush is discussed in Chapter IV. Chapters V and VI briefly sketch in the extensive Biblical use of shining objects and substances first as actual physical realities, then as symbols, and finally as metaphorical perceptions. These experiences of shining persons, objects and substances

lude the pillar of fire and cloud, Moses’ shining face after the reception of the Ten Commandments, Isaiah of Jerusalem’s experience of the burning coal, and the communal experience of tongues of fire at Pentacost. Chapters VII through XI consider Paul’s encounter with Jesus as a shining light on the road to Damascus with special attention to Paul’s later writings.