Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . the mourners . . . the meek . . . the hungry . . . the merciful . . . the pure in heart . . . the peacemakers . . . the persecuted
The Beatitudes are among the most influential teachings in human history. For two millennia, they have appeared in poetry and politics, and in the thought of mystics and activists, as Christians and others have reflected on their meaning and shaped their lives according to the Beatitudes' wisdom.
But what does it mean to be hungry, or meek, or pure in heart? Is poverty a material condition or a spiritual one? And what does being blessed entail?
In this book, Rebekah Eklund explores how the Beatitudes and their interpretations have shaped--and been shaped by--the different eras and contexts in which they have been read. From Matthew and Luke in the first century, to Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham in the twentieth, Eklund considers how men and women have understood and applied the Beatitudes to their own lives through the ages. Reading in the company of past readers helps us see how rich and multifaceted the Beatitudes truly are, illuminating what they might mean for us today.
