Publisher's Synopsis
Born in Indiana, Dr. Edward J. Clemmer is a social psychologist by profession (Ph.D., Saint Louis University, 1975), and a theologian by his calling and education (M.A. in Spirituality, University of Malta, 2017). He lives now permanently in Malta as a dual national with his Maltese wife, Jane Zammit. His four sons by a previous marriage, and his three grandchildren, continue to live in America.
Ed's journey into this Gospel Emmaus began in a moment of grace on 12th September 2003, as Ed was on his way to the priest. This real-time lectio divina is concluded for us seven years later with the Feast of Sukkot, on 10th October 2010, just as the Lord before had anticipated the coming of the Holy Spirit. The book itself, however, consists of forty-two chapters, their concluding synopses, and the gospel's integrative and prophetic relationship to psalm prayer. But the reader begins Part 1 at Bethany near the Jordan with John the Baptist's preaching and baptizing, and continues up to the Transfiguration of Jesus. Part 2 reaches its climax before the Lord's final journey to Jerusalem, when Jesus returns to Bethany where the Baptist had preached, and where the Lord heals and preaches. Part 3 takes up the Grand Liturgy of the Lord's "New Creation," with Holy Week. In Part 4, our journey initially concludes with a retrospective of the Incarnation, of Jesus as God-with-us, and with the parallel coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. But, in the actual unanticipated conclusion of this book, our post-Emmaus journey with the risen Christ returns to our post-Pentecost life in the Holy Spirit. However, the Lord actually provides the readers with his own conclusion: although he had healed "ten lepers" as they were on their way to the priest, only one had returned to give thanks to God. This book-as spiritual text, biography, and memoire-is a profound and chronological retelling of the Christian gospel, given here by its grace as it was experienced within the history of the author's spiritual journey with the Risen Christ. That narrative unfolds for us within innumerable personal stories and historical events across the centuries. But, for the contemplative and prayerful reader, that universal story of Christian grace and redemption unfolds for each one of us, now, as we are the post-Resurrection disciples of a veiled Christ who walks with us determinedly, both as hidden and as revealed, human and divine, throughout our lives. But now, in this compelling and faith-filled scriptural exegesis, Christ explains his gospel meaning to us on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:32). The author's actual seven-year lectio divina is shared faithfully, intimately, and fully as the Lord's "Gospel Emmaus" for us. But also, in God's charity-by God's gift and in the experience of grace-Christ also chooses to reveal himself to us on this journey with him as we walk together in life. Then also, in our actual Trinitarian post-Pentecost reality, the Father and the Son will choose, as God so desires it, to send the Holy Spirit to whomever they will. This second edition of GOSPEL (on the Road to) EMMAUS, now eleven years after its first publication (2011), provides a new format for the entire text, now found here in its originally intended single unified volume. The longer footnotes also have been restored to their rightful positions, as narrative within their individual chapters, not to be overlooked or potentially missed by the reader as former endnotes. Other technical revisions of format are clarifying, not substantive, from the timeless original version. The author also has prefaced his original introduction with an additional "foreward," which then updates the reader's perspective on the author's own Gospel Emmaus journey since the book's original publication.
