Fiddler in the Zoo

There is a celestial violinist playing to us; we need only listen to catch the tune and break free of the cage of ecclesiastical creeds and dogmas.

In Fiddler in the Zoo author and theologian Chrysostom Arangaden reminds us that knowledge is our destiny and that its dissemination offers no barrier. He invites us to explore the traditional beliefs that bind us, as he inspires us to be reborn into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Arangaden's work follows the words of Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore in Gitanjali-"Where the mind is without fear ... and where knowledge is free ..."-as the charter for humans everywhere. In the chapter "Bible through the Looking Glass" he journeys beyond the Scriptures as they are written, seeking deeper meaning and interpretation. In "Revelation and Reason," he gently nudges us into a renewed search, not for happiness-as happiness can only be a by-product-but for that elusive something that can encourage us to strive against and triumph over evil, both that within us and that beyond our control.

Today, people in circumstances that are vastly different from ancient Galilee-whether they are fishermen or physicists, artisans or astronomers-are invited to listen to Jesus in joy or sorrow and to learn from Him. Arangaden shares his insight into the beauty of Christianity offering a guide to living and a call to the fullness of life.