Companions on the Bethlehem Road

Companions on the Bethlehem Road

Author: Rachel Boulding
£14.99

Luxury commemorative edition of a classic title

This book of daily Bible readings and reflections for Advent and Christmas is based around spiritual insights gleaned from some of the best-loved poets of the past – T.S. Eliot, George Herbert, Tennyson and Auden, among others. While they come from different ages and backgrounds, they wrestled with the same questions that we do, about God, love, hope, and suffering. This book is not a literary study of their work, but a quest to see what they can tell us about life and faith today. Their poems are quoted in short sections, with suggestions about what they might mean for us now. There are so many aspects of Godʼs love for us and ours for him that are hard to grasp. While we can glimpse only part of the picture, it often seems that, in poetry, our deepest yearnings can come to the surface. As we travel the road to Christmas in the company of these great poets, we will find our minds enlarged and our hearts touched with something of the wonder and joy of this special season. The Bible readings are drawn from the lectionary.


Title Companions on the Bethlehem Road
Author Rachel Boulding
Description

This book of daily Bible readings and reflections for Advent and Christmas is based around spiritual insights gleaned from some of the best-loved poets of the past – T.S. Eliot, George Herbert, Tennyson and Auden, among others. While they come from different ages and backgrounds, they wrestled with the same questions that we do, about God, love, hope, and suffering. This book is not a literary study of their work, but a quest to see what they can tell us about life and faith today. Their poems are quoted in short sections, with suggestions about what they might mean for us now. There are so many aspects of Godʼs love for us and ours for him that are hard to grasp. While we can glimpse only part of the picture, it often seems that, in poetry, our deepest yearnings can come to the surface. As we travel the road to Christmas in the company of these great poets, we will find our minds enlarged and our hearts touched with something of the wonder and joy of this special season. The Bible readings are drawn from the lectionary.

Details
  • Product code: 9781800390881
  • Published: 23 September 2022
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 240
  • Dimensions: 130mm wide and 198mm high

This book of daily Bible readings and reflections for Advent and Christmas is based around spiritual insights gleaned from some of the best-loved poets of the past – T.S. Eliot, George Herbert, Tennyson and Auden, among others. While they come from different ages and backgrounds, they wrestled with the same questions that we do, about God, love, hope, and suffering. This book is not a literary study of their work, but a quest to see what they can tell us about life and faith today. Their poems are quoted in short sections, with suggestions about what they might mean for us now. There are so many aspects of Godʼs love for us and ours for him that are hard to grasp. While we can glimpse only part of the picture, it often seems that, in poetry, our deepest yearnings can come to the surface. As we travel the road to Christmas in the company of these great poets, we will find our minds enlarged and our hearts touched with something of the wonder and joy of this special season. The Bible readings are drawn from the lectionary.

Rachel Boulding was deputy editor of the Church Times, having previously worked at Church House Publishing, where she helped to produce the Common Worship materials. Before her death in April 2017, she contributed regularly to BRF’s New Daylight Bible reading notes, and also wrote Celebrating the King James Version (BRF, 2010).

Transforming Ministry online November 2022. Review by Margaret Tinsley

Based on biblical readings from the lectionary for every day from the beginning of December until 6 January, this Advent book uses poetic references to illuminate our thoughts. The passages are treated thematically, based on the traditional themes of Advent - death , judgement, heaven and hell – then move on to ideas about Christmas, the new life of the Incarnation and the cherishing of the world into which God came. The author uses ‘the craft and expertise’ of a variety of poets, some traditional and well-known, some less familiar. While Rachel Boulding admits that none of them wrote specifically to deepen the faith of twenty-first century readers, there is much spiritual insight to be gained from their works. It is good to have the Bible passage included for each day and the use of comment and poetry certainly illuminates the passage, although at times, I would have appreciated more of the particular poem being included; some extracts are very brief. Even so, there are riches here, and in the reflection which concludes each day’s entry. This is an excellent volume for personal, daily use but also has questions for discussion and reflection, which opens it up for wider, group use. As an attractive, hard-backed volume, this book would make an excellent pre-Christmas gift.
Reviewed by Margaret Tinsley