Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations [Hardcover]

Wendy Beckett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1998

In this inspirational book Sister Wendy draws on her years of silent contemplation to share her unique wisdom and personal insights into the blessings and inner calm that can be Silence, Love, Joy, and Peace. Inspired by the profound spiritual power of great art, Sister Wendy uses artwork and the themes Silence, Love, Joy, and Peace to show how to achieve a positive state of calm contemplation. Inspirational and informative, this is the perfect companion on the journey of self--discovery.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Public television celebrity Sister Wendy (The Mystery of Love: Saints in Art Through the Centuries) presents another sampling of the world's most famous artwork to illustrate the top four themes of meditation: silence, love, joy, and peace. As a contemplative nun, Wendy Beckett brings an aura of humility and respect to her plainspoken observations. The fact that she can also offer a truly enlightening spiritual context for any and every piece of art makes her one of the most beloved art commentators of our time.

For example, Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave (a foaming tsunami about to collapse upon two crews of men cowering in rowboats) is examined through Sister Wendy's lens of peace. "We cannot control our lives," she writes about the treacherous wave. "As Hokusai shows so memorably, the great wave is in waiting for any boat.... The worst is not that we may be overwhelmed by disaster, but to fail to live by principle." Later, Sister Wendy offers Claude Monet's blazing canvas of overflowing White Clematis as a study of joy: "Joy is too great to be experienced. It is never our own, never within our power. It is rather that we are taken up in its vastness.... Monet's white clematis say something of this, if only in its impression of a vision too vast for the encompassing." --Gail Hudson

Review

"A nice gift book as well as an easy introduction to art appreciation for the novice." -- Dallas Morning News

"Through this book, readers will gain a deeper appreciation of art and a fuller understanding of the spiritual benefits of meditation. As always, Sister Wendy's observations are inspirational and informative." -- Chattanooga Free Press

A nice gift book as well as an easy introduction to art appreciation for the novice. -- Dallas Morning News

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789437465
• ISBN-13: 978-0789437464
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid wisdom for everyone; no gimmicks here., January 7, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Mendocino County, northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations (Hardcover)

I heard an interview with Sister Wendy on NPR's Fresh Air, and found it hard to believe a person could be so intrinsically good. I was skeptical, but curious too, since she had spent years in a Carmelite Order in which silence is the rule. Still, I remained skeptical until I looked over Sister Wendy's books in a bookstore--they were hard to find, and found that her Meditations had a great deal of wisdom in it--on silence, peace, love, and joy. Each meditation was based on a dozen or so works of art (Sister Wendy is best known her books and PBS programs on art appreciation), and all reflect the essence of Christianity--the Christianity that has become so rare in this era of the religious right. I am happy to recommend it to anyone; her words are consistent with all the great world religions. As with all of them, there are no easy answers, but there are many solid things to work on--for a long time, for most of us.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Wisdom from Sister Wendy, December 6, 1999

By 

Vicki A Moore - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations (Hardcover)

I recently read this terrific book from the wise Sister Wendy. After all, a woman who spends her life in contemplitive prayer should have much to share with us! The joy of this book, especially for art lovers, is that each devotion is based upon a beautiful painting or art work. While one reads the devotion, the eyes travel back and forth to the picture. I have been challenged by Sister Wendy's loving words, and use it in the mornings to include in daily devotions in worship. Perhaps the best section (perhaps because it's the first and it catches one unawares), is on silence. Living in such hectic times, it is refreshing to be encouraged to seek silence -- silence within one's self and silence with God so that he can speak to us and we can hear him - in that beautiful silence. Thank you, Sister Wendy, for a very lovely book.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, March 17, 2000

By 

William S. Bogusz (Suburban Chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations (Hardcover)

I truly enjoyed the Book of Meditations so ordered several others. Meditations on Silence, Meditations on Love and Meditations on Joy. When they came they were the exact same things that were in the larger Book of Meditations. Had I known this I would not have spent and additional 7.00 per book for something I already possessed.

Please let others know the smaller books are just parts of the larger book. Nothing new here....very dissappointing......