or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
66 used & new from $3.95

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art (Wheaton Literary Series)
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art (Wheaton Literary Series) (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)

List Price: $13.99
Price: $11.19 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $2.80 (20%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
41 new from $7.94 22 used from $3.95 3 collectible from $19.95

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover $11.19 $7.94 $3.95
  Paperback $10.20 $4.19 $1.56

Frequently Bought Together

Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art (Wheaton Literary Series) + Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections + The Rock That Is Higher: Story as Truth
Price For All Three: $33.04

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art (Wheaton Literary Series) by Madeleine L'Engle

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections by Madeleine L'engle

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Rock That Is Higher: Story as Truth by Madeleine L'Engle

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Rock That Is Higher: Story as Truth

The Rock That Is Higher: Story as Truth

by Madeleine L'Engle
4.1 out of 5 stars (9)  $10.19
The Creative Call: An Artist's Response to the Way of the Spirit (Writers' Palette Book)

The Creative Call: An Artist's Response to the Way of the Spirit (Writers' Palette Book)

by Janice Elsheimer
4.7 out of 5 stars (16)  $10.87
Art for God's Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts

Art for God's Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts

by Philip Graham Ryken
4.1 out of 5 stars (9)  $5.99
Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts

Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts

by Steve Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars (9)  $9.17
A Circle of Quiet

A Circle of Quiet

by Madeleine L'engle
4.3 out of 5 stars (18)  $11.69
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Walking on Water collects 12 brief meditations by Madeleine L'Engle on the nature of art and its relation to faith. L'Engle, the beloved author of A Wrinkle In Time among others, has written and spoken widely and wisely about the connection between religion and art. The gist of her understanding is as follows:
To try to talk about art and about Christianity is for me one and the same thing, and it means attempting to share the meaning of my life, what gives it, for me, its tragedy and its glory. It is what makes me respond to the death of an apple tree, the birth of a puppy, northern lights shaking the sky, by writing stories.
She believes that "[b]asically there can be no categories such as 'religious' art and 'secular' art because all true art is incarnational, and therefore 'religious.'" And "incarnation," in L'Engle's view, means "God's revelation of himself through particularity." In this book there is some slippage between L'Engle's autobiographical and critical voices. As a result, she often claims Christian significance for works whose meaning is not intentionally Christian. She admits this freely:
[B]ecause I am a struggling Christian, it's inevitable that I superimpose my awareness of all that happened in the life of Jesus upon what I'm reading, upon Buber, upon Plato, upon the Book of Daniel. But I'm not sure that's a bad thing. To be truly Christian means to see Christ everywhere, to know him as all in all.
-- Michael Joseph Gross


Review

?When I discovered Walking on Water years ago, my creative self underwent a sort of liberation. I had always sensed that there was a wonderful connection between spirituality and creativity, but Madeleine?s insights about both of those worlds helped me claim with more confidence my own creative gifts. This is a wise and inspiring book that should be in every artist?s library.?
?Vinita Hampton Wright, author of Grace at Bender Springs and Velma Still Cooks in Leeway

?Once again, L?Engle touches the deepest parts of our psyche and heart with her artist?s wand. She writes with an earthy rhythm that not only reveals the mysteries of our artistic natures, but also qualifies all along the way her inimitable wise-woman philosophies. L?Engle?s writing is God?s gift to a generation who needs to sit on a stump and lend an ear to what the right brain is saying to the left and to what the soul is saying to the heart. Walking on Water guides the wandering artist back to the Savior and says ?There, you?ve come home again where you belong!??
?Patricia Hickman, award-winning author of Katrina?s Wings

?There are those who write about art-making as if they?re detailing the techniques of a heart surgeon. Then there are those, like Madeleine L?Engle, who simply show you their heart. Like the words of Jesus to the fisherman brothers, the words of Madeleine are ?follow me? words. Through the pages of Walking on Water hungry, thirsty folks have been following for two decades?quickly recognizing that the reason Madeleine is worth following is that she follows Jesus.?
?Charlie Peacock-Ashworth, record producer and author of At the Crossroads: An Insider's Look at Contemporary Christian Music -- Review

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Shaw Books (April 17, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 087788918X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0877889182
  • Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,554 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #4 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > L'Engle, Madeleine

More About the Author

Madeleine L'Engle
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Madeleine L'Engle Page

Look Inside This Book

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(4)
(4)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

23 Reviews
5 star:
 (20)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Artists, July 12, 2001
By Donald L. Linn "reader53" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I read A Wrinkle in Time nearly 40 years ago, and remember it as the most remarkable book I read as a child. I must say that Walking on Water is among the most remarkable books I've read as an adult. Certainly it is illuminating as an exposition of how a Christian artist thinks about her work, but it is positively breathtaking as an expression of the transformational nature of Faith and its impact on life. Ms. L'Engle is a marvelous writer and makes frequent reference to those who influenced her life and art. As a result, I have begun reading Merton, Chesterton and others she mentions, much to my benefit. One needn't be a Christian or an artist to appreciate this classic.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring book for all Artists and Writers, December 6, 1998
By A Customer
This is the one title I will always cherish as a writer. It is quietly inspriring and thought provoking. I have had this book for almost 5 years and still have not finished it (a first for me--I normally read 2-3 books a week!). It is the kind of book where you read a few pages and let them soak in for a time before moving on. It will change your way of living and then change your art.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars About Faithful Creativity, February 12, 2004
By JAD (The Sunshine State) - See all my reviews
Madeleine L'Engle is the preeminent interpreter of the Christian journey as it pertains to these words of the Apostle Paul, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8). Ms. L'Engle invites the reader to focus on that which is great, greater and greatest, in a world that all too often settles for what is dishonorable, unjust, impure, ugly, discourteous, shoddy and worthy of condemnation. In both her fiction and non-fiction writings, she helps the thinking Christian look at the world through the eyes of faith.

Ms. L'Engle takes as the theme of the book, Jesus' invitation to Peter to come to Christ walking on the water. For a brief moment, Peter did just that. Ms. L'Engle states that is how we were created to be, and even when we sink, and cry for help, that Jesus will pull us up. She says, "The impossible still happens to us, often during the work, sometimes when we are so tired that inadvertently we let down all the barriers we have built up. (Page 238).

Ms. L'Engle views the creative process as a successive letting down of barriers. Of opening to God. When one responds to the urge to create, one is one more than holy ground-one walks on water-since God is the Creator and God's creative energies are limitless and surprising. God's very unpredictability and joy become the same creative force in musicians and artists of all kinds. Ms. L'Engle speaks of the freedom to laugh at ourselves as one of the prerequisites for bringing about that which is worthwhile.

Lest we mistakenly think that Ms. L'Engle's approach is sweetly sentimental, listen to what she says about the rigors of faithful creativity, "Complicated creatures we are, aware of only the smallest fragment of ourselves; seeking good and yet far too often unable to tell the difference between right and wrong; misunderstanding each other and so blundering into the tragedies of warring nations, horrendous discrepancies between rich and poor, and the idiocy of a divided Christendom." (Page 153).

This would be an outstanding book to give or receive for a special occasion such as graduation or confirmation. For Christians of any stage in life, "Walking on Water" is a call to live expectantly and trustingly.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read and Re-Read
Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art is truly a thought provoking and inspiring work, which will stand the test of time. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Douglas C. Mann

5.0 out of 5 stars Cosmos through the Chaos
When I was a child, I was utterly mystified and captivated by the revelation that, "there IS such a thing as a tesseract. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. Chai

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite book.
This book completely altered the way I view my art. It convicted me, inspired me, and challenged me. Read more
Published 7 months ago by stephanie orefice

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful book
Glad to get this book.One of my daughter's favorite authors.Got it for her after the author passed away.Meant a lot to my daughter.
Published 23 months ago by James Cameron Clark Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
Madeline L'Engle is one of my most favorite authors. After reading this book, I wanted to meet her--that's not usual for me. Read more
Published on May 12, 2007 by Summer Richards

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I was looking for
"Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art" by Madeleine L'Engle is exactly what I was hoping for in a book reflecting on the creative process and what it means to be a... Read more
Published on August 22, 2006 by E. M. Tennessen

5.0 out of 5 stars redeeming writing, celebrating art
"It is not easy for me to be a Christian," writes Madeleine L'Engle in Walking on the Water, "to believe twenty-four hours a day all that I want to believe. Read more
Published on August 6, 2006 by Steven James

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathing New Life
Only Flannery O'Conner has written a book on writing with this much spiritual insight and creative freedom. Read more
Published on June 26, 2006 by Eric Wilson

5.0 out of 5 stars the best book I've ever read
My mother-in-law gave this book to me on vacation this year. As an artist, and just a questioning human being in general, I found this book to be like reading my own thoughts... Read more
Published on August 2, 2005 by E. Snellgrove

5.0 out of 5 stars In Her Own Words
Madeleine L'Engle's books have inspired several generation of readers to read imaginative books of faith and creativity. Read more
Published on December 28, 2004 by Kristy Howard

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.