Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas [Hardcover]

Plough Publishing House (Other Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

There's plenty out there on the 'real' meaning of Christmas; this volume steps back further to examine more vital questions: What does it mean that God took on human form? That Mary believed? That Christ came down to earth, and will one day come again? Whether dipped into at leisure or used for formal daily devotions, this unparalleled collection gives the phrase 'Christmas preparations' new depth and meaning. Includes writing from Kathleen Norris, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Annie Dillard, John Donne, Meister Eckhart, Dorothy Day, T. S. Eliot, Gustavo Gutierrez, Eberhard Arnold, G. M. Hopkins, C. S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, Martin Luther, Henri Nouwen, Edith Stein, Thomas Aquinas, Dorotee Soelle, Philip Yancey, and others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's hard to go wrong with 40 essays and poems from theological writers such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, Madeleine L'Engle, Martin Luther, Kathleen Norris, Henri Nouwen, Philip Yancey, Karl Barth and Síren Kierkegaard. These are not frivolous, feel-good Advent readings; they are deep, sometimes jarring reflections, many with a strong orientation toward social justice (other authors include liberationists Leonardo Boff, Gustavo Guti‚rrez and Oscar Romero). "The love that descended to Bethlehem is not the easy sympathy of an avuncular God, but a burning fire whose light chases away every shadow, floods every corner, and turns midnight into noon," explain the editors. This collection, born of obvious passion and graced with superb writing, is a welcome even necessary addition to the glutted holiday bookshelves.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Plough Publishing House (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087486917X
• ISBN-13: 978-0874869170
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Darkness Has Not Overcome It, January 7, 2005

By 

wvano "wvano" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas (Paperback)

This eclectic collection of longer-than-usual daily readings for Advent through the Feast of the Epiphany succeeds in helping its readers more deeply appreciate the Christmas season.

The selections are recent and ancient, ecumenical and even secular, with excerpts from Bernard of Clairvaux, Martin Luther, T.S. Eliot, Thomas Merton, and Anne Dillard, to name a few. In various essays, for example, Dietrich Bonhoeffer explores the existential meaning of Advent, Kathleen Norris contemplates what the Annunciation reveals about spiritual virginity, and John Howard Yoder considers the Incarnation as a kind of revolution.

Don't expect a string of Hallmark sentiments, however. The overall tone of the book is rather hard-edged, emphasizing the poverty, paradoxes, and perplexities of the Nativity. Like a clear winter night, it's spiritually bracing stuff, biting and full of mystery.

76 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Outlook, January 4, 2005

By 

Craig L. Howe "The Pointed Pundit" (Darien, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas (Paperback)

I will admit it.

I am not, generally, enamored with devotional guides. Their simple message often leaves me wanting.

That was not the case with this book, which I received as a gift. Perhaps it was the year. I work for a large retail chain. Two days before Thanksgiving, I found myself loathing the "Christmas Music" being played in the store to create a seasonal buying mood.

In past years Advent was a time for me to contemplate Christ's birth. This past year it turned into a time of contrasting emotions. Eager to reunite with my family, the store's frenzy left me frazzled and indifferent. I lost sight, frankly, of the reason for the season.

For that reason, this book was exactly what I needed. This anthology contained a daily essay from some of the best spiritual writers. Each daily reading gave me a fresh outlook on the true meaning of the holiday season.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Meaty enough to read this year and next, December 4, 2005

By 

A. Wagliardo "Love to learn new things" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas (Paperback)

This is a great devotional book, and I am not usually one that finds devotionals set up like this very interesting. It is set up to have a reading each day during Advent, Christmas and through to Epiphany, and the readings are all written by people like C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Kathleen Norris, Annie Dillard, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, etc. This is no, "What was the innkeeper thinking" sort of advent reading book. It is thoughtful and insightful and has a lot to say that ties into the preparative nature of advent, that is the preparation for the messiah's return. The writings vary in length and type from scholarly writings to musings to poetry or introspection. The readings are meaty enough, too, that you could certainly read them this year and again next year and they'll still be good.