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Bread and Wine English Look Inside

Bread and Wine

Readings for Lent and Easter


and others

4.18 Stars on Goodreads Read Reviews

Has there ever been a more hard-hitting, beautifully written, theologically inclusive anthology of writings for Lent and Easter? It’s doubtful. — Publishers Weekly


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About The Book

Though Easter is often trivialized by the culture at large, it is still the high point of the religious calendar for millions of people around the world. And for most of them, there can be no Easter without Lent, the season that leads up to it. A time for self-denial, soul-searching, and spiritual preparation, Lent is traditionally observed by daily reading and reflection. This collection will satisfy the growing hunger for meaningful and accessible devotions. Culled from the wealth of twenty centuries, the selections in Bread and Wine are ecumenical in scope, and represent the best classic and contemporary Christian writers. Includes approximately fifty readings on Easter and related themes by Thomas à Kempis, Frederick Buechner, Oswald Chambers, Alfred Kazin, Jane Kenyon, Søren Kierkegaard, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Christina Rossetti, Edith Stein, Walter Wangerin, William Willimon, Philip Yancey, and others.

Hardcover, 5 x 7.25
ISBN: 978-0874869262

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About The Authors

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Unwilling to allow the church to compromise its most fundamental beliefs in the face of Nazism, Dietrich Bonhoeffer worked tirelessly to keep the true spirit of the church alive in Germany. His resistance cost him his life. Read More

Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day was an American journalist and founder of the Catholic Worker movement. Day devoted her life to defending the downtrodden and serving Christ by serving the poor. Read More

Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic, and spiritual writer. Read More

C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis, a British novelist, poet, and Christian apologist, has been called one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. Read More

Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey has been helping Christians answer tough questions ever since he first addressed the problem of pain in his 1977 book Where Is God When It Hurts? Read More

Eberhard Arnold

Eberhard Arnold was a theologian, educator, publisher, and community leader. Read More

Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt

A German pastor and religious socialist, Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt influenced theologians such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Eberhard Arnold, Emil Brunner, Oscar Cullman, and Karl Barth with his unconventional ideas about religion, faith, and the kingdom of God. Read More

J. Heinrich Arnold

Johann Heinrich Arnold is best known for his books which have helped thousands to follow Christ in their daily lives. Those who knew him best remember Arnold as a down-to-earth man who would warmly welcome any troubled person in for a cup of coffee and a chat. Read More

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

One of the greatest writers of Western literature, Fyodor Dostoyevsky continues to receive undiminished popularity and acclaim. He is best known for his novels The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov, and Crime and Punishment. Read More

Johann Christoph Arnold

A noted speaker and writer on marriage, parenting, education, and end-of-life issues, Arnold was a senior pastor of the Bruderhof, a movement of Christian communities. Read More

George MacDonald

George MacDonald wrote over fifty books that are still cherished for their literary quality and spiritual insight. C. S. Lewis has said that MacDonald’s influence can be found in every book he wrote. Read More

Henri J. M. Nouwen

Henri J. M. Nouwen was an internationally loved and renowned priest, professor, and author. He wrote more than forty books offering spiritual guidance and direction. Read More

Sadhu Sundar Singh

Known in his lifetime as India’s most famous convert to Christianity, Sundar Singh would not approve of that characterization. He loved Jesus and devoted his life to knowing and following him, bringing to life his teachings for millions of Indians. Read More

Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, pacifist, poet, and bestselling author, was a leading spiritual voice of his generation. Read More

Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) has been hailed by other literary giants as one of the world’s greatest writers. He is best known for his novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Read More

N. T. Wright

A leading bible scholar and former Anglican bishop, N.T. Wright is professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews. Read More

William H. Willimon

Will Willimon is a professor at Duke Divinity School and a retired United Methodist bishop. Read More

Acclaim

  • Has there ever been a more hard-hitting, beautifully written, theologically inclusive anthology of writings for Lent and Easter? It’s doubtful. Many readers may well find that this collection – a sequel to the highly successful 'Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas' – is the one book they return to year after year, forgoing their usual custom of buying a new Lenten devotional each spring. Caveat lector: no one should have this much pleasure during Lent!

    Publisher's Weekly starred review

Reader Reviews Write a Review

  • This is my favorite devotional book outside of the Bible. I stumbled upon it in university eight years ago and loved it instantly. I find myself wondering how many months until Lent when I can start it again. I've told countless others about it and... Read More

    Review of Bread and Wine

    This is my favorite devotional book outside of the Bible. I stumbled upon it in university eight years ago and loved it instantly. I find myself wondering how many months until Lent when I can start it again. I've told countless others about it and bought it for my parents. It has taught me what Lent means, a tradition I had not grown up with. This collection of writings has enriched my life and my walk with Christ more than I can express in words.

  • A work in progress, Multifaceted jewels in the fabric of life, Reflecting the myriad patterns which merge, In a unity which bespeaks grace. That mystery which in its elusiveness, Adds to the lustre of that precious gift!
  • For those who have yearned for the unity for which Christ prayed (John 17) there may be no better way to instill Christ’s prayer into our lives and thoughts than by reading, studying and assimilating the thoughts expressed by the multitude of... Read More

    Review of Bread and Wine

    For those who have yearned for the unity for which Christ prayed (John 17) there may be no better way to instill Christ’s prayer into our lives and thoughts than by reading, studying and assimilating the thoughts expressed by the multitude of contributors to this anthology for Lent. While the names may be familiar, the messages on Lent not quite so, but they, in a touching way, seem to link all the Christian traditions into a common heritage centered on Jesus’ last days of earthly ministry. This book is a polished diamond, each facet a brilliant insight for the season.

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Table of Contents

Section I – Invitation

Section II – Temptation

  • Geoffrey Hill: Lachrimae Amantis
  • Philip Berrigan: Keeping Watch
  • Fleming Rutledge: The Common Criminal
  • Emil Brunner: The Divine Scandal
  • Barbara Brown Taylor: Truth to Tell
  • John Donne: They Took My Lord Away
  • Ernesto Cardenal: Remember Her
  • Meister Eckhart: Merchandising Truth
  • John Dear: Sheath Your Sword
  • Romano Guardini: Believing Is Seeing
  • Henry Drummond: Turning 

Section III – Passion

  • Kahlil Gibran: The Crucified
  • Christina Rossetti: Beneath Thy Cross
  • Blaise Pascal: The Mystery of Jesus
  • Jürgen Moltmann: Prisoner of Hope
  • Martin Luther: A Father’s Grief
  • Peter Kreeft: Shared Hells
  • Dag Hammarskjöld: For the Sacrificed
  • G. K. Chesterton: God the Rebel
  • Edith Stein: Thy Will Be Done
  • Wendell Berry: Still Bleeding
  • Dorothee Soelle: On This Gallows
  • Henri Nouwen: From Action to Passion
  • Mother Teresa: I Thirst for You

Section IV – Crucifixion

  • Dylan Thomas: This Bread I Break
  • Saint Augustine: Our Mediator
  • Thomas Howard: The Crucifix
  • Morton T. Kelsey: The Cross and the Cellar
  • Simone Weil: The Distance
  • John Stott: Naked Pride
  • Brennan Manning: The Signature of Jesus
  • Toyohiko Kagawa and Sadhu Sundar Singh: Life in the Blood 
  • Dale Aukerman: The Central Murder
  • Alexander Stuart Baillie: Thirsting 
  • Watchman Nee: It Is Done 
  • George MacDonald: The Father’s Hands
  • Paul Tillich: A Cosmic Cross

Section V – Resurrection

  • John Updike: Seven Stanzas at Easter
  • C. S. Lewis: The Strangest Story of All
  • Frederica Mathewes-Green: Merry Easter? 
  • Alister E. McGrath: In the Light of Victory
  • Howard Hageman: Paradise Now
  • Malcolm Muggeridge: Impending Resurrection 
  • Frederick Buechner: The End Is Life
  • Dorothy Sayers: The Greatest Drama
  • Karl Barth: Threatened by Resurrection
  • Walter J. Ciszek: Fear Not
  • Madeleine L’Engle: Waiting for Judas
  • Dorothy Day: The Mystery of the Poor
  • Philip Yancey: Jesus’ Reminders

Section VI – New Life

  • John Masefield: The Everlasting Mercy
  • Leo Tolstoy: I, Like the Thief
  • Fyodor Dostoevsky: Redemption
  • Alfred Kazin: I Had Been Waiting
  • E. Stanley Jones: The Christ of Experience
  • Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt: Christ Rising
  • Amy Carmichael: Calvary Love
  • Johann Christoph Arnold: The Power of Forgiveness
  • Jürgen Moltmann: The Feast of Freedom
  • Clarence Jordan: At God’s Expense
  • Henri Nouwen: Jesus Gives All
  • Joyce Hollyday: An Invitation
  • N. T. Wright: A New World
  • John Howard Yoder: The Way of Peace
  • Eberhard Arnold: Spirit of Fire

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