Good books inspire the imagination, jump-start creativity, and kindle new ideas. So it's no surprise that for these twenty-one members of the Chrysostom Society (a renowned contemporary Christian writers' group) the works of classic literary masters have played an influential role in shaping their writing. In this revised and updated volume of Reality and the Vision, which includes five new chapters, best-selling authors Philip Yancey and James Calvin Schaap ask the question, "Who has helped form you as a writer of faith?" The answers they found are surprising, captivating, and • Richard Foster explains how reading from the ancient devotional masters helped him to manage a frenetic modern schedule. • Walter Wangerin Jr. shares how the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales helped him make sense of his world. • Virginia Stem Owens confesses that Søren Kierkegaard, a Danish philosopher famous for his melancholy, helped her cope with a family crisis. • Eugene Peterson tells how he became a better pastor by scheduling regular appointments with the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. A short reading guide at the end of each chapter serves as an invitation to explore these classic works further. More Than Words is a delightful way to deepen an appreciation of fine literature and a thoughtful gift for those who love good books.
Author
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Philip Yancey earned graduate degrees in Communications and English from Wheaton College Graduate School and the University of Chicago. He joined the staff of Campus Life Magazine in 1971, and worked there as Editor and then Publisher. He looks on those years with gratitude, because teenagers are demanding readers, and writing for them taught him a lasting principle: The reader is in control! In 1978 Philip Yancey became a full-time writer, initially working as a journalist for such varied publications as Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Weekly, National Wildlife, Christian Century and The Reformed Journal. For several years he contributed a monthly column to Christianity Today magazine, where he also served as Editor at Large. In 2021 Philip released two new books: A Companion in Crisis and his long-awaited memoir, Where the Light Fell. Other favorites included in his more than twenty-five titles are: Where Is God When It Hurts, The Student Bible, and Disappointment with God. Philip's books have won thirteen Gold Medallion Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, have sold more than seventeen million copies, and have been published in over 50 languages. Christian bookstore managers selected The Jesus I Never Knew as the 1996 Book of the Year, and in 1998 What’s So Amazing About Grace? won the same award. His other recent books are Fearfully and Wonderfully: The Marvel of Bearing God’s Image; Vanishing Grace: Bringing Good News to a Deeply Divided World; The Question that Never Goes Away; What Good Is God?; Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?; Soul Survivor; and Reaching for the Invisible God. In 2009 a daily reader was published, compiled from excerpts of his work: Grace Notes. The Yanceys lived in downtown Chicago for many years before moving to a very different environment in Colorado. Together they enjoy mountain climbing, skiing, hiking, and all the other delights of the Rocky Mountains. Visit Philip online: https://www.philipyancey.com https://www.facebook.com/PhilipYancey Catch his monthly blog: https://bit.ly/PhilipYanceyBlog
