This week the blog is sponsored by P&R Publishing.
In the newest release by Leland Ryken, A Treasury of Nature, he joins great works of poetry, hymnody, prose, and art with accessible literary analysis.
As Ryken says in the Introduction to his book: “The overall goal of this anthology is to enable nature to be all that it can be in our lives. God created nature to bless us. He does not wish us to neglect such a great gift. Under this overall goal, the individual entries and their accompanying explications serve a range of purposes. One is to celebrate certain features of nature. Another is to set our affections or emotions in right tune (to borrow John Milton’s delightful phrase). A note of exhortation is also prominent—one that encourages us to do better. A plausible order of festivities is first to read an entry, then to study its commentary and devotional note, and finally to reread the text in light of any new understanding gained.”
“John Calvin referred to nature as the theater of God’s glory. Dr. Ryken’s superb anthology offers us a front-row seat to take in nature’s artistry, beauty, and awe. Here we meet poets and pastors, hymnwriters and philosophers, all giving us better eyes to see and better ears to hear God’s glorious revelation in nature.”
—Stephen J. Nichols, President, Reformation Bible College; Chief Academic Officer, Ligonier Ministries
“As we read the entries in this anthology, we are helped by taking a trip back in time to the contemplative exercises of the Middle Ages. These exercises began with ‘composing the scene’: imagining oneself as present at an event in the Bible. One then subjected the scene to analysis with the goal of understanding it fully. Finally, one reached closure, usually either by turning to God in prayer or by codifying what today we call an action plan or statement of resolve to act.”
Other Illustrated Devotionals by Leland Ryken
A Treasury of Thanksgiving: Giving thanks to God is a yearlong Christian practice. In this lavishly illustrated anthology, Leland Ryken presents forty of the greatest, most enduring thanksgiving texts of the English-speaking world—including Scripture, hymns, and prose—with helpful commentary and devotional remarks.
Poetry of Redemption: The works of poets such as John Milton and Christina Rosetti and hymnists such as Isaac Watts and Fanny Crosby unite with the poetic testimony of Scripture in this anthology. Forty meditative readings present their work alongside literary explanations from author Leland Ryken. Accompanied by beautiful artwork (none shows Christ’s face), they are designed to fix our thoughts on God and the spiritual life and to awaken our religious affections.
