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Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art
In this classic book, Madeleine L'Engle addresses the questions, What makes art Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian artist? What is the relationship between faith and art? Through L'Engle's beautiful and insightful essay, readers will find themselves called to what the author views as the prime tasks of an artist: to listen, to remain aware, and to respond to cr...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
April 17th 2001
by WaterBrook Press
(first published 1980)
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Aug 05, 2011
Anna
added it
Trying to encompass all my thoughts and feelings about this book would take...well, a book. Or some approximation thereof. This is my second time reading it and I find that once again it reaches and touches me on so many levels. I find joy here, and inspiration; the book *makes* me want to write. It gives me fuel, or refuels me, if you will. I am reminded of the adventures that unfold in both life and art when we take the time to simply *listen* to the story, to the vision, the photograph, the a...more
This book is like listening to your erudite upper-class grandmother wax poetic about faith in relatively bland, indefinite terms while she sips chamomile tea on a rattan chair in an immaculately kept garden. This means some of you absolutely will love this book, and others will squirm and fidget because they hate tea. I'm the latter.
It isn't a bad book by any means, and it's good to see L'Engle engage faith, albeit elliptically. It's more about intuition and sentiment than a hard look at the Chr...more
It isn't a bad book by any means, and it's good to see L'Engle engage faith, albeit elliptically. It's more about intuition and sentiment than a hard look at the Chr...more
"Walking on Water" is a lighthearted read in the most literal sense of the term. L'Engle writes about the relationship between Christianity and art, and she describes how this has pertained to her life. However, her blanket statements about "Christian art" are dogmatic, though politely so. She seems to assume that everyone, artists especially, should rely as heavily on faith as she does. Certainly there is nothing wrong with her or with others doing this, if they find that this is the method tha...more
Apr 17, 2011
Adrienna
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
spiritual-nonfiction
This author had many valid points and able to reflect on Christianity and art. I loved some of the statements in the book as an artists/creativity with writing.
"If a reader cannot create a book along with the writer, the book will never come to life. He must become a creator, imagining the setting of the story, visualizing the characters, seeing facial expressions, hearing the inflection of voices. The author and the reader "know" each other; they meet on the bridge of words (L'Engle, Madeline,...more
"If a reader cannot create a book along with the writer, the book will never come to life. He must become a creator, imagining the setting of the story, visualizing the characters, seeing facial expressions, hearing the inflection of voices. The author and the reader "know" each other; they meet on the bridge of words (L'Engle, Madeline,...more
This book changed the way I view myself as a writer, and strengthened my commitment to the practice of art. In this book, L'Engle offers meditations on what it takes to create art. Unlike other writing advice books, she focuses on some of the more spiritual aspects of leading a writing life.
There are three things that really stood out to me. First, she talks about writing as obedience and about being a servant to the art. She believes all great works of art are divinely inspired, and it is our...more
There are three things that really stood out to me. First, she talks about writing as obedience and about being a servant to the art. She believes all great works of art are divinely inspired, and it is our...more
Mar 11, 2010
Laura Baugh
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Laura by:
Kelly Baugh
Shelves:
non-fiction-reference
This book was recommended to me and I ordered it from the library promptly; I'd liked reading Madeleine L'Engle, and I've often discoursed on the relation of faith and art.
I was a bit disconcerted when the book arrived, however; it was a smaller volume than I'd expected, and when I started reading, it seemed rambling, disorganized, and not terribly helpful. Had I found the low point of L'Engle's work?
As a writer and a Christian, I have of course been challenged -- internally and externally -- by...more
I was a bit disconcerted when the book arrived, however; it was a smaller volume than I'd expected, and when I started reading, it seemed rambling, disorganized, and not terribly helpful. Had I found the low point of L'Engle's work?
As a writer and a Christian, I have of course been challenged -- internally and externally -- by...more
The humble artist will find this book a beautiful affirmation of his role in presenting truth to a world twisted by the lack of two things: imagination and vulnerability. I say "humble" because L'Engle emphasizes how the artist is serving the work, how truth emerges and the artist must write/paint/sculpt it.
L'Engle says, "The artist is someone who is full of questions, who cries them out in great angst, who discovers rainbow answers in the darkness and then rushes to canvas or paper. An artist...more
L'Engle says, "The artist is someone who is full of questions, who cries them out in great angst, who discovers rainbow answers in the darkness and then rushes to canvas or paper. An artist...more
Madeleine L'Engle writes about her art and the art of being a "Christian" writer. I took my 4th-8th grade students to hear her speak in 1988 (St. Andrews Episcopal School) and have been a life-long fan. She was forceful, opinionated, not patient with these kids and absolutely compelling.
It was interesting to read that she kept working notebooks of quotes from authors, words, ideas, etc., and revisted them frequently. She also rewrote her books and believed that discipline was a large part of the...more
It was interesting to read that she kept working notebooks of quotes from authors, words, ideas, etc., and revisted them frequently. She also rewrote her books and believed that discipline was a large part of the...more
This has to be one of the best books on the creative process that I've ever read. Every page has at least one phrase or passage that is memorable or quotable. Whether she's talking about motivation or differentiating between Christian art (which she calls true art and which does not have to have been created by someone of the Christian faith) and a false kind of art, L'Engle shows that there is much more to being a writer than a compulsion to write (though that's certainly indicative of the gift...more
My interaction with Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water is likely very different from the majority of people who read it. L'Engle has a very specific audience in mind for this book, and I am not part of it. L'Engle is writing for Christians about Christian art, and Water is peppered with quotations from theologians, which, as a non-Christian, are mostly lost on me. I am further alienated from her writing by the fact that I have little experience with her other writing, so the insights into her...more
It's that time of the year when a quiet respite is probably the most precious gift. For the past four years since I started blogging, amidst the cacophony of December festivities, I would pick something to read that anchors me to the spiritual meaning of the occasion. I call these attempts "Reading The Season". This year, I took down from the shelf a long-time TBR, Walking On Water: Reflection On Faith And Art by Madeleine L'Engle.
After reading it, I went straight to her Newbery Award novel A Wr...more
After reading it, I went straight to her Newbery Award novel A Wr...more
Jul 19, 2011
Faith Hough
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-about-writing
Madeleine L'Engle was not only a brilliant story teller, she was a humble, beautiful and insightful woman who, in this book, wrote many of the wisest words I have ever read--about being a writer, and artist, a woman...a human being and child of God.
I couldn't stop quoting passages to my husband, family--okay, anyone who would listen--but this was a book that was best read slowly, page by page, with time for reflection. (So the constant pausing to quote ended up being a benefit for me!) It is cer...more
I couldn't stop quoting passages to my husband, family--okay, anyone who would listen--but this was a book that was best read slowly, page by page, with time for reflection. (So the constant pausing to quote ended up being a benefit for me!) It is cer...more
Oct 29, 2012
Jane Meyer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
for artists in general
Shelves:
memoir,
books-for-writers
I really should read this book regularly. L'Engle offers so many lovely words of inspiration and advice. I think I'll pop it on my to -read list, just to remind myself to float through it again.
This book contained some interesting insights into the relationship between art/creativity and spirituality, but it got repetetive at times and many of the insights came from quotes from other people. That was okay with me in that it exposed me to new writers to check out and elaborated on my knowledge of writers I already knew, but I did sometimes think that more of the juicy stuff should be coming from L'Engle herself. Often she would bring up an interesting idea and then not develop it fully,...more
This was a graduation present from my youth leader Midge. It was such a perfect gift because it talks about what it means to be a christian, an artist, and a christian artist. I still struggle with how to leave my mark on this planet. But I don't struggle with the title "Christian Artist." This book helped release that. "you don't have to write about God to be a Christian Writer" L'Engle says in this book, "In fact there are many books with God in it that aren't Christian Literature at all." the...more
I don't know if I enjoyed this lovely book more for L'Engle's insights into faith and Christian discipleship, or for her musings on the writerly life. Maybe the gift of this book is that she combines the two. This passage is just one of the dozens I found myself underlining:
"To paint a picture or to write a story or to compose a song is an incarnational activity. The artist is a servant who is willing to be a birthgiver. In a very real sense, the artist should be like Mary who, when the angel to...more
"To paint a picture or to write a story or to compose a song is an incarnational activity. The artist is a servant who is willing to be a birthgiver. In a very real sense, the artist should be like Mary who, when the angel to...more
Wordless, Wonderment, and Wisdom beyond imagination; Madeleine shows herself truly humbled and artistic in this book of faith and art. There are many quotes and highlights in this book that have searched me and known me. There are many stories and insights to help anyone with the gift of Art expressions. Madeleine is not only creative in her insights and works of fiction but she is also able to extend that information with clarity to her students in the arts. It is said, to truly know the art yo...more
One of my favorite quotes from L'Engle's book: "A sad fact which nevertheless needs to be faced is that a deeply committed Christian who wants to write stories or paint pictures or compose music to the glory of God simply may not have been given the talent, the gift, which a non-Christian,or even an atheist, may have in abundance. God is no respecter of persons, and this is something we are reluctant to face".
This courageous insight lends great credibility to every other observation in Walking o...more
This courageous insight lends great credibility to every other observation in Walking o...more
I love Madeleine L'Engle's fiction books and I fondly remember her speaking at a forum at my college in the mid-1980's, so I picked up this book with high expecations. I read it slowly, savoring her observations and marking some insightful passages. Did I agree with everything 100%? No, not at all. Our religious backgrounds are a bit different. But there was much here that transcends individual religions and encompasses a thoughtful, spiritual awareness in literature, art and life that I found v...more
The pleasure of this book is not just L'Engle's style, which is warm and inviting. The ideas here are big. In the past, creativity may have been easily dismissed, or thought of as something I do when I have time. This book challenges me and this notion. This book, along with "Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts", answers many of the questions and struggles that I have had as an 'artist' who became a Christian.
This book is *double bonus awesome* if, besides being a writer, you are a wom...more
This book is *double bonus awesome* if, besides being a writer, you are a wom...more
I've read at least one book by Madeleine L'Engle every decade of my life, starting with _A Wrinkle in Time_ when I was a child. Madeleine's theology does not always match my own, but I deeply respect her thoughtfulness and depth. This book is about the arts. I love that Madeleine does not encourage Christians to stay with "safe" art (Thomas Kinkade comes to mind). Truth can be captured by some very unlikely artists and humanity is the richer for it. Come to think of it, I believe Madeleine L'Eng...more
Is there a 5 star plus I can offer for a review? I ask, because this is the one book to warrant it. Ms. L'Engle beautifully presents several arguments for re-uniting the theological with the artistic, and how an artist (writer, performer, dancer, etc.) can not only bridge the gap between the two, but also clearly defines the reasons why one must. The quotes and arguments are simply stated, and honestly reasoned. This is the book I read when I question whether the pain is worth the thunder, and a...more
Sep 16, 2012
Joi Weaver
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
art-culture,
faith
This book helped my faith survive high school. L'Engle was the first author I read who left any room for mystery, and who showed me that art and faith could work together easily instead of battling each other.
This book will *not* be to everyone's taste. It is, as the subtitle indicates, a set of reflections: not arguments, debates, or systematic thoughts. Take it for what it is.
One note: do not buy this edition if you can avoid it. The binding comes apart during the first reading. Sad, because...more
This book will *not* be to everyone's taste. It is, as the subtitle indicates, a set of reflections: not arguments, debates, or systematic thoughts. Take it for what it is.
One note: do not buy this edition if you can avoid it. The binding comes apart during the first reading. Sad, because...more
Thoughtful devotion by someone who writes rather eloquently. She expresses truths in an easy manner. There are numerous references to 'being' and the need for a slower pace for contemplation. "Creative involvement: that's the basic difference between reading a book and watching television." "When we read, we read. We were capable of absorbing far more vocabulary when we read straight on than when we stopped to look up every word." This I've found to be true. I now only mark the words I don't kno...more
Feb 27, 2013
Lyndie Blevins
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
writers, people interested in writing
Book Title Walking on Water
Reflections of Faith and Art
Book Author Madeleine L’Engle
Publisher Waterbrook Press
Pub. Year 1980
Pages 240
Genre Non-Fiction Writing
My Rating 
Ease of Read The words flowed off the page
ISBN 978-0-87788-918-2
I was attracted to this book because...
This book sits at the top of my list of all time favorite writing books. Even though I owe Stephen King’s On Writing a re-read, he is now firmly on line two. I connect with her writing in ways that influence my life. It w...more
Reflections of Faith and Art
Book Author Madeleine L’Engle
Publisher Waterbrook Press
Pub. Year 1980
Pages 240
Genre Non-Fiction Writing
My Rating 
Ease of Read The words flowed off the page
ISBN 978-0-87788-918-2
I was attracted to this book because...
This book sits at the top of my list of all time favorite writing books. Even though I owe Stephen King’s On Writing a re-read, he is now firmly on line two. I connect with her writing in ways that influence my life. It w...more
Some quotes that resonated with me:
"In reading we must become creators. Once the child has learned to read alone, and can pick up a book without illustrations, he must become a creator, imagining the setting of the story, visualizing the characters, seeing facial expressions, hearing the inflection of voices. The author and the reader "know" each other; they meet on the bridge of words." -34
"Hamlet is. When the play has been read, when the curtain goes down on the performance, Hamlet still is. H...more
"In reading we must become creators. Once the child has learned to read alone, and can pick up a book without illustrations, he must become a creator, imagining the setting of the story, visualizing the characters, seeing facial expressions, hearing the inflection of voices. The author and the reader "know" each other; they meet on the bridge of words." -34
"Hamlet is. When the play has been read, when the curtain goes down on the performance, Hamlet still is. H...more
I could have sworn I'd read this before as I remember reading quite a few of L'Engle's nonfiction books before. But it doesn't ring a bell when I flip through it. Regardless, L'Engle has a beautifully reflective style that melds faith, art, and life even when it is simply her journals. I'm looking forward to this book, which has been on my "to read" stack for much too long.
UPDATE
Wow. This is good. So much so that I find myself marking passage after passage, only to realize that I would be excerp...more
UPDATE
Wow. This is good. So much so that I find myself marking passage after passage, only to realize that I would be excerp...more
In an age bloated with information but starved for wisdom, this slim volume overflows with the voice of wisdom. I discovered four themes woven throughout L'Engle's work.
Become Childlike
First and foremost, we must return to our childhood qualities, L'Engle argues, to the openness that comes naturally when we are children. We need to live with a state of expectation, to be able to imagine the possibilities. Here's a sad truth: At the age of five, 90% of our population measures "high creativity." B...more
Become Childlike
First and foremost, we must return to our childhood qualities, L'Engle argues, to the openness that comes naturally when we are children. We need to live with a state of expectation, to be able to imagine the possibilities. Here's a sad truth: At the age of five, 90% of our population measures "high creativity." B...more
Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art is as old as I am, and I’m saddened to know that I could have read this book years ago. I may be reading the wrong books, but few have ever arrested me as quickly or as deeply as this work has. Maybe it’s more about fortuitous timing, where L'Engle's words hesitantly written decades ago ring true to where I now find myself. Regardless, it’s a stunning work on art and Christianity that I highly recommend for anyone endeavoring to use their creative g...more
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Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer best known for her Young Adult fiction, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters. Her works reflect her strong interest in modern science: tesseracts, for example, are featured prominently in A Wrinkle in Time, mitochondrial DNA in A Wind in the Door, organ regener...more
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“I love, therefore I am vulnerable.”
—
183 people liked it
“But unless we are creators we are not fully alive. What do I mean by creators? Not only artists, whose acts of creation are the obvious ones of working with paint of clay or words. Creativity is a way of living life, no matter our vocation or how we earn our living. Creativity is not limited to the arts, or having some kind of important career.”
—
141 people liked it
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Jun 02, 2011 05:39am