The Best Spiritual Writing 2012

The Best Spiritual Writing

by Philip Yancey, Philip Zaleski (Editor)

Penguin's yearly offering of outstanding essays and poetry on faith and spirituality. Every year, the acclaimed Best Spiritual Writing series offers readers the opportunity to explore the most intriguing work on spirituality published in the past year. Featuring a splendid and varied selection, The Best Spiritual Writing 2012 is an elegant collection that gathers intimate, thought-provoking work by some of the nation's most esteemed writers, including Philip Yancey, Richard Rodriguez, and Robert Bly. Culled from a wide range of journals and magazines, these spiritual perspectives are expressed in pieces as diverse as the sources from which they've come. A favorite of book clubs, this makes a perfect gift for the holidays or special occasions.

Genres: Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2011

About the 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

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of essays and poems. Pico Iyer's essay "A Chapel is Where you can Hear Something Beating Below your Heart," is quietly evocative of that "Something" beating below the human heart. I'll keep dipping into this volume for quick sips of thoughtful writing.

[Ben Worsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sterling collection. Standouts for me include Pico Iyer and BK Loren's essays, both addressing the places of prayer. Also moving were Robinsons's scathing response to materialists and "Tritones" by George Steiner, who writes an " argument" between math, music, and poetry as to what is closest to the divine.

[Mitsuru · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first bought this series' book. I have imagined collective esseys like "Chicken Soup" before reading, but completely different. I was little disappointed. But some essays are great without mentioning of Philip Zaleski and Philip Yancy's introduction.

I like the most 'The Next Incarnation' by Evan Osnos,
and the most interestead essay is 'The Few, The Pride, The Chosen' by Sam Jacobson. Some of them I couldn't understand, because too specialized.

On poem, I like 'All Souls Night' by Katherine Coles. I could feel strainning her ears and eyes in the cold night. This reminds me, I was wrestling with the choice between employment and continued study looking up the winter stars in my youth.

[M.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good collection. There were more than three memorable pieces, but the three best were Stephen M. Barr's "Fearful Symmetries," Paul Myers's "Apparitions & Visitations," and Ron Rosenbaum's "Rescuing Evil."

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've enjoyed previous issues of this annual book, but this was a bit uneven (and oddly, featured mostly male writers). Highlights: essays by Pico Iyer, A.G Harmon and Andrew Cooper, and a poem by Billy Collins.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're reading this for church adult ed program and I thought it would be dry and boring, but the essays were fun and interesting and great for discussion.

[Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars