Cradle of Redeeming Love: The Theology of the Christmas Mystery

by John Saward

Following up on his acclaimed Redeemer in the Womb, John Saward returns to the mystery of Christ's Incarnation. He draws upon the rich traditions of the Church, as well as the writings of the great Christian mystics, to create a work that is both new and old, revolutionary and orthodox. This profoundly moving meditation will aid any contemplation on the life of Christ.The subject of this book is the objective and divinely revealed truth of the Nativity of Christ, as proclaimed by His infallible and immaculate Bride. It is the splendor of this truth, of Love's noon in Nature's night, which for two millennia has captivated the Fathers and Schoolmen, and activated the genius of poets, painters, and musicians. Illustrated with eight color paintings.

Genres: Religion, Theology

404 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Morgan Berning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book to read year round. So happy I finished it close to Christmas Day! Gives me time to meditate on so much that was shared and revealed in this book. I love how the author pulled together the traditions of different liturgies to highlight the beauty and the intensity of the Nativity. He also brought in so many authors, saints and contemporary writers, who also had poems and essays dedicated to the stunning dawn of the Birth of Christ.

[Anthony Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rich and beautiful book on the Christmas mystery - that the eternal Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us in time, through the Virgin Mary, in fulfilment of the Father’s promises and through the power of the Holy Spirit. This book is Eucharistic, Marian, Apostolic and Trinitarian. It is orthodox and yet new, full of hope, wonder, joy and awe. The read is not easy, the text is very dense in places, theologically complex and yet at times it is simple and intuitive, and reveals a great joy in the majesty that is Almighty God becoming man to save us from our sins and lift up our human nature to be a dwelling place for the true God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so that we may be adopted children of the Father, through His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus.

Chapter 4 was the most difficult and in part seemed a repetition of chapter 2, I lost the overall narrative arc at this point, though this was probably my own lack of insight and understanding. Chapter’s 5 and 6 though are truly wonderful and magnificent and complete the exposition of the divine economy of salvation and creation that is to be found in the Incarnation, Nativity and Epiphany. This book completes a profound work and follow up to John Saward’s earlier work Redeemer in the Womb.

I thank God for the perseverance to read this book and for the joy of Christmas it has given to me in my soul. If you want to deepen your love of Christmas then this book is a blessing and will enrich and renew your love for Jesus Christ, True God and True Man, for His Real Presence in the Eucharist, for His Blessed Mother, and for the Church, His Mystical Body. Merry Christmas and a joyful Epiphany to all

[Connor Curts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely repetitive, but a good book overall. Definitely helped me to see Christ’s birth anew this Christmas.