Your Angels Guard My Steps: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Bernard of Clairvaux : Devotional Readings

Rekindling Inner Fire

by David Hazard (Editor), Bernard of Clairvaux

Presents in contemporary language Bernard’s teachings on spiritual battle-perseverance through trials and victory over adversaries. A Rekindling the Inner Fire book.

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not familiar with Bernard of Clairvaux prior to picking up this devotional, so I enjoyed the biographical introductory chapter. He is a fascinating figure, particularly for his involvement with the Knights Templar. The daily devotional sections comprise Scripture, paraphrasing of writings from Bernard and prayers.

The promise of content regarding angels peaked my interest, but I went in skeptical because of the slant this could have potentially taken- especially seeing Bernard described as a "mystic" in a brief Google search. That content was Scripturally sound and not very in-depth based on the readings provided. (I'm not sure how far Bernard delved into this area himself and am solely basing this observation off of the paraphrased content in this devotional.) However, there were some questionable topics covered- in particular contemplative prayer, which is itself dubious (it was not in the sense of New Age contemplative prayer).

I enjoyed the entry into this series of devotionals focused on the writings of Amy Carmichael, but was disappointed in the quality of this in comparison. For one thing, there are zero references/footnotes/sources in the biography section, and no citations of the paraphrasing of Bernard's own work aside from notating the source text. I was also bothered that the Scripture components were often piecemeal of several different verses, as reading in context is important for correct understanding.

Format: Ebook via Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 2.5 stars
Book 28 of 2024

[Jennifer Rundlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Wonderful that David Hazard has made this giant of the Middle Ages come to life. This book is a wonderfully accessible read that will open your mind to new horizons in your Christian faith.