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A Sacrifice of Praise: An Anthology of Christian Poetry in English from Caedmon to the Mid-Twentieth Century
A Sacrifice of Praise is a one-volume collection of Christian poetry in
English compiled from a spectrum of poets who span twelve centuries. Beginning
with Caedmon (ca. 658-680), the poetry comes from the anicent, medieval,
Reformation, and modern periods from Anglican, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and
Orthodox poets, as well as mainline and evangelical traditions. Because poetry
is a vehicle of praise and exhortation, of meditation and understanding, these
selections include every form and style of reflection and psalm, from private,
personal devotion to hymns and epic forms with godly themes.
In
addition to the poetry, each chapter includes an introduction and time line
meant to provide a background against which readers can better understand the
intricacies and nuances of the poets and their work. Short biographical
introductions to each poet are briefly introduced alongside their
poetry.
We who speak English have twelve centuries of Christian
poetry behind us. It is a deep and broad stream of praise, frequently poured out
by men and women who died for the faith in the midst of persecution. While the
glory of God may have been diminished by sectarian motives of some poets, the
channel of the stream has always been faith, an unbroken succession of men and
women who have praised God. Thus while A Sacrifice of Praise may instruct those
who write poetry, it is ultimately a hymnbook for all of God's
people.
English compiled from a spectrum of poets who span twelve centuries. Beginning
with Caedmon (ca. 658-680), the poetry comes from the anicent, medieval,
Reformation, and modern periods from Anglican, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and
Orthodox poets, as well as mainline and evangelical traditions. Because poetry
is a vehicle of praise and exhortation, of meditation and understanding, these
selections include every form and style of reflection and psalm, from private,
personal devotion to hymns and epic forms with godly themes.
In
addition to the poetry, each chapter includes an introduction and time line
meant to provide a background against which readers can better understand the
intricacies and nuances of the poets and their work. Short biographical
introductions to each poet are briefly introduced alongside their
poetry.
We who speak English have twelve centuries of Christian
poetry behind us. It is a deep and broad stream of praise, frequently poured out
by men and women who died for the faith in the midst of persecution. While the
glory of God may have been diminished by sectarian motives of some poets, the
channel of the stream has always been faith, an unbroken succession of men and
women who have praised God. Thus while A Sacrifice of Praise may instruct those
who write poetry, it is ultimately a hymnbook for all of God's
people.
804 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1999
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379 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 19, 2025
An excellent anthology of English devotional poetry through different eras. I'd recommend it if you're into that sort of thing (I'm only moderately into that sort of thing). Didn't read this in its entirety.
October 28, 2020
A lovely collection of English Christian poetry, including poets born until 1930 (Luci Shaw is the last). There are helpful, but not overly lengthy, introductions to each period, and biographies of each poet. The delight of an anthology, for me, is meeting new poets. I do not envy the challenge of picking which poems to represent each poet! In addition to collecting English Christian poetry, this anthology companions the history of Christianity in England since 600 AD. Hymns and prayers are included alongside other types of poems.
I read the first edition, though I am intrigued by what changed in the second edition, and hope to track down a copy someday. This is a great resource for any Christian with poetic sensibilities.
I read the first edition, though I am intrigued by what changed in the second edition, and hope to track down a copy someday. This is a great resource for any Christian with poetic sensibilities.
May 7, 2023
Great book. The title gives a sufficient summary of the book.
I am still learning to understand and appreciate poetry more. This was a small step in that direction.
I am still learning to understand and appreciate poetry more. This was a small step in that direction.
January 22, 2026
A lot of Christian poetry here. It’s possible to read the whole thing, every poem. I didn’t. Excellent source book.
May 10, 2023
A long journey through the history of English Christian poetry, but a delightful and a worthwhile one! I determined early on, to simply enjoy it little by little. I am glad I did. I learned a lot; also, pondering these poems really added a beautiful element to my quiet time over the last couple of years.
August 14, 2018
The idea behind this collection is great, and the selections are good, but the formatting needs work. To be more specific, students who are studying and writing about poetry NEED LINE NUMBERS! That's all.
December 22, 2020
Read this over several years picking it up this year to read as part of my morning routine. Just a bit at a time, so as not to get overwhelmed or blow through just to get it done. As a result, poetry is a part of my permanent morning reading and for that I am glad.
July 29, 2025
I rarely give a book 5 stars. Enough said. But, really, this is a treasure-trove of wonderful poetry! It clearly demonstrates that the Western poetic tradition is thoroughly Christian.
June 21, 2015
An expansive (800-page) collection, with something for everyone. Each writer is introduced with a brief biography (mainly emphasizing published works, so somewhat dry) followed by one or more of her more religious poems. As with any anthology, one can take issue with the selection; in this vein, I simply wish the author had been more careful to choose poetry by Christians only. Simply having Christian themes does not make a poem "Christian" if the author was not a follower of Christ. All in all, I looked forward to this book each morning, learned much about the development of English poetry, and was introduced to several poets whose work I would like to explore more deeply.
July 19, 2017
Very easy to navigate and understand each of the most important Christian poets, through a short selection of each their poems.
In my "Christian Poetry" books owned / wished list at Worldcat.org: http://www.worldcat.org/title/sacrifi....
In my "Christian Poetry" books owned / wished list at Worldcat.org: http://www.worldcat.org/title/sacrifi....
October 13, 2008
actually a college textbook of mine, for a "Religious Poetry" class. the instructor intended to find a book focusing on a variety of religious poetry around the world, but could only find a Christian anthology, go fig.
still, a good book for what it is. a thick book of poetry. not to be taken lightly, or dropped on toes.
still, a good book for what it is. a thick book of poetry. not to be taken lightly, or dropped on toes.
January 19, 2013
Read this for a Christianity in Poetry course. Loved it. It's full of just beautiful poetry, and history as well. worth the read.
not done with it quite yet, but I've read most of it and it's fantastic.
not done with it quite yet, but I've read most of it and it's fantastic.
January 26, 2009
Really good.
November 20, 2009
Excellent! I enjoyed the poetry and the history lesson that developed from my reading...
Read
February 22, 2010reading for the second time, outstanding.
October 9, 2009
I don't often read poetry, but I like this large anthology and have reread favorites several times.
June 19, 2012
Great collection of Christian Poetry and Hymnody
September 13, 2013
If I had to choose five books to take with me on a deserted island, this would be one of them.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews