Hearthstone Book Club: Winter
An invitation to discuss 'Jesus Through Medieval Eyes' (with the author!)
“The traditions and writings of the church of ages past are a gift. They keep, in [C.S.] Lewis’s memorable phrase, ‘the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds,’ clearing out the accumulated musty air behind the closed doors and windows of our own assumptions. In our reading, where we stumble and what we find meaningful both matter…
“This book explores the answers to Jesus’ question ‘Who do you say I am?’ from medieval artists, mystics, and theologians. Some of these answers are metaphorical; some are drawn directly from Scripture. They do not wholesale replace our own answers to the question but enrich and sometimes even correct them. In reading these exploring, adoring, faithful witnesses from the past, we can come to know Jesus - and ourselves - better.”
Grace Hamman, Jesus Through Medieval Eyes
Welcome, friends. I’m Kristin: a Pacific Northwest artist, mom, & farmer offering support for seasonal, local, liturgical living. Together, we’ll explore the agrarian heritage of the Church calendar and ideas of sacred time & sacred place.
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Friends, thank you SO much for making the Fall edition of our book club such a delight - I learned a lot from all your thoughts & questions, and most of all, just getting to connect with so many kindred spirits over shared curiosities & interests was a joy.
And now, I have some cozy winter reading to announce!
This December & January, we’ll be reading & pondering Dr. Grace Hamman’s beautiful book Jesus Through Medieval Eyes: Beholding Christ with the Artists, Mystics, and Theologians of the Middle Ages.
GATHERINGS
I first found Grace years ago, via her podcast and her wonderfully informative newsletter,
…and for someone like myself, who has no formal training in Medieval studies but is nonetheless enamored, Grace’s approach is a breath of fresh air. She’s both warmly gracious and wildly intelligent, and, much like our Fall book club author (Eleanor Parker), Grace beautifully illuminates history for us to help us glean wisdom & from these earlier cultures.Her book, Jesus Through Medieval Eyes, isn’t a historical tome: it’s an invitation to look through the lens of Medieval understandings of Jesus, in the hopes that these perspectives can help us to refresh our own vision of God.
Grace walks us through different Medieval views of the character of Jesus, and helpfully provides us with prompts to further our engagement with these ideas.
Since the Medieval approach to the liturgical calendar1 is so resonant in my own faith journey, I’m constantly drawn to learn more about the facets of Medieval depictions of Christ - whether through popular calendar traditions, formal liturgical rites, literature, or art.
And folks, I’m OVER THE MOON to share that Grace will be joining us for our January book club discussion on Zoom!
Dr. is a writer, speaker, and scholar with a passion for sharing the beauty and truth found in old books. Grace has written for several publications, including Plough Quarterly, Mere Orthodoxy, Dappled Things, Fathom, and academic journals and collections. She has a podcast on old literature, theology, and their relevance to our lives today, Old Books With Grace. Grace holds a doctorate in English, specializing in medieval literature and theology, from Duke University.
Book Club Gatherings:
ZOOM
(For paid subscribers. Details and a Zoom link - as well as recipes for a warm beverage, so that we can all wassail our time together! - will be sent the week of each gathering. If you can’t make it to these gatherings live, no worries; they’ll be recorded and posted for you to watch on the re-play!)
Monday, December 16 at 5 pm PST (I know we’ll all be in the midst of the Advent season, with Christmas fast approaching - but if you can, it would be lovely to have an informal gathering to usher in our time with this book!)
Saturday, January 18 at 2 pm PST - WITH THE AUTHOR!
My wonderful friend Dr. Grace Hamman, author of the book, will be joining us for Q&A and discussion. As you read, be thinking about questions or thoughts you’d like to hear her perspective on!
SUBSTACK CHAT
(For all subscribers. We’ll discuss the book using Substack’s text Chat feature! Details will be sent out a few days before we gather).
Monday, January 20 at 11 am PST
I know that with Christmas on the horizon, our commitments can start to feel daunting - but my invitation for you is to look at our Winter book club time as a calm reprieve, so we’ll be approaching it at a gentle pace! Please don’t feel any pressure to zip through the book. Even if you haven’t cracked it open yet by the time one of our gatherings arrives, I’d be delighted to have you join.
My hope is that this beautiful book - a lovely combination of history and devotion - will provide moments of quiet during busy winter days, as well as pockets of hope during the ongoing march of wintertime.
As a little gift (that also serves as a reminder of our upcoming book club gatherings), here’s another library card for you!
Our special “stamp” for this winter’s library card features an owl holding a sprig of yew…though the owl has a complicated past in Medieval symbolism2, its longstanding role as an emissary of wisdom felt fitting. The yew harkens back to the symbolism of this evergreen - representing eternity, resurrection, and sacrifice, it’s a classic, wintry plant that encompasses so much of the beautiful mystery in the Nativity cycle of Advent, Christmas, & Epiphany.
Feel free to print it out and place it in your book (or pop it on your fridge, if you’re listening to the audiobook) - then you can always have those gathering dates close at hand!
A few suggestions for finding your copy of Jesus Through Medieval Eyes:
US publisher: Zondervan
Audiobook on Libby (library app):
Audiobook on Audible:
https://www.audible.com/pd/Jesus-through-Medieval-Eyes-Audiobook/B0BZWHF1ND
I can’t wait to enjoy some cozy book club gatherings with you this winter!
Questions or thoughts? Send ‘em my way!
Pax et bonum,
Kristin
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For more reflections and perspectives on the liturgical year, please visit Signs + Seasons: a liturgical living guild!
This is SUCH a reductive and general statement, I know - the Middle Ages spanned a huge swath of time, and of course regional calendar customs were incredibly varied! Still, the Medieval experience of sacred time, variable in century and region, is so illuminating.
The owl does have some positive Medieval associations in the Aberdeen Bestiary, ca. 1200!
I've just ordered the book and 'Winters in the World' as well - can't wait! It's my Christmas present to myself :)
Delightful! This is such a good one!