Art and Prayer: The Beauty of Turning to God (Mount Tabor Books)

I have found this book to be such a valuable resource for my shelf. The depth of insight that Verdon brings to the paintings he discusses far outweighs what I would have thought of by looking at these paintings myself, but I do feel like the more I absorb his method of seeing into art I start being able to recognize what questions to ask to grasp a painting on my own.Much of religious art is Catholic, but as a Protestant I have a hard time appreciating Madonnas, or pictures of the clergy. While Verdon comes from a Catholic perspective himself, he really helped me understand what is being communicated by the inclusion of Mary or different saints that I did not know the story of. This is a lesson in understanding art history, not just a religious view. The depth of his discussion made these images relatable even to me as a Protestant. Besides, the art pieces included are not limited to Catholic themes. Some of my favorites that he talks about are The Angelus by Millet and A Vineyard at Merano by Wasmann.The theme that brings this whole collection together is prayer, as the title suggests. This is lovely. Every chapter looks at a different aspect of how art challenges our imagination to help us grapple with religious truth and turn more intentionally towards God.Finally, I am very happy with the aesthetic quality of this piece for reference use. All the pages are high-quality, thick, and glossy. Many of the paintings fill up the page, or even two pages.*Review copy courtesy of Paraclete Press*

This is a beautiful book to read and ponder over. I have been reading it for the past few months and am pondering the art and words slowly. It is a lot to absorb and I am sure it will become a firm favourite to be read and re-read as the years go by. Has lovely full page illustrations with descriptions that are more than in depth giving historical and spiritual explanations to art. Some lovely, some amusing, some thought provoking. Would highly recommend this very special addition to your library.

Spending time in this book is like taking an accessible art history course enfolded with deep love and worship of our Triune God. I am refreshed, humbled, enlightened and fascinated by working my way slowly through the lavish illustrations and profound insights of this gifted author.Having visited Europe several times, I am so blessed by how reading this book brings me back to the awe and beauty that is found in these treasured museums and galleries where these antiquities are displayed.DO NOT MISS THIS TREASURE.

I read this text slowly, partially to absorb the depth of analysis of theological and artistic themes, but also to relish in the beauty of the works of art.

The book is smaller than I expected; however the pages are nice and the book is easy to hold and read.I'm not Catholic but I'm learning some about Catholic traditions as I go through this book.

An excellent text about the role of art in Christian prayer. The richness of the tradition is highlighted by high-quality paper and reproductions of important works of art.

This book is so much more than a coffee-table book. It is a wonderful aid to prayer and meditation. Each piece of artwork (which you can see in color) is beautifully described with much feeling. I am taking it slowly, praying with it and certainly enjoying it.

This is a beautiful book, both in the art and in the reflections. I loved it.

This is a superb book; a classic of spirituality and faith, expressed, demonstrated and explained in art.

Beautiful book and wonderful art.