Book Review: Sister Wendy's Nativity and Life of Christ by Sister Wendy Beckett

Sister Wendy's Nativity and Life of Christ by Sister Wendy Beckett

Art lover and BBC present Sister Wendy Beckett was given access to many medieval manuscripts from the Vatican and Italian State Libraries. They are psalters and prayer books that have hardly been seen by the public. She curated dozens of images and arranged them as a chronology of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection. Each image has a page of commentary, reflecting both on the artistic style and merits as well as on the theological message she sees the artist displaying. As with any collection of art works by various creators, some are better than others (and she does call them out sometimes, in her gentle way). The book is an interesting and quick read, though it is fun to linger on some of the images.

Recommended.

Sample image:

Click to enlarge

Sample text about the image:

All around the margin of the picture are hosts and chalices, interspersed with grieving angels who bear lilies and lighted candles. The symbolism is dense, and this may be apt in its heaviness. These Holy Thursday events are too weighty to be analyzed easily. The only genuine response is to pray, to unite with the suffering Jesus and to affirm our faith in his life and death. [p. 60]