In the Light of Christ: Writings in the Western Tradition

The good, the true and the beautiful—it is for these that our souls long. Though they reside in unity and perfection in God alone, the written word is one place we can discover glimmers of divine light. The writings of great souls can turn our gaze toward God as he is revealed in Jesus Christ. Even authors who do not know Christ or who reject Christ can still point to him, for anyone who seeks the truth finds it; and any one who turns his back on the truth turns away from a someone whose presence can often be more keenly felt in his absence. In this volume, Lucy Beckett illuminates some of the finest writings in the Western tradition and trains our eye to discover in them the Christian vision of God. She masterfully guides us through Sophocles, Plato, Augustine, Dante, Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky and many others, deftly demonstrating each author's worth as a bearer of truth. "I greatly recommend In the Light of Christ. Rarely does a book so successfully transcend academic disciplines making the work of over three dozen thinkers from ancient to modern times accessible to the general reader. With lucid descriptions of the historical background and clear expositions of the often challenging works, Lucy Beckett shows how goodness, beauty and truth combine when the Grace of God acts upon the human mind." Piers Paul Read, author, Hell and Other Destinations "In the Light of Christ is exhilaratingly bold in its conception, and colossally knowledgeable in its execution." The Times Literary Supplement Lucy Beckett studied history at Cambridge and is the author of several books, including her newest work, A Postcard from the Volcano, as well as another work of historical fiction, The Time Before You Die: A Novel of the Reformation. She lives in Yorkshire, England, where she teaches at Ampleforth Abbey.

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