Glaspey - 75 masterpieces every Christian should know: the fascinating stories behind great works of art, literature, music, and film

2015 by Terry Glaspey

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

Ebook edition created 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-0046-1

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Interior design by William Overbeeke

What a treasure to see how God has used the talents of his people to express their faith and his glory through music, literature, architecture, and more. I loved seeing threads of Gods goodness woven throughout each unique story. Thank you, Terry, for your passion to bring these masterpieces to our attention and into our hearts!

Lysa TerKeurst , New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

Why should the Creator have stopped speaking through art and music with Giotto or Bach? In this beautifully illustrated and conceived book, Terry Glaspey takes us on a comprehensive tour of art, music, and architecture from the ancient world up to the present.

Michael Card , singer/songwriter and bestselling author

Thousands of Christian books are published every year. In the midst of the steady torrent of clamoring voices, there will inevitably stand above the rest a few that make a unique mark. This is one of these books. My friend Terry has penned a gem here, helping us see and appreciate the voice of Gods Spirit in the cultural matrix of the now and the past. 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know is simply magical. Trust me. This stands way out.

Dr. A. J. Swoboda , professor at George Fox Evangelical Seminary and author of A Glorious Dark

Terry Glaspey offers a feast of art, film, music, and literature to satisfy the soul. In 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know he presents enduring works that brilliantly express the faith, exploring their meaning, technique, and significance. An essential for any Christian, this book beautifully celebrates the creative spirit of Christianity.

Judith Couchman , art historian and author of The Art of Faith and The Mystery of the Cross

As a songwriter, I have found it impossible to separate the most important part of my lifemy faithfrom my music. Thanks to Terrys new book, I now see that I am in good company. Terry masterfully blends his gift of words with his passion for history and the arts, making it inspiringly clear that so many of the greatest works of art in history indeed do bear the fingerprints of our Creator.

Matthew West , award-winning singer/songwriter

This is more than a collection of art; it is a trove of carefully studied treasures. Terry Glaspeys research and insights combine, much like the art hes studied, to create rich and redemptive readings that both engage and inspire. These pages will cause you to wonder at the creative genius resplendent in the people of God and fill you with the pleasure of his presence as it appears in all things skillfully crafted.

Dr. Marty Trammell , Humanities Chair, Corban University

I absolutely love this book! Reading 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know feels like a walk through an art museum, where you relish each creative piece before you. To discover commonality in the creative works of Dante, Hildegard of Bingen, Albrecht Drer, Michelangelo, Martin Luther, Frederick Buechner, J. R. R. Tolkien, Emily Dickinson, Bob Dylan, and dozens of other artists, musicians, painters, writers, and scholars from various time periods is to find my heartbeat. Terry doesnt just introduce us to these fascinating, breathtakingly beautiful works of artsome of them familiar and some of them newbut also shares the background of each artists life, faith, historical timeframe, and how they came to craft their particular work. While experiencing this book, you will, as Buechners Saint Godric, find the grace of God smack in the middle of a fallen world.

Cornelia Becker Seigneur , author of WriterMom Tales and founding director of the Faith & Culture Writers Conference

Terry Glaspey seems to know a bit about everything and a lot about the things that matter most. I would read anything he wrote, but this unique volume surpassed my great expectations. If you enjoy pondering the connections between faith, art, culture, and daily discipleship, you will adore this. Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know is itself a masterpiece. Who else can tell you about a painting by Caravaggio, a novel by Jane Austen, and a live album by Johnny Cash all in the same book? Thanks be to God for Glaspeys clear faith, informed knowledge, and winsome writing that can help us glean spiritual insight in cultural projects from to Dante to Dylan, from Rembrandt to The Tree of Life .

Byron Borger , owner and founder of Hearts and Minds Bookstore

Most writers just set the table, but Terry Glaspey has brought the meal. By curating these great works into one book, Terry offers an artful feast of the ages! Come and partake; you will not leave hungry! He reminds us that we have a magnificent heritage in the arts of which we can be justifiably proud. May this rich album of our artistic inheritance inspire us as we but stand on the shoulders of the giants who have come before. Every artist should read this book. Every Christian should too.

Nicole Johnson , author, dramatist for Women of Faith

In 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know , Terry Glaspey traces the scarlet thread of Christian thought through the ages, following it through the veins of fine art, music, poetry, and architecture. Expounding upon the historical significance of each masterpiece, and including stunning images, Glaspey opens the vault, showing us the treasures of our Christian artistic heritage. A page-turner from the start, 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know exposes us to the uncommon beauty birthed by the uncommon men and women of faith. Simply put, Glaspeys work is one of the most informative, enjoyable, and artistically inspirational books Ive read in some time.

Seth Haines , author of Coming Clear

Terry Glaspey has done us all a great favor with his new book, 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know . He invites us to become his traveling companions on an adventure through two thousand years of Christian expression. These stories will inspire and expand your appreciation for the beauty, glory, majesty, and mystery of God as expressed through art, literature, music, and film.

Jim Thomas , pastor of The Village Chapel, Nashville, Tennessee

Sitting down with Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know is like enjoying a great meal at a fine restaurantits rich, its fulfilling, and each new piece is wonderful. There is so much to like Im not even sure where to start. Terry Glaspey has created a great read, with interesting stories about the best art ever created.

Dr. Chip MacGregor , MacGregor Literary Agency

New York Times columnist David Brooks has written that when you experience great art, you widen your repertoire of emotions. If Brooks is right (and I believe he is), then Terry Glaspey has given us a profound resource for expanding our repertoire through the works he introduces and reflects on wisely, deeply, and artfully in this book. Feast on the sights, sounds, and words covered here as Glaspey does what few could with such elegance: dwell on centuries of art, architecture, poetry, books, music, and film created to the glory of God and in doing so, open a well of appreciationand emotionin the hearts and minds of his readers.