The Living Legacy
The Soul in Paraphrase, the Heart in Pilgrimage
by Ben Witherington III and Julie Noelle Hare
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
The Living Legacy is a resource for spiritual formation that involves original Christian poetry, theological analysis, and spiritual formation exercises following the lectio divina. Following the seasons of the Church Year, Witherington and Hare provide a guide to help those of us on spiritual journeys as we seek to explore 'the living legacy,' which is our faith in the biblical God.
Ben Witherington III is Amos Professor of NT for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the Doctoral Faculty at St. Andrews University, Scotland.
Julie Noelle Hare holds degrees from University of Arkansas and Asbury Theological Seminary. She currently resides with her husband in Auburn, Alabama.
"I have known Ben Witherington as a superb scholar, teacher, and proclaimer of God's Word. This book introduces us to Ben the poet. He and Julie Noelle Hare have brought together a collection of poems, reflections, and readings from Holy Scripture--a wonderful treasury of the spiritual life."
--Timothy George
Beeson Divinity School
"The Living Legacy is a must read for anyone who seeks to understand and be transformed by written reflections on the holy mysteries of the Christian Year and beyond. Ben Witherington knits the sacred and secular together in one unique volume through poetry, theological reflections, meditations, and personal musings. Ben has given the reader a holistic way in which to better understand their relationship to the Kingdom of God and affirm their higher calling as a disciple of Jesus Christ."
--The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane
Episcopal Bishop, Diocese of Washington D.C.
"As well as having a line by George Herbert as subtitle, The Living Legacy has a warm devotional tone and a tripartite structure that are reminiscent of John Donne's Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, while being reader-friendly for the twenty-first century. Ben Witherington's poems correspond to the 'Meditation' sections in each of Donne's Devotions, Ben's 'Theological Musings' on the relevant scriptures to Donne's 'Expostulations,' and Julie Robertson's 'lectio divina' to Donne's 'Prayers.'"
--Christopher M. Armitage
University of North Carolina
"For those who know Ben Witherington from his voluminous scholarly writings, this book will provide a wonderful introduction to the poetic spirit of the man. And not only to his poetic spirit, but also to his deep understanding of the essence of the Christian life and his gifted ability to convey this in fresh, compelling ways. His poetry is evocative, challenging, and persuasive-calling the readers not only to enter into a new perception of the Christian life but to engage that life for themselves. His prose 'digressions' on the poems flesh out the focus of the poem in a more left-brained mode for those for whom the right-brained dynamic of poetry is difficult. Julie Noelle Hare's supplementary materials from the spiritual masters of the Christian tradition help to locate Whitherington's musings within the solid core of classical Christian spirituality. Finally, the organization of the book with the stages of the liturgical year provides a new and refreshing means for moving through the Christian calendar from Advent to the Sunday of Christ the King."
--M. Robert Mulholland, Jr.
Asbury Theological Seminary