The classics have always occupied a place in the hall of education, yet some Christians tend to lean either towards a Puritanical dismissal of art as "irreligious", or they twist the arts into altered, pro-Christian mediocrity. Invitation to the Classics expounds upon what it means to have a Christian view of literature, including its benefits, aesthetics and place in culture. Classics from a variety of authors including Homer, Sophocles, Plato, Dante, Shakespeare, Pascal, Swift, Emerson, Dickens, Tolstoy, Lewis and others are all viewed with an in depth literary and biographical assessment. Each author is introduced with literary analysis of their most famous works, impact upon time, posterity and "Issues to Explore" discussion questions. 384 pages, indexed, softcover.

A popular, full-color guide to the fulfilling pursuit of understanding our culture by exploring its most enduring writings.

Louise Cowan is professor of literature at the University of Dallas and cofounder of the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. She is the author of many books and essays on literary and educational topics.

Os Guinness is a senior fellow with The Trinity Forum and the author of many books, including Time for Truth, The Call, and Long Journey Home.

This work examines 50 of the great classic texts of Western literature from a Christian perspective. Cowan (literature, Univ. of Dallas) and Guinness (The Call, Word Books, 1998) compiled criticisms for each classic--including works by Homer, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Dostoyevsky, and Yeats--from an expert in the field. Each section demonstrates how the work relates to Christian doctrine, and topics for further study are included at the end. Unfortunately, these works lean heavily toward male authors, as in most discussion of the great works in Western literature, and the editors confuse their purpose by touching on too many varied ideas while attempting to explain why these works are important from a Christian perspective. Recommended only for public and academic libraries with strong literature and religion departments.--Kim Woodbridge, "The Scientist," Philadelphia

For over a decade, university teachers, politicians, literary critics and preachers have argued about the educational role of the literary classics of the Western world. While some have contended that the works themselves are full of immoral teachings and should be banned from libraries and school curricula, others have argued that the stereotypical portrayal of certain characters has a pernicious effect on readers and leads to classism, sexism and racism. Still others, like authors of this lively collection, believe that the classics are indispensable for an understanding of Western society and human nature. Guinness and Cowan gather over 50 brief essays by a number of respected Christian literary scholars that extend invitations to readers to experience anew or for the first time the wonder and the beauty of selected classics. Each essay contains a biographical and historical sketch, a summary of the work being considered, suggestions and bibliographies for further study and questions raised by the text about the interaction of Christian faith and society. The selections range from the Iliad to Machiavelli's The Prince, Flaubert's Madame Bovary and Rushdie's The Satanic Verses. Genres covered range from Shakespeare's plays and Milton's epic poetry to Martin Luther's theological writings and Alexis de Tocqueville's travel writings. (Sept.)

When I was younger, I was much more familiar with Woolworth's than Wordsworth, Dinty Moore than Thomas More, corns than Bunyan's, Austin Martins than Jane Austen. But marriage, parenting, and homeschooling have a tendency to encourage us to push out of our usual realm of experiences. And so (to our delight!) we begin to explore new areas of knowledge with our children. One such expansion has been in reading literary classics. Over the years we have enjoyed reading aloud from favorite children's books. Yet children have a tendency to grow older, so a good way to expand their maturity and wisdom is to introduce them (and ourselves) to some of the greatest minds, authors, and books of the ages.

Invitation to the Classics offeres us a compendium of the life, times, and works of the world's greatest authors. It covers 75 classics by 70 authors. As a handy reference tool, it is divided up into historical segments. Beginning with the ancient Greeks and Romans, it works forward into the early church, medieval church fathers, Reformation, and on to the world of poetry, drama, philosophy, and contemporary writers. I enjoy the simple design, illustrations, and photographs, along with the editors' comments about each classic writer. Quotations from the authors' works are featured as well as suggestions for additional reading and study. This is a good choice if you are looking for a well-rounded introduction to the classics written from a Christian perspective.

—Dean

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