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The Spiritual Practice of Remembering
We often dismiss history as dull or irrelevant, but our modern disengagement from the past puts us fundamentally out of step with the long witness of the Christian tradition. Yet, says Margaret Bendroth, the past tense is essential to our language of faith, and without it our conversation is limited and thin.
This accessible, beautifully written book presents a new argument for honoring the past. The Christian tradition gives us the powerful image of a vast communion of saints, all of God's people, both living and dead, in vital conversation with each other. This kind of connection with our ancestors in the faith, Bendroth maintains, will not happen by wishing or by accident. She argues that remembering must become a regular spiritual practice, part of the rhythm of our daily lives as we recognize our world to be, in many ways, a gift from others who have gone before.
This accessible, beautifully written book presents a new argument for honoring the past. The Christian tradition gives us the powerful image of a vast communion of saints, all of God's people, both living and dead, in vital conversation with each other. This kind of connection with our ancestors in the faith, Bendroth maintains, will not happen by wishing or by accident. She argues that remembering must become a regular spiritual practice, part of the rhythm of our daily lives as we recognize our world to be, in many ways, a gift from others who have gone before.
142 pages, Paperback
First published November 30, 2013
About the author
Margaret Bendroth
12 books2 followersMargaret (Peggy) Bendroth is Executive Director of the Congregational Library and Archives and a historian of American religion.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 16, 2023
This is a marvelous book, but one difficult to characterize. I expected it to be more of a work of straight-up spirituality; it's partly this but it is also a meditation on America's amnesia about the past (especially among Protestants) and an exhortation for Christians to pay more attention to history. Accessible, gentle, and wise, historian Margaret Bendroth encourages readers to take part in the "great conversation" that is history and church tradition and to be more aware of our connectedness to the dead (for instance, the bygone saints who planted and nurtured our churches).
Despite it not being the book I thought it would be (i.e. a book that cultivates our awareness of our personal pasts to aid in our spiritual life), I still found this book worthwhile. Low-church evangelicals for whom "Oceans" is the oldest worship song they sing and who don't even know who Billy Graham is ought to especially read this book.
Despite it not being the book I thought it would be (i.e. a book that cultivates our awareness of our personal pasts to aid in our spiritual life), I still found this book worthwhile. Low-church evangelicals for whom "Oceans" is the oldest worship song they sing and who don't even know who Billy Graham is ought to especially read this book.
May 5, 2026
"My library shelves are full of forgotten books written by unknown people. It is an amazing fact, one that I sometimes contemplate with awe, that all of these books are connections with people now on the other side of mystery, surviving only as a name on a tattered binding. That’s one reason why I sometimes pause and say their names out loud, just to give the universe a chance to hear an old and beloved combination of words one more time."
April 10, 2022
"History is not about tidy moral lessons instead it is a hope for grace."
I didn't always agree with the author's perspective, and it wasn't the quick easy read my professor promised. But it was good and made some good thinking points.
I didn't always agree with the author's perspective, and it wasn't the quick easy read my professor promised. But it was good and made some good thinking points.
December 3, 2021
“All of us have lost something important, a meaningful continuity with the past...we have no real real language for mourning this loss.” -Margaret Bendroth, "The Spiritual Practice of Remembering," page 93
There’s no review that would do justice to this book. It’s difficult to convey just how well written and intriguing it is. It captures my feelings about my ancestors and about the past so poignantly; it was like reading my own feelings in beautifully articulated descriptions! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
There’s no review that would do justice to this book. It’s difficult to convey just how well written and intriguing it is. It captures my feelings about my ancestors and about the past so poignantly; it was like reading my own feelings in beautifully articulated descriptions! I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
January 16, 2017
I've had many of these ideas, but not articulated nearly as well. History matters because it connects us (when we use it wisely).
February 3, 2019
What is the value of an old hat placed under a glass plate in a New England church? Never mind the book value. The question has more to do with the importance of any serious reflection on the past. I was drawn to the book because of the author’s answer to this question right up front: “There is something awe-inspiring about an object that is indescribably old.”
Bendroth impresses me with her insights on the spiritual meaning of remembering, but she comes to them as a historian. Neurologically, we now know that memory centers in the brain are tucked fairly deeply within the folds under our skull, and that they connect to some of our primal nerve centers that in many ways inform our subconscious selves. This is also a spiritual reality, even if it is a non-traditional one. Bendroth as a religious historian has sensed this without the biology.
In a world so seemingly at odds with the past (where only the up-to-date and technologically advanced ideas win the day) Bendroth reminds us that we need real stories, mythological fantasies, even the memory of suffering if we are not to remain “stranded in the present”.
I was impressed by her argument that the Holocaust banished our previous (if local) Christian anti-Semitisms. But I was even more persuaded by her argument that religious tradition is, “At its heart… a long conversation.” And that the doctrines that may focus our piety and our belligerence are not the only spiritually meaningful ties to the past. So although it is possible to study history in a strictly rational way, it is often more meaningful (certainly more spiritually meaningful) to remember the past as a personal journey of the imagination. If Bendroth’s short book is really more of an essay, her argument is weighty indeed. This is a book I will refer to frequently.
Bendroth impresses me with her insights on the spiritual meaning of remembering, but she comes to them as a historian. Neurologically, we now know that memory centers in the brain are tucked fairly deeply within the folds under our skull, and that they connect to some of our primal nerve centers that in many ways inform our subconscious selves. This is also a spiritual reality, even if it is a non-traditional one. Bendroth as a religious historian has sensed this without the biology.
In a world so seemingly at odds with the past (where only the up-to-date and technologically advanced ideas win the day) Bendroth reminds us that we need real stories, mythological fantasies, even the memory of suffering if we are not to remain “stranded in the present”.
I was impressed by her argument that the Holocaust banished our previous (if local) Christian anti-Semitisms. But I was even more persuaded by her argument that religious tradition is, “At its heart… a long conversation.” And that the doctrines that may focus our piety and our belligerence are not the only spiritually meaningful ties to the past. So although it is possible to study history in a strictly rational way, it is often more meaningful (certainly more spiritually meaningful) to remember the past as a personal journey of the imagination. If Bendroth’s short book is really more of an essay, her argument is weighty indeed. This is a book I will refer to frequently.
July 5, 2024
I am so glad I discovered this gem of a book. The author is a Protestant scholar, a historian of American religion. She writes beautifully about the importance of remembering those who came before us. She writes from a Christian perspective, which may be off-putting to some, but much of what she has to say can also be applied to other faith and non-faith perspectives. The book is thoroughly researched yet is an easy and quick read. I have found it to be a source of inspiration and comfort in my own small piece of space and time. Highly recommended.
September 2, 2020
I appreciated the general premise of the book, which is essentially spelled out in the title: there is a deeply spiritual component to remembering, and the American society at large is losing touch with it.
Bendroth writes with useful analogies throughout to illustrate her points, which makes for a quick and enjoyable read. I wouldn’t classify it as a “must read,” but it did give me plenty of things to mull over and I’d say it was worth the time I spent on it.
Bendroth writes with useful analogies throughout to illustrate her points, which makes for a quick and enjoyable read. I wouldn’t classify it as a “must read,” but it did give me plenty of things to mull over and I’d say it was worth the time I spent on it.
September 4, 2020
Brilliant, well-written book on the history of remembering from a religious standpoint, and why cultivating that remembrance is important. The writing style is thoroughly enjoyable, and at only 132 pages, this is an easy read.
4.5/5 stars
4.5/5 stars
Want to Read
September 7, 2024Check out youtube: Trinity Forum - a conversation with Margaret Bendroth.
May 18, 2025
A class book. Bendroth argues for an appreciation of the past, especially in light of today’s preference for the present and future. It’s a short, pithy read that will stay with me.
December 19, 2019
An interesting read. I'd give the book 4 stars, but excerpts from the book a resounding 5 stars.
I kept wanting to tell the author THERE IS MORE TO THIS, don't stop here. I'm grateful for revelation that clarifies what happens beyond the veil. I loved her attempts to help us feel an responsibility, even an urgency to remember those who have gone before us. I can tell she put a lot of thought into what she presents here. There is just a whole lot more to the story. There are several passages I will turn back to and think more about.
Just found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8gkI...
She spoke last month at BYU with the Maxwell Institute. How nice to see her in person!
I kept wanting to tell the author THERE IS MORE TO THIS, don't stop here. I'm grateful for revelation that clarifies what happens beyond the veil. I loved her attempts to help us feel an responsibility, even an urgency to remember those who have gone before us. I can tell she put a lot of thought into what she presents here. There is just a whole lot more to the story. There are several passages I will turn back to and think more about.
Just found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8gkI...
She spoke last month at BYU with the Maxwell Institute. How nice to see her in person!
July 25, 2014
Based on Professor McKenzie's recommendation, I checked out this book from our local library for summer reading. As a student of history since retirement about 3 years ago, I have enjoyed reading a number of books on both church history and American history. As such, this book provided a heightened appreciation for my continued reading and study of history.
First of all, the author provides a healthy and sound motivation for a history student: "...history is not about sorting the good people from the bad, or the real believers from the frauds, as if we had a God’s-eye view across time and space. It is not about finding allies to support our personal judgments or the particular causes of our time. Historical perspective is a way of knowing ourselves, of seeing more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of our Christian faith as it has been shaped by the demands of the early twenty-first century." Moreover, one could use imagination to be a real participant in history: "In a sense history is always about the imagination, since there is no way to travel to the past as we would to a foreign country. But there is a thin line between approaching people and events through imagination and assuming that they are in fact imaginary. The first assumes that the past was 'real,' with a separate integrity all its own; the second that there is no past at all beyond what we choose to see."
For a student of church history, one has the added privilege of connecting with Christian thinkers in the past (aka 'communion of saints'): "Christian faith offers points of connection with our ancestors. In fact, our religious traditions come with an endless array of talking partners, people from the past who might challenge or delight us, frustrate or anger us--but are still speaking the same language of faith. None of us in this old, old conversation have more or better truth than the other; we are not high on the chronological ladder of enlightenment than our ancestors. We are simply part of the same communion of saints, God's people spread across time and space, who need each other to 'perfect' our faith. We are not isolated from the past or forever stranded in the present--we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. … In a profound sense, memory is a process of 're-collecting' and 're-membering' scattered people."
In the end, the author shed a thoughtful light for our role in His story: "For all our worries about divine providence and God's will, the really hard part about history is accepting the humanness of the past and its people. … Our ancestors are on the one hand terribly alien to us, yet we are also profoundly connected to them. They confront us with the full span of human diversity, in beautiful, frustrating, and challenging ways. We do not need to excuse them for their various sins and omissions, treating them as if they came from some wildly exotic civilization. We have the right--and the responsibility--to disagree and complain and rail against them within the framework of our common tradition, that extended argument constantly unfolding across both space and time. Even though they do not literally talk back, it is still possible to learn to hear their voices clearly. WIthout our ancestors, we can't really know what it is to be human. …to be human is to bury our dead--and, even more important, to remember where they are. …being human means possessing a deep, rich soil, layers and layers of all that has gone on before we were born. This is the kind of soil that makes life out of dead things, that connects them in a cycle of fertility and growth. We are, after all, born of the dead, taking over their physical space, their language, and their ideas--and we are the ones who will hand these over to our unborn. We the living are a ligament between the generations, the only connection between what was long ago and what is yet to come."
First of all, the author provides a healthy and sound motivation for a history student: "...history is not about sorting the good people from the bad, or the real believers from the frauds, as if we had a God’s-eye view across time and space. It is not about finding allies to support our personal judgments or the particular causes of our time. Historical perspective is a way of knowing ourselves, of seeing more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of our Christian faith as it has been shaped by the demands of the early twenty-first century." Moreover, one could use imagination to be a real participant in history: "In a sense history is always about the imagination, since there is no way to travel to the past as we would to a foreign country. But there is a thin line between approaching people and events through imagination and assuming that they are in fact imaginary. The first assumes that the past was 'real,' with a separate integrity all its own; the second that there is no past at all beyond what we choose to see."
For a student of church history, one has the added privilege of connecting with Christian thinkers in the past (aka 'communion of saints'): "Christian faith offers points of connection with our ancestors. In fact, our religious traditions come with an endless array of talking partners, people from the past who might challenge or delight us, frustrate or anger us--but are still speaking the same language of faith. None of us in this old, old conversation have more or better truth than the other; we are not high on the chronological ladder of enlightenment than our ancestors. We are simply part of the same communion of saints, God's people spread across time and space, who need each other to 'perfect' our faith. We are not isolated from the past or forever stranded in the present--we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. … In a profound sense, memory is a process of 're-collecting' and 're-membering' scattered people."
In the end, the author shed a thoughtful light for our role in His story: "For all our worries about divine providence and God's will, the really hard part about history is accepting the humanness of the past and its people. … Our ancestors are on the one hand terribly alien to us, yet we are also profoundly connected to them. They confront us with the full span of human diversity, in beautiful, frustrating, and challenging ways. We do not need to excuse them for their various sins and omissions, treating them as if they came from some wildly exotic civilization. We have the right--and the responsibility--to disagree and complain and rail against them within the framework of our common tradition, that extended argument constantly unfolding across both space and time. Even though they do not literally talk back, it is still possible to learn to hear their voices clearly. WIthout our ancestors, we can't really know what it is to be human. …to be human is to bury our dead--and, even more important, to remember where they are. …being human means possessing a deep, rich soil, layers and layers of all that has gone on before we were born. This is the kind of soil that makes life out of dead things, that connects them in a cycle of fertility and growth. We are, after all, born of the dead, taking over their physical space, their language, and their ideas--and we are the ones who will hand these over to our unborn. We the living are a ligament between the generations, the only connection between what was long ago and what is yet to come."
November 29, 2013
While this book is small in size -- only 132 pages -- it is an extremely important read for those who care about the church and about the Christian faith. We live in a place and time that is often eager to forget the past. Yet, the past has much to share with us, including much wisdom.
Margaret Bendroth is a historian serving as director of the Congregational Library in Boston. Her calling is to help congregations remember their past so that they might have a healthy future. It is a calling close to my heart.
She writes especially to Protestants who have, since the Reformation, tended to discount Tradition, confusing it with Traditionalism. She speaks to those of us who come from Restorationist traditions that not only distrust the past, but want to jump back to the origins forgetting all that has come in between.
There is spiritual value in connecting with those who preceded us. Indeed, we are connected with one another. It is what makes us human -- to remember. And, as she notes, Christians and Jews serve a God who Remembers (why else would the biblical writers encourage God to remember?).
I strongly recommend this book! It has great spiritual value.
Margaret Bendroth is a historian serving as director of the Congregational Library in Boston. Her calling is to help congregations remember their past so that they might have a healthy future. It is a calling close to my heart.
She writes especially to Protestants who have, since the Reformation, tended to discount Tradition, confusing it with Traditionalism. She speaks to those of us who come from Restorationist traditions that not only distrust the past, but want to jump back to the origins forgetting all that has come in between.
There is spiritual value in connecting with those who preceded us. Indeed, we are connected with one another. It is what makes us human -- to remember. And, as she notes, Christians and Jews serve a God who Remembers (why else would the biblical writers encourage God to remember?).
I strongly recommend this book! It has great spiritual value.
February 17, 2014
Margaret Bendroth's book reminds us all of how important it is for individuals and groups to remember and honor the past--to gather people together to re-collect the past, to recognize the past's presence and its future possibilities. Her last chapter evoked lovely images of our connections to the communion of saints and generations yet to be born. I only wish that she had continued and offered practical insight into how the discipline of noticing and remembering can be practiced, especially by groups.
January 17, 2014
Gave me a greater appreciation for history, for one thing. Presented in the context of Judaism & Christianity, but applicable to any connected group of human beings. A great read!
October 21, 2019
A wonderful meditation on memory and history.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews