Poets and Saints: Eternal Insight. Extravagant Love. Ordinary People.

by Jamie George

One of the most beautiful ways to know God better is to learn from those who served Him in other times and cultures. The poets and saints of Christian history were imperfect, yet they offer wisdom across the centuries that is as powerful today as it was to their contemporaries.
 
In Poets and Saints, Jamie George takes readers from a pub in Oxford, to a cathedral in the Italian hills, to a rooftop in Switzerland, and beyond as he offers insight into the minds and hearts of Christians such as John Newton, C. S. Lewis, and Saint Therese.

Genres: Christian, History, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Faith, Biography, Spirituality

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

Jamie George founded Journey Church in Franklin, Tennessee, as a safe haven for the religiously wounded. Acclaimed worship band All Sons & Daughters was birthed in this faith community. George is the author of Love Well and The Wisdom of Solomon, and he lives with his family in Franklin.

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok here's the thing: I really wanted to love this book. It has all the makings to be the type of book I would love: A story, creatively surged by travel, dripping with the theology of so many great Christian thinkers and set to music in a way, where the chapters are divided by different songs and their inspirations. Not to mention it is aesthetically pleasing with frequent line breaks and a beautiful clean cover. But unfortunately it just didn't deliver for me. It read more like a glorified journal, which I suppose is good enough if you are a famous artist, but when your not, the only people your personal journal appeals to are those who already know you, like your mom. I suppose I wanted not to read about the experiences, but to have my own experience through these insights and there just wasn't enough to get there.

I should say, there were some shining nuggets. There was some historical information that I found interesting and it was clear that this trip was full of eye-opening wisdom for its travelers. It was obvious that this book was written by a pastor - and probably a great pastor at that! So the pastoral moments were encouraging and a highlight. But as a book, as a literary collection of verbs and nouns and prose and flow it just wasn't interesting or exciting. I would go to hear this guy preach in a heartbeat, I'm not sure I would buy another book.

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

George is a pastor of a church in Tennessee, and recently took a “trip of a lifetime” to Europe with his teenage children and the church worship band. Apparently they filmed enough to put together a DVD, and George wrote this book about his travels and meditations along the way—part travelogue, part biography.

Each chapter describes a visited locale and provides a brief overview of a particular “poet or saint” along with some reflection on how their lives might inspire us.
For instance, when in Oxford, they visited The Eagle and Child, the favored pub of CS Lewis and the Inkings, and then uses this as a starting point to delve into the life and thought of CSL. Other figures discussed are St. Patrick, Wm Cowper, John Newton, George MacDonald, Ste. Thérèse of Lisieux, John Calvin, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Peter, and Martin Luther.

Since the book is fairly short each biography is by necessity brief. But although it may be little light, it’s not lightweight. There are still deep thoughts to ponder. Those who may not have read extensively about these figures would likely find this an enjoyable and instructive primer, and it may well inspire a deeper dive.

I enjoyed George’s message and his writing style. I suspect I might enjoy listening his sermons too. Who knows, maybe I’ll also get the chance to check out the DVD they made during the trip.

[MarkandJoy Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in a strong Christian home. I was actively involved in my church for as long as I can remember, I attended a Christian school from K-12, and I graduated from a large Christian university. In all of those years, I don't have any recollection of being taught about these poets and saints. I honestly believed that "saints" were a huge part of the catholic faith, but not of any importance to mine.

This book has given me a brand new perspective. Not only were the poets & saints instrumental to advancing the Gospel and spreading truth, they continue to influence the way we interpret scripture to this day! I found that the author's telling of their stories brings to light a deep understanding of who these men & women REALLY were. For example, I've heard John Calvin's name over & over again, but mostly in negative connotation. He's perceived by many as harsh, legalistic, & bull-headed (with good reason.) But the author shows that he also contributed to many areas of our American life. George discusses his influence on "everything from modern marriage and modern science to modern liberal government and of course modern capitalism", as well as how we as Christians worship. I was unaware that Calvin did any of that.

Overall, I was deeply moved by these stories...in fact, I can't seem to get them off of my mind. As I go through my "normal" American way of life, I wonder why I always want for more, when St. Francis rid himself of everything he owned. And why don't I find joy in my soul, instead of my surroundings, in the way St. Thérèse was able to? This book was a pleasant surprise - something that I didn't think I would be extremely interested in now permeates my daily thoughts.

[Paul Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to travel. I love to get glimpses into Heaven. I love to hear stories that draw me into the Kingdom Way. This book "Poets & Saints" scratches all these itches for me. Jamie and a band of others traveled across Europe in quest to tell the stories of some of the most popular figures of our faith FROM the actual locations where they lived. This book is filled with amazing stories of how God used broken people, very much like you and me, to advance the love story of Jesus. The author, Jamie George, has a gift of telling stories and weaving in spiritual truths that don't shame you into practicing them, but rather shift something inside your soul, causing you to pay attention. My favorite chapter of all was probably the one about C.S. Lewis and their time in England. Oxford and "The Eagle and Child" are now on my travel bucket list, and Italy just moved way up into first place (my second favorite chapter was the one on St. Francis of Assisi). I also listened to the audio book on Audible, which is read by the author, Jamie George – make sure you get that one too if you are into audio books. Next I'm gonna check out the DVD and Curriculum. Can't wait to see it.

[Laurel Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tour of Europe in search of some of the great Christians of the past. Interesting choices.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was insightful and had a lot of interesting historical information. The only reason I didn't give all 5 stars is just because some of the anecdotes weren't totally relevant or just felt a little silly, but, overall, I enjoyed the thoughtful outlook the author provided.

[Austin Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impactful stories of the real, broken people that God has redeemed to carry out his purpose. None should feel excluded from the calling of a poet or saint.

[Eugene O'Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perspectives from poets and saints. Were they perfect? No. Were they better than the average person? No. They saw God, and lived for Him.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love history but I generally don’t gravitate to 500 page tomes of works that delve into every inch of a historical event or significant people in history. Who has time for that? I was immediately intrigued when my sales rep at David C. Cook presented Poets and Saints by Jamie George. George invites us along on his European travels to dive into the lives of some of the world’s most respected Christians throughout history.

We travel to Ireland and England to follow in the footsteps of Saint Patrick, John Newton, C. S. Lewis, and George MacDonald. In France we meet Saint Therese of Lisieux before going to Switzerland and the home of John Calvin. Italy introduces us to Saint Augustine of Hippo and Saint Francis of Assisi before ending up in Israel in the footsteps of Peter.

George pulls out nuggets from each life and shows how their spiritual journey and strong convictions can influence our lives today. If you are a fan of history and get a little geeked out like me over travel memoirs then I highly recommend Poets and Saints.

[Anthony Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

There really wasn't much of a book here. The spacing between paragraphs and the one-line paragraphs really add about 30% to the length of the book with no real purposes. The stories of the individuals are great, the "application" portions are pretty generic. The trip sounds amazing. The album that goes with this book is terrific. Maybe I just expected too as a church history nerd. But I zipped through this book in a day and was relatively bored through much of it. I'd probably give this a 2.5 if I could. And I do think the group curriculum with video is probably much better.

[Cheri Hudspith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. History. Family. Journey. Music recordings too when you by the album by the same title.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this, and both times overlapped with River cruises in Europe. I wanted to read about the lives of saints while traveling through these countries and visiting churches.

[Sam Hodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited for the creative idea of this book. Putting together saints, poets, hymns, travel, memoir, and music, it had the makings of being an immersive, informative, and insightful book. The highlights of the book for me were the historical pieces about each of the saints. I appreciated the choice stories that were highlighted about each particular saint and how they tied into Jamie George’s points about the gospel. At times, however, the book felt slightly scattered and disjointed. The memoir pieces and spacing sometimes clashed with the story of that chapter’s saint and seemed to be tacked in for an intended but missed creative effect. I enjoyed listening to the album and commentary by All Sons and Daughters that accompanied the chapters of the book and feel as if the idea of tying in the music was unique and added to the writing.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to someone who wanted to start learning more about various saints.

[Casey | Essentially Novel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so unique and beautiful, and I loved it! It's part historical biography, part travel memoir, part Christian nonfiction... it doesn't fit in just one genre. The musical group All Sons & Daughters decided to take a trip, alongside some friends and a pastor, that covered the British Isles and Europe to visit towns and sites that poets and saints who contributed to the Great Commission were from. From Oxford to Assisi to Rome, I liked that as the team traveled to these towns the author shares a few details from an experience they had there to a brief overview of that location's poet or saint's story, as well as took some time to point out things we can learn from their life and questions for our faith to reflect on. This book isn't meant to be anything truly in-depth, whether with these individual's histories or even the biblical truths, but it was fun to go on the journey with the AS&D's team as they engaged firsthand with the legacy these poets and saints left behind.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part travelogue, part hagiography, part devotional, and part promotion. The author shares a trip he made with his children through parts of Europe. He connects each site of his visit with a historical figure from church history. He also provides a short devotional thought connecting a concept for Christian living with a saint that exemplifies some aspect of that concept. Unfortunately, his biographies of the Christian historical figures is cursory and sometimes inadequate. He needed to spend more time on his historical research, perhaps then he would not have confused Wittenberg and Wittenburg. There is also a bit of promotion of his sons' musical projects. The devotionals are alright and this could serve as a small introduction to certain historical figures. It mainly serves as an example of how to take a family trip and expense it as a business trip if you make it into a book.

[Charles Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, like the album that accompanied it, had some pleasant moments, and others that were less enjoyable. The book explores key influences, notably C.S. Lewis, but also a collage that comes together (at times crashes together) including some vague Christians, some Catholics, some Reformers, etc. It's quite a hodge-podge. The book tries hard to be eloquently artistic, as well as emotionally authentic (whatever that means), and at times it feels like they are pulling your leg, meanwhile at other times it feels like a warm embrace. It's not a bad book, but both theologically and stylistically there is some room for disagreement. At the end of the day, it's got some insight nuggets and it produces some good devotional material (in the book, and in the album).

[Darlena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I love the premise: exploring the lives of poets and saints, how their lives were shaped by God and how they helped change the world. But the book did not deliver. The author’s travelogue was distracting and the stories added very little to the stated purpose of the book. Even his stories of the poets and saints were often disjointed and shallow. I think it needed a good editor to make it more cohesive. I finished it because I was interested in the people he was writing about. And, honestly, there were a few good nuggets in the book, so it wasn’t a total waste of time.

[Joel Born · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good primer for looking further into the men and women he writes about. And there are some really good thoughts.

But the format was a bit confusing, mainly that I never knew what point he was trying to make, as well as some confusing theology (such as the brief moment where a statue of Mary apparently healed Therese).

Also, the journal aspect left me wanting. Without a main point, I kept thinking, “so what?” “So what if you forgot to take the lens cap off the camera” “so what if you know a guy with lots of money and a museum for a home?” And i don’t mean in a rude way, but in a “how does this inform my thoughts on the main point” kind of way.

[May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 3.5 or even 3.75 stars. It was a good read and had many nuggets that make it worth reading for sure. A lot of the book was about the author's personal travel experience in Europe, and while that was anecdotal, it made the book more like a blog in some ways.I think I expected it to be more tied to the songs that inspired All Sons & Daughters' album of the same name. All in all, a good read.

[Caitlin Markle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5-Part biography, part travel journal, part spiritual reflection...all centered on the lives of influential writers and holy humans. I really enjoyed this. As a Catholic, I appreciated the ecumenical tone and respectful handling of Catholic figures (though I wish he'd recognized St. Therese's belief in the True Presence when discussing communion). Also loved the album that's connected with the project and can't wait to watch the documentary they were making at the same time.

[Margaret Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of some very historic lives in Christendom. I appreciated how George looked not only at the most popular names like C.S.Lewis, St. Francis and Martin Luther, but also some 'lesser known' people who were poets and/or hymns writers. I also enjoyed the humor, humbleness and transparency of the author who takes us with him on his journey around Europe, looking at some of the key places where these people lived. An applicable and encouraging read.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good study resource

A solid book to use in a group. It, and the beautiful participants' guide foster great discussion. I wouldn't bother reading it alone; there's just not enough there without group involvement. And perhaps more women should have been included. But still good.

[Daniel L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing insights. Superb clarity and perspective.

Jamie writes from the heart of a poet, and appreciates the record of history and those who blazed the trail before us... warts and all. God is as personal and accessible as He has ever intended to be, and the craft of the poet, musician, and gardener assist us to draw near. Thanks Jamie. Well done sir.

[Jen Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

I genuinely do appreciate the author writing this book and sharing his experience of traveling Europe and studying various people whose lives became vital to the Christian faith today. The stories themselves were just lack cohesion in my opinion which made this a less entertaining read than I had anticipated.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

maybe I expected too much because I am a poet but we were real light on the poets in this book and real heavy on the saints

it was a quick and easy read
I loved the line, "perhaps God is coming to you disguised as your life." but I think that was the best part of the book

take it or leave it i suppose

total score: a solid 3/5 stars

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I needed right now. What an interesting outlook on poets and saints. And to think we are all vital. We are all poets and saints that God will use. We all have a song to sing, a story to tell.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a smattering of biography, personal journal, and devotion. I enjoyed reading the author's experiences trekking across Europe to visit the places of these amazing individuals; however, the biological content was a bit cursory, and the devotional/reflective content was a bit light.

[Roger Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book, allowed me to travel back in time and meet the saints and poets of the past! A history of the church that is witty and creative. A book that gave me a wholehearted love for their story and my story.

[Bret Legg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was refreshing in that it presented key times in religious history in a way that was readable, enjoyable, and personally challenging. Even if you don’t know anything about history (or even enjoy history) you will be drawn into this book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Love like poets. Live like saints" - I enjoyed the format, the blend of biography and spiritual formation. Inspiring read.