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Genesis #1
And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings
Book #1 of The Genesis Trilogy. This special reissue of a classic work of spirituality from the author of A Wrinkle in Time offers life-transforming insights on the rich heritage of the Bible and shows how the characters of this ancient text are relevant for living the good life now. Includes a new reader's guide.
In the first book of her Genesis Trilogy, beloved author Madeleine L'Engle casts long, loving, and perceptive glances not only at the created universe but also at its Creator. L'Engle often crafted stories that dealt with the complexities of the universe, navigating time and space, religion and science, with uncanny ease and insight. This skill--most famously demonstrated in A Wrinkle in Time--is showcased in this nonfiction work, And It Was Good, through her ability to see the connection between Made and Maker at every level. She examines the vast beauty, order, and complexity of our world with enthusiasm and reverence, illuminating the characteristics of God, the first poet.
Madeleine L'Engle possesses the same ambidextrous skill of storytelling as other literary giants, including C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald. Her fictional stories appeal to generations of readers, and are equally embraced in both the secular and religious markets. But it is her ability in her nonfiction to engage with the historical text of the Bible through a dynamic unpacking of protagonists, antagonists, and matters of faith that establishes The Genesis Trilogy as a highly treasured collection of spiritual writings. And It Was Good beautifully approaches both the biblical text and creation itself with an intelligence and sensitivity that appeals to all seekers looking for a fresh communion with God in the natural world.
In the first book of her Genesis Trilogy, beloved author Madeleine L'Engle casts long, loving, and perceptive glances not only at the created universe but also at its Creator. L'Engle often crafted stories that dealt with the complexities of the universe, navigating time and space, religion and science, with uncanny ease and insight. This skill--most famously demonstrated in A Wrinkle in Time--is showcased in this nonfiction work, And It Was Good, through her ability to see the connection between Made and Maker at every level. She examines the vast beauty, order, and complexity of our world with enthusiasm and reverence, illuminating the characteristics of God, the first poet.
Madeleine L'Engle possesses the same ambidextrous skill of storytelling as other literary giants, including C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald. Her fictional stories appeal to generations of readers, and are equally embraced in both the secular and religious markets. But it is her ability in her nonfiction to engage with the historical text of the Bible through a dynamic unpacking of protagonists, antagonists, and matters of faith that establishes The Genesis Trilogy as a highly treasured collection of spiritual writings. And It Was Good beautifully approaches both the biblical text and creation itself with an intelligence and sensitivity that appeals to all seekers looking for a fresh communion with God in the natural world.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
98 people are currently reading
1860 people want to read
About the author
Madeleine L'Engle
206 books9,130 followersMadeleine L'Engle was an American writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young adult fiction, including A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels: A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. Her works reflect both her Christian faith and her strong interest in modern science.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
November 18, 2016
I'll just say two things about this book because my rating says most of it.
One, my dad and I were reading this book together. I read aloud to him. I've read many books to my dad over the years, and my mom overhears me all the time. Never once has she sat down to listen too. Until this book. She actually stopped what she was doing (once my mom is doing something, she, like most moms, is unstoppable) and sat to listen! More than once! Most recently, she had intense mouth surgery and wanted to rest. She was doing laundry (see note above about unstoppable moms) and ended up listening to the rest of the book (over 10 pages).
Two, there are several passages L'Engle wrote that stuck with me and gave me a different perspective on my faith and on my life. I can't ask more than that from any book.
That's it :) My love for L'Engle is apparent in even a cursory scan of my other reads and TBRs.
One, my dad and I were reading this book together. I read aloud to him. I've read many books to my dad over the years, and my mom overhears me all the time. Never once has she sat down to listen too. Until this book. She actually stopped what she was doing (once my mom is doing something, she, like most moms, is unstoppable) and sat to listen! More than once! Most recently, she had intense mouth surgery and wanted to rest. She was doing laundry (see note above about unstoppable moms) and ended up listening to the rest of the book (over 10 pages).
Two, there are several passages L'Engle wrote that stuck with me and gave me a different perspective on my faith and on my life. I can't ask more than that from any book.
That's it :) My love for L'Engle is apparent in even a cursory scan of my other reads and TBRs.
March 30, 2023
This magnificent and inspirational book by Madeleine L'Engle is a little treasure as she explores what it means to have faith, grounding it in the Bible's book of Genesis, which she describes as a book of contradiction and paradox—just like the lives we live today. This is the first of a three-part series examining the mighty lessons of Genesis.
And if you think Genesis is boring, think again. The first book of the Bible has stories about sex, the supernatural, violence, murder, and the strange, sci-fi like story of Enoch disappearing from the face of the Earth. It should be a bestseller!
But L'Engle does so much more than recount, for example, Adam and Eve being summarily kicked out of the Garden of Eden. She delves into these big and bold Old Testament stories with a twist. She uses her novelist's fertile imagination to wonder what these characters were thinking and feeling and doing between the lines of the Bible, and the result is Wondrous. Read a short story embedded right in the text about what it was like for Eve to give birth to Cain—the first baby ever born, as well as a story about what Cain's life was like.
Later in the book, there is the story of Abraham obeying God's word to sacrifice his son Isaac, a dreadful act that was interrupted when the angel told him to stop. A ram whose horns were caught in the thicket was sacrificed instead. Poor ram! L'Engle has written a wonderful poem from the ram's point of view that adds such richness to this biblical story of horror.
Here is the best part: The point in her recounting of the Genesis stories is to relate how much these ancient characters have to tell us about our own lives today.
In addition, much of the book includes L'Engle's own faith discoveries and contemplations, including her thoughts on how the Earth was formed, evolution, temptation, miracles, free will, the Second Coming, forgiveness, knowledge, astrophysics, and the universe. She doesn't shy away from those hot-button issues that can get so many in trouble. Her thoughts and explanations are clearly written and understandable and often poetic. At no point does she tie herself up in philosophical knots.
Bonus: Find out how to pray—truly talk to God, including the meditative Jesus Prayer, contemplative prayer, intercessory prayer, and more.
And if you think Genesis is boring, think again. The first book of the Bible has stories about sex, the supernatural, violence, murder, and the strange, sci-fi like story of Enoch disappearing from the face of the Earth. It should be a bestseller!
But L'Engle does so much more than recount, for example, Adam and Eve being summarily kicked out of the Garden of Eden. She delves into these big and bold Old Testament stories with a twist. She uses her novelist's fertile imagination to wonder what these characters were thinking and feeling and doing between the lines of the Bible, and the result is Wondrous. Read a short story embedded right in the text about what it was like for Eve to give birth to Cain—the first baby ever born, as well as a story about what Cain's life was like.
Later in the book, there is the story of Abraham obeying God's word to sacrifice his son Isaac, a dreadful act that was interrupted when the angel told him to stop. A ram whose horns were caught in the thicket was sacrificed instead. Poor ram! L'Engle has written a wonderful poem from the ram's point of view that adds such richness to this biblical story of horror.
Here is the best part: The point in her recounting of the Genesis stories is to relate how much these ancient characters have to tell us about our own lives today.
In addition, much of the book includes L'Engle's own faith discoveries and contemplations, including her thoughts on how the Earth was formed, evolution, temptation, miracles, free will, the Second Coming, forgiveness, knowledge, astrophysics, and the universe. She doesn't shy away from those hot-button issues that can get so many in trouble. Her thoughts and explanations are clearly written and understandable and often poetic. At no point does she tie herself up in philosophical knots.
Bonus: Find out how to pray—truly talk to God, including the meditative Jesus Prayer, contemplative prayer, intercessory prayer, and more.
November 20, 2023
This was a fascinating book for so many reasons. L’Engle has a tendency to say things here that seem intentionally controversial (“my religion is subject to change without notice”, “I am still agnostic, but before I was an unhappy one and now I’m a happy one”, “God will redeem all things”, etc.). This was intriguing because she almost desired people to be put off by what she said and then (over the course of the paragraph, conversation, or the length of the book) came to elaborate in a way that felt theologically sound.
There were several chapters in particular I found challenging and insightful. I think reading and engaging with theological perspectives that don’t align with our own is such a healthy practice as people of faith. When we surround ourselves exclusively with others who interpret scripture in exactly the same way we do there is a tendency to fall under the illusion that our perspective is “right”. When we arrogantly believe that we are exempt from falsely interpreting scripture we trap ourselves in a dangerous theology. For me, this book included great examples of hermeneutics that often made me uncomfortable and challenged me in the best way possible.
There were chapters that showcase L’Engle’s out-of-the-box thinking, like the chapters written as short story narratives of the first birth and the murder of Abel. These were thoughtful in ways I feel often only “creatives” are able to be, but L’Engle begins with the challenge that we are all called to be co-creators as we experience God. It was convicting to me about how often I am willing to truly co-create as I attempt to understand God.
I would have loved to sit down and have coffee (or tea) and pick her brain on some of the points she left unexplored – like what she meant by saying that (in defense to being called a universalist) she doesn’t believe all people are “saved” but she does believe “God will redeem all things”. She makes this statement at several points in which the context gives credence to people accusing her of being universalist, so I would have liked to explore this a bit more in this book, but perhaps she elaborates in her other works. I have my own assumptions, but it would have been interesting to read her own perspective.
I won’t say I walked away in alignment with all of L’Engle’s interpretations (though often I was), but more than anything I finished reading feeling simultaneously challenged and encouraged. I want to (and likely will) keep reading the series.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“I deepen my faith, not only by exercising it, but by reading scripture, and contemplating the mighty acts of God. And perhaps most of all, by being near people of faith, for faith is beautifully contagious.”
“I am gradually learning to turn everything over to God, sometimes, grudgingly, often argumentatively (like my favorite Old Testament characters), but I am still learning.”
“I learn my lessons slowly, seldom once for all. Continually they have to be learned and relearned, not with solemnity, but with awe and laughter and joy.”
“When we lose our sense of wonder we become dissatisfied with who we are… It is this awareness of the marvelousness of creation which helps to keep dissatisfaction away; rejoicing in and being wholly satisfied with being God’s co-creators is a prayer of protection.”
There were several chapters in particular I found challenging and insightful. I think reading and engaging with theological perspectives that don’t align with our own is such a healthy practice as people of faith. When we surround ourselves exclusively with others who interpret scripture in exactly the same way we do there is a tendency to fall under the illusion that our perspective is “right”. When we arrogantly believe that we are exempt from falsely interpreting scripture we trap ourselves in a dangerous theology. For me, this book included great examples of hermeneutics that often made me uncomfortable and challenged me in the best way possible.
There were chapters that showcase L’Engle’s out-of-the-box thinking, like the chapters written as short story narratives of the first birth and the murder of Abel. These were thoughtful in ways I feel often only “creatives” are able to be, but L’Engle begins with the challenge that we are all called to be co-creators as we experience God. It was convicting to me about how often I am willing to truly co-create as I attempt to understand God.
I would have loved to sit down and have coffee (or tea) and pick her brain on some of the points she left unexplored – like what she meant by saying that (in defense to being called a universalist) she doesn’t believe all people are “saved” but she does believe “God will redeem all things”. She makes this statement at several points in which the context gives credence to people accusing her of being universalist, so I would have liked to explore this a bit more in this book, but perhaps she elaborates in her other works. I have my own assumptions, but it would have been interesting to read her own perspective.
I won’t say I walked away in alignment with all of L’Engle’s interpretations (though often I was), but more than anything I finished reading feeling simultaneously challenged and encouraged. I want to (and likely will) keep reading the series.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“I deepen my faith, not only by exercising it, but by reading scripture, and contemplating the mighty acts of God. And perhaps most of all, by being near people of faith, for faith is beautifully contagious.”
“I am gradually learning to turn everything over to God, sometimes, grudgingly, often argumentatively (like my favorite Old Testament characters), but I am still learning.”
“I learn my lessons slowly, seldom once for all. Continually they have to be learned and relearned, not with solemnity, but with awe and laughter and joy.”
“When we lose our sense of wonder we become dissatisfied with who we are… It is this awareness of the marvelousness of creation which helps to keep dissatisfaction away; rejoicing in and being wholly satisfied with being God’s co-creators is a prayer of protection.”
Read
February 1, 2021Did not read. This was for my 2021 book challenge but didn't pan out the way I hoped. It was from the early 1980s and showed it in the way L'Engle is noodling around with thoughts about faith and religion and personal approaches. Most of it was unexceptional and, I must admit, occasionally inspiring. However, there was enough of a New Agey feel and approach that made it feel just relativist enough that it kept kicking me out of the book mentally. No need for that! I can continue enjoying her fiction instead.
April 7, 2018
This is a very lovely book full of inspiring thoughts from one of my favorite childhood authors. I thank my friend Courtney for giving me this book for Christmas!
July 25, 2025
Another paradigm shifting work from my friend and mentor Madeline.
Every time I engage with her work it as if she whispers:
Yes, this way - deeper into the unknowing, where all you have been taught unravels, and all you have hoped to be true about you, God, and the universe shines like uncut gems - hidden deep in the cavern of your heart.
She teaches me to embrace the Great Mystery and every chapter stirs my heart and imagination to God. She also some of the most paradigm shifting thoughts about time.
Every time I engage with her work it as if she whispers:
Yes, this way - deeper into the unknowing, where all you have been taught unravels, and all you have hoped to be true about you, God, and the universe shines like uncut gems - hidden deep in the cavern of your heart.
She teaches me to embrace the Great Mystery and every chapter stirs my heart and imagination to God. She also some of the most paradigm shifting thoughts about time.
March 5, 2025
ML’s nonfiction has yet to disappoint. Makes me appreciate her children’s books even more. The book reminds me of having coffee and discussion with someone from a completely different part of the country, on a different end of the Christian spectrum but walking away knowing she is a fellow pilgrim and a sister in Christ.
April 1, 2022
I always knew L'Engle for her fiction. I've fallen for her nonfiction though. She's so logical. We laid on similar conclusions. Every word asks for grace for all of humanity. This look at Genesis, etc. was thoughtful and helpful.
August 8, 2012
A truthful account of how L'Engle has struggled with her own faith and Christianity. Not preachy, or even necessarily a book of philosophy, but a book of discovery. A refreshing read.
April 11, 2021
I really enjoyed this read; L'Engle's work is well-written, but it doesn't try to be hyper-polished or hide under a veneer of an academic structure. Instead, And It Was Good embraces a more essayistic side which, for me, just made it feel more human. So many scholars write with such certainty, and while there's a time and a place for that, it's nice to see that some smart people doubt, too. Because of this, I thought And It Was Good was a really nice change of pace from some of the more intellectually rigorous theological texts I've read.
I was also a big fan of how L'Engle focuses upon the mysticism inherent in Christianity in a much more personal, accessible way. Her definition of faith is a large and beautiful one, encompassing an ability to admit she is wrong and asserting that there is always room to more fully know God. In the process, she writes with a humanity and empathy that often seems to be lacking in the church as I know it today; we are so caught up with what God means for us that we do not stop to think about who God is. Or, if we do bother to think about who God is, we rush to limit and define el (to take a page out of L'Engle's book), to proclaim that God must be X or must be Y.
I also loved And It Was Good's thoughtfulness on the issues of its day. I found it particularly reassuring that a text published in 1983 could so clearly be trying to work through questions of social justice and how religion and science can and should mesh, particularly because many of these questions seem to still linger, albeit in a slightly different form. L'Engle's willingness to accept change encourages me as I try to work through expanding my own view of what it means to love others.
I was also a big fan of how L'Engle focuses upon the mysticism inherent in Christianity in a much more personal, accessible way. Her definition of faith is a large and beautiful one, encompassing an ability to admit she is wrong and asserting that there is always room to more fully know God. In the process, she writes with a humanity and empathy that often seems to be lacking in the church as I know it today; we are so caught up with what God means for us that we do not stop to think about who God is. Or, if we do bother to think about who God is, we rush to limit and define el (to take a page out of L'Engle's book), to proclaim that God must be X or must be Y.
I also loved And It Was Good's thoughtfulness on the issues of its day. I found it particularly reassuring that a text published in 1983 could so clearly be trying to work through questions of social justice and how religion and science can and should mesh, particularly because many of these questions seem to still linger, albeit in a slightly different form. L'Engle's willingness to accept change encourages me as I try to work through expanding my own view of what it means to love others.
November 4, 2024
read during duration of vikings game.
felt like a convo w a friend. lots and lots of underlining
felt like a convo w a friend. lots and lots of underlining
January 25, 2021
I happened upon this book at the recommendation of a friend. Reading L’engle is like a fine meal. There is so much to appreciate in her language and imagination.
This would be a fitting book for a Bible study group yearning to see the greater story through Genesis. She brings to life the biblical characters and God’s unending merciful presence.
This would be a fitting book for a Bible study group yearning to see the greater story through Genesis. She brings to life the biblical characters and God’s unending merciful presence.
October 16, 2025
And it WAS good. I’m still trying to figure out how I really feel about L'Engle— I was not a big fan of A Wrinkle in Time (I know, I know), but I did enjoy this one (even if her random, scattered writing style frustrated me at times) and found much of it resonating with me. This one is an interesting and introspective look at Genesis with many thoughts, retelling, and questions sprinkled throughout. It’s one I couldn’t rush through, but enjoyed coming back to in small doses over the last month.
September 12, 2019
Very poignantly written. Reminds me that the current situation, which may seem so futile and hopeless, is only one small part in a much larger, much more encompassing story that God has written for us.
February 5, 2024
This is a tough book both to categorize and to rate. It is part memoir, part short story, part poetry, part theological pondering. There are probably more parts I am overlooking. I found several passages to be quite profound and I am eager to continue the trilogy. At this season of life and this season of the culture in which I live, I find myself especially hungry to hear from the hearts and minds postured like L'Engle's - rooted in humility, awe, faith, and wonder.
April 7, 2024
Finally got through this gem. Great nighttime reading.
L'Engle has a way of bringing truth to life in a way that facts just can't measure up to. I'm grateful to her for bringing some of these Genesis stories to life.
L'Engle has a way of bringing truth to life in a way that facts just can't measure up to. I'm grateful to her for bringing some of these Genesis stories to life.
January 4, 2020
So this was a great time to finish this book as I am in Genesis as I begin reading through the Bible this year chronologically. Madeline always gives me so much to think and pray about as she helps me encounter the story in Scripture. Putting the second book on my TBR.
November 28, 2021
This author always helps me look at things I think I'm familiar with in a different way, which I appreciate.
November 30, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. L’Engle brought genuine insight to the Book of Genesis, with a wonderful mixture of thoughtfulness, humanity, and wry humor.
October 4, 2024
This was one of those books that you have to carry around with a highlighter because you can't bear to forget what you've just read. I'm so glad I stumbled over this book in a thrift store.
October 11, 2020
I love her and that's that!
August 20, 2019
I had not had this on my radar before finding it in a Used Book Store last year. I tucked it into my morning read pile and read a few pages at a time. I love L'Engle's gentle words and the way that she used the Book of Genesis (and in fact, only the first few stories - I gather it is a three book series for the entire book) as a launching point to work out ideas on faith, life, love, pain, and grace.
January 13, 2019
Lovely!
I love L’Engle’s writing, but especially enjoyed this book as I’m reading through Genesis. I love her thoughtful approach, and openness to learning. “My religion is subject to change without notice.” I have grown out of some parts of my religion and into a closer walk with the Lord without losing my faith. What a wonderful gift to have those words to describe my journey. I don’t think she would mind my borrowing them.
I love L’Engle’s writing, but especially enjoyed this book as I’m reading through Genesis. I love her thoughtful approach, and openness to learning. “My religion is subject to change without notice.” I have grown out of some parts of my religion and into a closer walk with the Lord without losing my faith. What a wonderful gift to have those words to describe my journey. I don’t think she would mind my borrowing them.
August 6, 2020
Check out my review on BookTube! https://youtu.be/cMQ1dTwsekc
Re-reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle made me curious about the author herself so I started reading her memoirs. It was through her memoirs that I found a kindred spirit and her presence now appears often among my recent reads.
And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings is the first in The Genesis Trilogy and its essays and stories cover creation to Abraham.
I read all my books with a pen in hand, but it was essential for this book. One of the themes I found interesting within the book was the idea of the feminine and masculine being present together in the image of God.
Genesis 1: 26-27, Madeleine used this passage to illustrate that "both male and female go to make the image of God." Later in the text, she discusses that although many take the assumption of Mary into heaven literally, she appreciates the viewpoint that it shows an attempt to return the feminine to the Godhead. She feels it's important to understand both the feminine and masculine within each of us.
She continues with the image of God, later discussing how we co-create the image of God hand in hand with others.
"Any single one of us, alone, cannot be the image of God; discovering that image within us is not a do-it-yourself activity. Before I can be an icon of the image of God, I must be with someone else, hand in hand."
We are our most free when we see this interconnection and interdependence yet our society today values independence and speaks badly of those who rely on the help of others to survive. This attempt to be independent pushes us further apart from one another. Madeleine feels it's imperative to move closer together so that our circles may overlap once again.
I'm curious what she'd think of our current situation with such separation between those who are different. One of the things I really appreciate about my new formal presence on YouTube are the channels like Lukas's (Totally Pretentious) in which people are free to have open discussions articulating their thoughts and beliefs without any pressure to conform or convert others to a specific viewpoint. This is the respectful discourse that is not only possible but needed in our world to build community.
"Compassion means to be with, to share, to overlap, no matter how difficult or painful it may be."
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in viewing Genesis from a different perspective. Madeleine L'Engle is a creative with a deep fascination with science and brings her whole self into this book creating a very unique spin on things.
Re-reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle made me curious about the author herself so I started reading her memoirs. It was through her memoirs that I found a kindred spirit and her presence now appears often among my recent reads.
And It Was Good: Reflections on Beginnings is the first in The Genesis Trilogy and its essays and stories cover creation to Abraham.
I read all my books with a pen in hand, but it was essential for this book. One of the themes I found interesting within the book was the idea of the feminine and masculine being present together in the image of God.
Genesis 1: 26-27, Madeleine used this passage to illustrate that "both male and female go to make the image of God." Later in the text, she discusses that although many take the assumption of Mary into heaven literally, she appreciates the viewpoint that it shows an attempt to return the feminine to the Godhead. She feels it's important to understand both the feminine and masculine within each of us.
She continues with the image of God, later discussing how we co-create the image of God hand in hand with others.
"Any single one of us, alone, cannot be the image of God; discovering that image within us is not a do-it-yourself activity. Before I can be an icon of the image of God, I must be with someone else, hand in hand."
We are our most free when we see this interconnection and interdependence yet our society today values independence and speaks badly of those who rely on the help of others to survive. This attempt to be independent pushes us further apart from one another. Madeleine feels it's imperative to move closer together so that our circles may overlap once again.
I'm curious what she'd think of our current situation with such separation between those who are different. One of the things I really appreciate about my new formal presence on YouTube are the channels like Lukas's (Totally Pretentious) in which people are free to have open discussions articulating their thoughts and beliefs without any pressure to conform or convert others to a specific viewpoint. This is the respectful discourse that is not only possible but needed in our world to build community.
"Compassion means to be with, to share, to overlap, no matter how difficult or painful it may be."
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in viewing Genesis from a different perspective. Madeleine L'Engle is a creative with a deep fascination with science and brings her whole self into this book creating a very unique spin on things.
March 10, 2021
If you want to understand why so many Episcopal priests and laity are obsessed with an author who is primarily known for her YA fiction, it probably does NOT make sense to start with her non-fiction. So first of all, my bad. But I put this one down a little over half-way through and probably won’t be picking it up again.
This book contains Madeline L’Engle’s meditations on the first few bits of Genesis- the various creation myths, and Abraham. The meditations come from a distinctly Christian perspective- L’Engle finds the Trinity throughout a decidedly non-Trinitarian text. The devil and associated fallen angels appear throughout, despite these characters not really appearing at all in Genesis. And there’s a general “Love wins, God is good at all times” cheer running in the text, even when it seems out of place, especially in the pre-Abraham myth section.
There are some good bits- L’Engle makes a few attempts at expanding some stories with her own fiction, which tends to be entertaining. But unfortunately, those bits get lost in her meandering thoughts, and loads of half-baked ideas that get tossed out without much examination or development, including a one-paragraph reference to ancient aliens. (Is that pre-flood reference to angels having relations with human women actually a story about aliens? Who knows! Look at those crazy drawings in Peru! Peru sure is a strange place. But anyway, Noah!) L’Engle further dabbles in trying to make the early chapters of Genesis into a historical record (one day in your eye is a thousand in mine, so maybe those seven days really were millions of years), when it seems much more realistic and satisfying to try to find insight into early Jewish philosophical or moral belief in Genesis’ narrative and leave it at that.
I’m the first to admit that my dissatisfaction probably stems from the fact that I was hoping for a very different book. And that book has been written well by many others, so it’s a bit unfair for me to fault L’Engle for not writing it. But even for what it is, some more editing would have been in order.
I might still try to read A Wrinkle in Time to give L’Engle a fair shot. But this one ain’t doing it for me, and it’s going back to the library before I sink any more time into it.
This book contains Madeline L’Engle’s meditations on the first few bits of Genesis- the various creation myths, and Abraham. The meditations come from a distinctly Christian perspective- L’Engle finds the Trinity throughout a decidedly non-Trinitarian text. The devil and associated fallen angels appear throughout, despite these characters not really appearing at all in Genesis. And there’s a general “Love wins, God is good at all times” cheer running in the text, even when it seems out of place, especially in the pre-Abraham myth section.
There are some good bits- L’Engle makes a few attempts at expanding some stories with her own fiction, which tends to be entertaining. But unfortunately, those bits get lost in her meandering thoughts, and loads of half-baked ideas that get tossed out without much examination or development, including a one-paragraph reference to ancient aliens. (Is that pre-flood reference to angels having relations with human women actually a story about aliens? Who knows! Look at those crazy drawings in Peru! Peru sure is a strange place. But anyway, Noah!) L’Engle further dabbles in trying to make the early chapters of Genesis into a historical record (one day in your eye is a thousand in mine, so maybe those seven days really were millions of years), when it seems much more realistic and satisfying to try to find insight into early Jewish philosophical or moral belief in Genesis’ narrative and leave it at that.
I’m the first to admit that my dissatisfaction probably stems from the fact that I was hoping for a very different book. And that book has been written well by many others, so it’s a bit unfair for me to fault L’Engle for not writing it. But even for what it is, some more editing would have been in order.
I might still try to read A Wrinkle in Time to give L’Engle a fair shot. But this one ain’t doing it for me, and it’s going back to the library before I sink any more time into it.
February 24, 2016
Madeleine L'Engle has been a steady presence throughout my life. She was not a perfect person, nor a perfect writer but that does not diminish her impact on my life or her writings on my own opinions and ideas. I prefer my heroes to be honest instead of perfect. And this is a very honest book. It flows from one thought to the next with barely a thread of continuity and yet it all comes from one mind and heart and it all points to One so that it holds together, each truth building on the next and reinforcing the previous.
If you are very sure of your theology this will be an uncomfortable to book read. If you are dogmatic about your religious beliefs, you will find much to be offended at and plenty to criticize. Even if you agree with L'Engle's basic premise you will probably find yourself shaking your head here and there. But isn't that what the best books do? Make you question and squirm? This is one squirmy book and I highly recommend it to everyone.
If you are very sure of your theology this will be an uncomfortable to book read. If you are dogmatic about your religious beliefs, you will find much to be offended at and plenty to criticize. Even if you agree with L'Engle's basic premise you will probably find yourself shaking your head here and there. But isn't that what the best books do? Make you question and squirm? This is one squirmy book and I highly recommend it to everyone.
March 8, 2014
It was difficult for me to decide whether to give this book 3 stars or 4 stars. I chose to give it 4 because L'Engle addresses many of the questions/musings I've had over the past 20 years, and she does it in a thoughtful, intelligent way. I did find her use of the word "el" as a pronoun odd; it distracts and detracts from her discussion of the Maker. I understand that it was L'Engle's way of showing that God transcends gender, but I thought it unnecessary. Overall I enjoyed the book very much.
December 11, 2021
Madeleine’s writing is so sharp. This is the third nonfiction piece of hers I’ve read. It is criminal that, in faith circles, we do not review her spiritual writings with the same fervor or treat her with the same respect as someone like C.S. Lewis. She marvels at the universe and this caused me to marvel too.
September 25, 2010
Madeleine L'Engle ALWAYS makes me think. I do not always agree with her, but I am always forced to think more about what I DO believe, and why.
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April 6, 2023This book is ostensibly about Madeleine L’Engle reading her way through the book of Genesis, and writing about the thoughts brought to mind by the text. She does that. She retells the stories of creation, of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Abraham and Lot, Abraham and Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael, Abraham and Isaac. And some of the best parts are her enlarging on the scripture with fiction (her short stories of “The First Birth” and “The First Death”) or poetry (about the ram used for Isaac’s sacrifice).
As for her rambling reflections, I suspect she writes the things that were on her mind at the time, and she could probably have stuck those same topics just as easily to a discussion of any scripture. But she writes about creation, and our roles as humans to be co-creators with God. She writes about the plural nature of God, and the feminine aspects of God, the non-contradictory nature of religion and science. She writes a lot about prayer.
I read this book many years ago, in my impressionable youth, and I was surprised to discover how much had stuck with me. One of those things was the Jesus prayer, which I did adopt, and found it to be a powerful tool for calming anxiety.
I remembered her love of nature: walks in the woods, gardening, swimming, picking wildflowers, lying on the star-watching rock. (Although all that must have taken place pre-Lyme disease, because there is no hint of the anxiety that tinges my own love for nature.)
One of the things that I found I had forgotten was Madeleine’s use of “el” as a pronoun to apply to God. “El” was one of the names for God used in the Hebrew scriptures, in Genesis in particular, and Madeleine thought it could solve the problem of non-sexist language for God, as “el” was neither masculine nor feminine. It could have. But it didn’t. So, many years later, Madeleine’s use of “el” sounds like Madeleine trying “to make fetch happen.”
(The problem ended up being solved by people using no pronoun for God, but simply repeating the word God. Instead of “Does God get what el wants?” we get “Does God get what God wants?” It sounds awkward at first, but you do get used to it. The problem of non-sexist language in general ended up being solved by the use of they/their as a singular. I suspect Madeleine would have hated that. Many people do, but we, as English speakers, couldn’t come up with something better, so that’s what we settled on.)
I revisited Madeleine L’Engle’s work again, after so many years, because I was looking for her thoughts on what has been called her universalism. She claims that she is not a universalist, because to believe that God waves God’s hand and lets everyone out of hell would violate our free will. She does not elaborate here, but I presume she means that people are always free to reject God, and some always will.
But she does believe in “lots and lots of mercy.” She believes God loves all people, and desires to save all people, and shouldn’t God get what God wants? She said she believes in a God who cannot fail, and she believes that so strongly that it is the note on which she ends the book. And I think that is another thing that has stuck with me all these years.
As for her rambling reflections, I suspect she writes the things that were on her mind at the time, and she could probably have stuck those same topics just as easily to a discussion of any scripture. But she writes about creation, and our roles as humans to be co-creators with God. She writes about the plural nature of God, and the feminine aspects of God, the non-contradictory nature of religion and science. She writes a lot about prayer.
I read this book many years ago, in my impressionable youth, and I was surprised to discover how much had stuck with me. One of those things was the Jesus prayer, which I did adopt, and found it to be a powerful tool for calming anxiety.
I remembered her love of nature: walks in the woods, gardening, swimming, picking wildflowers, lying on the star-watching rock. (Although all that must have taken place pre-Lyme disease, because there is no hint of the anxiety that tinges my own love for nature.)
One of the things that I found I had forgotten was Madeleine’s use of “el” as a pronoun to apply to God. “El” was one of the names for God used in the Hebrew scriptures, in Genesis in particular, and Madeleine thought it could solve the problem of non-sexist language for God, as “el” was neither masculine nor feminine. It could have. But it didn’t. So, many years later, Madeleine’s use of “el” sounds like Madeleine trying “to make fetch happen.”
(The problem ended up being solved by people using no pronoun for God, but simply repeating the word God. Instead of “Does God get what el wants?” we get “Does God get what God wants?” It sounds awkward at first, but you do get used to it. The problem of non-sexist language in general ended up being solved by the use of they/their as a singular. I suspect Madeleine would have hated that. Many people do, but we, as English speakers, couldn’t come up with something better, so that’s what we settled on.)
I revisited Madeleine L’Engle’s work again, after so many years, because I was looking for her thoughts on what has been called her universalism. She claims that she is not a universalist, because to believe that God waves God’s hand and lets everyone out of hell would violate our free will. She does not elaborate here, but I presume she means that people are always free to reject God, and some always will.
But she does believe in “lots and lots of mercy.” She believes God loves all people, and desires to save all people, and shouldn’t God get what God wants? She said she believes in a God who cannot fail, and she believes that so strongly that it is the note on which she ends the book. And I think that is another thing that has stuck with me all these years.
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