Bright Evening Star: Mystery of the Incarnation

by Madeleine L'Engle

For over fifty years, L'Engle has been delighting and inspiring readers with her warm, eloquent prose, and inspirational poetry. She continues this tradition with Bright Evening Star, a personal reflection of the mystery and majesty of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Bright Evening Star provides a glimpse into the life stories of this prolific author and her encounters with God. With a foreword by John Tesh, L'Engle invites us on a spiritual adventure that leads to hope, joy, and a closer relationship with Jesus. "Christmas," says Madeleine L'Engle, "should be a time of awed silence." If you're looking for a unique and Christ-centered Christmas meditation, Bright Evening Star will be a rich and delightful discovery -- year round!

Genres: Nonfiction, Faith, Christian, Christmas, Religion, Christianity, Theology

190 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer of fiction, nonfiction, 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.

Reviews

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a theological treatise and it will disappoint on that level but it is a great book on faith and trust.
I so appreciate Madeleine’s talking about life so honestly.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The story of Jesus’ birth has been oversentimentalized until it no longer has the ring of truth, and once we’d sentimentalized it we could commercialize it and so forget what Christmas is really about.” L’Engle believes in the power of storytelling, and in this short volume of memoir she retells the life story of Jesus and recalls her own experiences with suffering and joy: losing her father young (his lungs damaged by poison gas in WWI) and the death of her husband of 40 years versus the sustaining nature of family love and late-life friendships. Chapters 4 and 5 are particular highlights.

L’Engle (1918-2007) was not at all your average American Christian: raised in the Episcopal tradition, she didn’t even encounter Evangelicalism until her mid-forties, and she doesn’t understand the focus on creationism and sexual morality. If God’s time is different from ours, couldn’t evolution make sense? “And why this obsession, which has been creeping up on us, for what goes on below the waist? I want to know what is in the heart and mind.” She also writes about free will and the adoration of Mary and how A Wrinkle in Time (rejected by many a publisher) was her fable of light in the midst of darkness.

The title comes from The New Zealand Prayer Book, which also gives helpful alternate names for the persons of the Trinity: Earth Maker, Pain Bearer, Life Giver. This isn’t a particularly Christmas-y book, but it still lends itself to being read a chapter at a time during Advent. [This edition seems to have been hurriedly repackaged with an iffy foreword from John Tesh, which makes it seem more New Agey than it really is.]

Some other favorite lines:

“Christ, in being born as Jesus, broke into time for us, so that time will never be the same again.”

“Family can be a movable feast. It can be a group of friends sitting around the dining table for an evening. It can be one or two people coming to stay with me for a few nights or a few weeks. It should be the church, and I am grateful that my church is a small church.”

[Justin Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work of non-fiction, by the brilliant and prolific Madeleine L'Engle, about the paradox and humility of Jesus of Nazareth's Incarnation in the first century, which defies any kind of logical empirical approach, was an incredibly spiritually nourishing read. I highly recommend it!

[ladydusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Oh, that Madeleine."

As a master storyteller herself, L'Engle helps the reader to view the gospels through a different lens - true story. How do we read stories that are common to us? L'Engle helps us turn the gemstone and see a different facet. I love that about her.

There are absolutely things I disagree with in L'Engle's writing. I've said before that she mistakes when she reads "God is love" as "Love is God." I think that is her great error. That said, her emphasis on God's love and how Christ worked out God's love during his earthly ministry is a beautiful reminder of the nature of the Kingdom.

As a Reformed, Calvinistic Christian who does believe in theological points that L'Engle disdains, I can still read her with profit. Her emphasis on Christ's laying down power that was woven throughout the book (Phil 2, "did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped") and the ways he acted out of compassion and his pointed teaching through parables helps to give a more robust understanding of His work. I do think He planned the cross. I do think He agreed to the cross beforehand because of love - greater love has no man than this than he lay down his life for his friends.

There is paradox, we don't have to understand all. L'Engle does a beautiful job of pulling out the threads of paradox and helping us love more.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving away power is the ultimate act of love. God gave away power when he gave us free will. Christ gave power away by his incarnation. This book on the incarnation was a true blessing to me. "O Jesus, my Companion, my guide upon the way, morning star to evening star--what wondrous love is this! God so loved the world that the Creator of it all came to be with us."

[Rachel L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 2024-2025

Reread 2023-2024

Reread 2022-2023.

I read this over Christmastime. At first I found it rather rambling, something of a spiritual meditation/memoir written toward the end of her life, but once I started marking ideas that stood out to me I found so much that resonated. I love that Madeleine is willing to ask hard, out-of-the-box questions, with utter confidence in the love of God; her thoughts on power, love, control, and freedom are profound.

(This is not a theological treatise; this is basically Madeleine reflecting and asking questions. I don’t always agree with her but I do find much value and encouragement in her work.)

“I don’t always want freedom. I want security. I want comfort. I want nothing to go wrong, nobody I love to be hurt, to disappoint me. But that is not what Jesus offered. He offered life, and life more abundantly, and that means everything, the whole spectrum, laughter and tears, joy and disappointment, but above all life lived fully and openly and appreciatively. That is how Jesus lived, and how we are to live.”

“And then the sun rose and Jesus was alive and terror fled and the Resurrection was an innter brightness as glorious as the outer brightness of the Transfiguration. And that light, inner and outer, began its journey around the earth, the solar systems, the furthest galaxies, light that is not power, but is wholly love.”

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes Madeleine writes things that are a little...out there. When you come across those parts, don’t get hung up. Just say to yourself, Ha ha. Oh that Madeleine and keep reading.”

~ Judy Hougen

I loved this quote Addie Zierman added to the foreword . After reading several books by Madeleine L’Engle recently, I can honestly say that I have felt both uplifted by her books and at other times puzzled. At this point, I’m going to keep on reading because I always walk away with some thoughts that enlarge my faith, and at other times, I smile when I come across something that goes against what I believe because that quote comes to mind.

I picked this book for the month of December, and it was a lovely choice. Madeleine’s Christian beliefs are largely influenced by her parents and Episcopal background. In this book, she shares her lifelong love of Jesus, and no matter how you feel about her beliefs, you can not possibly walk away from this book doubting her relationship and love for God. Like me, perhaps your own faith and love will be treasured in a deeper way.

I highly recommend her books, and feel this is worth 5 stars.

[Jordan Carlson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book...

I do love Madeleine L’Engle for her conversational style, her honest and wrestling faith, her acceptance and even reverence of the things that reside for now in the realm of ‘mystery’...also her love for Jesus and familiarity with the gospels. The wonder she brings to life while not shying away from the brokenness ...that is the draw for me.

However, her theology seems really bad to me in places (esp sovereignty of God, free will, etc)...and she puts forward poor arguments against literal 7 day Creation and Calvinism. A couple of other points she made just didn’t ring true and turned me off from enjoying this book more.

[Robbie]

"I do not understand the incarnation. I rejoice in it."

[Dave Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

To find in the light of the evening sky the illuminating truth that makes sense of this existence on the ground. In this we find the way of our participation in the light: incarnation.

L'Engle is a childhood hero, someone whom I've only truly come to fully know in my adult years. Particularly for the richness in which she chose so intentionally to stay within the tradtional circles of christianity that she expressly worked to critique and transform according to what she saw as a more truthful and authentic Christology. A world in which she knew she would be forever misunderstood. But truth be told, she was equally out of place in the world outside of Christianity.

This Christmas reflection, which ebbs and flows between commentary and memoir, is simple, meandering (for better or for worse), and chalk full of her familiar spirit and cheekiness. It's a short and quick read (or in my case listen), and welcome company on my morning walks.

[J.L. Neyhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sure do love Madeleine L'Engle.

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in small pieces over advent. It is a beautiful reminder of how love can look

[Andrea Huelsenbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Bible study group read this book during Advent 2022, finishing it in early 2023. In her foreword to the book, Addie Zierman recalls a caveat her college writing instructor, Judy Hougen, gave her class about L’Engle’s book Walking on Water:

“Sometimes Madeleine writes things that are a little . . . out there. Just say to yourself, Ha, ha. Oh, that Madeleine, and keep reading.” She said Oh, that Madeleine endearingly, as though talking about a wacky but lovable aunt who has visions of glory and also, occasionally, food on her chin.

Hougen’s advice works well while reading Bright Evening Star, also. You might not understand what she’s saying sometimes, but keep reading. The insights will be worth it.

My two takeaways from the book:

The Christian faith is full of mystery. It’s okay if you don’t understand parts of it. That’s the point—embracing the unknowable. L’Engle says she had to “let go all my prejudices and demands for proof and open myself to the wonder of love.”
God, the all-powerful, gives away His power. He allows humans free will when He could easily just control them. L’Engle calls it a magnificent paradox: “God’s loving plan for Creation will ultimately be fulfilled, God’s will and ours working together.”
At the end of the book is a reader’s guide with discussion questions.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thoughtful book by M. L'Engle. Her writing is easy and almost conversational. I do like that. Her Christian perspective is influenced by her Episcopal background, but she relates with a wider world of Christians, so I like what she says. A big part of this book is sharing her love of story -- in books and in the Bible. Jesus did use stories a lot to teach. L'Engle makes the point that we learn truth through story best. "Because my mother grew up mourished and informed by story, she and her cousins were able to see needs ignored by those who had not been given the empathy that comes from the insight of story."

Wisdom:
"If you can make someone afraid, you have power over that person."
"We want security. We want comfort. We want affluence. None of these give us freedom... I have children and grandchildren, and they give me vulnerability, not security... Love offers us the gretest joy and the greatest pain."
"In the sects and cults freedom is relinquished for answers, answers to everything."
"It takes more power than I can imagine to give up power."
"There is much that I don't understand that enriches my life."

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'Engle's analysis of the Incarnation is part autobiography and part theography. It's a wonderful story of choosing love over power and truth over fact. I enjoy L'Engle's voice and her openness about her own feelings and beliefs, along with the stories she shares about family, friends, and loved ones. Her interpretation of Scripture is true to the Word, and she always brings all her opinions back to the Bible. Nothing that she says is not based in the Gospels. She does't form random opinions that have nothing to do with God.
I highly recommend this book to anybody struggling with seeing God as wrathful and angry rather than as Love, which is what He really is. If you're unsure of why bad things happen, read this book. It's not the Bible, but it's a useful tool, a second reference. I enjoyed it for the affirmation of what I already know and believe. It pleased me to read a book by a famous author about the God that I love. I'm glad that L'Engle published a book like this and wasn't afraid to be criticized for writing the truth.
This book is well-written and interesting, whether you're a Christian, a fan of L'Engle, or both.

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did I wake at 3am last night? I don't know. I am so grateful that this book called to me from the Jacob's Ladder of unread books next to my bed. L'Engle not only saw the universe for everything it is, she had the ability and the courage to share her vision. She's my mentor.

(new review 20 Sep 2012) I suppose this is a good one to keep next to the bed, because here I am again. It's so obvious that she was influenced by Bach's music. The rhythm of her words dances and flows like a fugue and variations, as she flows in and out of ideas and visions, leading us further, and bringing us home again.

It's said that you will never change anyone's mind by what you say, and I find that L'Engle never changes mine, but she elaborates and expands what I had tucked in the quiet corners all along.

(30 dec 2016) How I wish I'd known her in this life!

[Chre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will likely become an annual addition to my Advent Devotional.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm DNFing this one at 2/3 of the way through, not because it was bad but because I'm ready to put it down. Much of this book was warm and thoughtful and calm. There were a few things that made me scrunch my nose and say, Hmmm, nah.

One of the big takeaways for me was the idea that love doesn't seek power (the bossy-control-type power) but instead gives it away. L'Engle believes in free will, and so do I, so this whole idea of God "throwing away power" was something to chew on. Here's a passage:

"If we do not live in a predestined world, does that take away from God's omnipotent power? No, no, it makes it all the more extraordinary! When God gave us free will, the Maker did indeed throw away power. When Christ came to us as Jesus, that was an even more radical throwing away of power. But that's what our loving God does! God throws away power over and over again while we greedily grab for it. A lover wants to love the beloved, not to wield power, but to love, hoping that the love will be returned in the same way. When we are caught up in power we are not free, but in bondage to the power we have grasped. God is completely free because power has been laughingly thrown away in order that love may reign. The throwing away of power requires enormous power."

This isn't the full idea, just one quote. But it's an interesting take on a God who designed a free-will faith.

[Lyndie Blevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book because I love Madeleine L’Engel's writing. I need to make more of an effort to read more of her writing.

This book was about- Madeleine intertwines her personal life story and journey to faith with the story of the Incarnation of Jesus through his death.

Things I liked about this book - I’m so intrigued how we, Madeleine and me, had so many of the same questions at the same times in our lives, though we were separated by generations and geographic. It is even more intriguing when I consider how much her writing in A WRINKLE IN TIME impacted me when I was eleven.

Why you should read this book - This is beautifully written book of the story to redemption for one person and the telling of the life of Jesus accurately, but in a way which brings new insight to His story. If you are a Christian writer, Madeleine pens many words of wisdom you will cherish.

This book lived up to the back cover copy The back cover provides a wonderful quote from the book to draw you to the pages. There is also a short paragraph describing the contents

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems fitting to finish this book on Epiphany, when I think of L'Engle's beautiful poem of the same title. I always enjoy coming to Madeleine as I would an older, wiser spiritual companion. I always feel that in the presence of her thoughts and experiences I can begin to unclench my fists and release all the things I feel I have been holding to too tightly as a follower of Christ. Her words look me in the eye and whisper, "it's okay to ask that question, it's okay when it doesn't make sense, it's okay when the biggest feeling you can manifest is wonder, because isn't that the point?" I love her emphasis in this work on God's willingness to display in the Incarnation the way power has no hold over his heart of love. I think that theme is all over the nativity narrative in the presentation of a choice: in which kingdom will you find your allegiance? As she says in the conclusion, power can be killed but humility cannot. I will be mulling that one over in the days, and weeks, and dare I say, years ahead.

[Debbie Howell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that Madeleine L'Engle can't be put in a box. Madeleine thinks like Madeleine. To me, the best part of this book was when she described how her thinking about God was influenced by her family and by the thinking "boxes" she encountered in various schools and churches. As much as I admire her strong voice, her writing doesn't usually draw me in and win me over. It's all head, and I want more heart. This book is no exception. Bright Evening Star is organized around the incarnation. It's not exactly a Christmas book, though it may look like one at first glance. I listened to the audio version, and maybe I would have connected better with the book on paper. There are some great flashes of insight in the book, but all in all it was just OK for me. If you love Madeleine L'Engle's essays, you'll probably like Bright Evening Star for the insights it offers into her thinking.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

L'Engle's writing is beautiful as always, but I found some of the thoughts a bit scattered. Perhaps that was because this was written toward the end of her life, and so is understandable. I chose this book for an Advent devotional, and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Though it is all about the Incarnation of Christ, it didn't particularly focus on Christmas or His birth. That was actually quite appropriate, but not what I had anticipated.

Though I differ from the author on several theological points she expressed in this book, I always enjoy her musings and find that she brings up many interesting questions. Her books are some of the most thought-provoking I have ever read, always leading to interesting conversations. It wasn't my favorite book of hers, but definitely worth reading.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this and I think it's because as the author of the forward and afterward said, l'Engle celebrates the mystery and not-knowing everything about God, which seems as it should be to me. If He was wholly understandable, what kind of God would He be? I'll probably go through the questions at the back of my copy (I think the questions are written by Addie Zierman) as a devotional before returning to Clay in the Potter's Hands.

It would've been great to read as a Lenten devotional also as it ends on that note, but I was doing Word in the Wilderness by Malcolm Guite this year (which was lovely also).

It's short and shouldn't have taken me so long to read except it was a hardcopy and only got the minutes when I was waiting during kid's appointments or lessons.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bright Evening Star

Mystery of the Incarnation

by Madeleine L’Engle

Crown Publishing

Convergent Books

Christian

Pub Date 18 Sep 2018

I am reviewing a copy of Bright Evening Star through Crown Publishing and Netgalley:

Bright Evening Star is Madeline L Engle personal reflections on the mystery and majesty of the Incarnation of Christ. The stories in this book look into the life stories and her encounters with God.

This book offers its readers who are looking for a unique Christ Centered book of Christmas Meditations a great choice.

I give Bright Evening Star five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

[Daniel Oster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believe it or not, this is the first book by Madeleine L'Engle that I've completed. And I loved it. I know that she can be considered somewhat controversial in the faith community, and while I don't agree with every single thing she says, I can't deny that her faith really shines through in her writing. Regardless of whether you share her views or not, she ultimately goes back to the simple premise that God is love. And there's ultimately something that is so joyful and comforting in her prose. And it's the simplicity that comes within her message, and her sheer conviction and belief in it, that ultimately make this a very powerful read.

[Kyle Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable audiobook. She tells many stories from her life, and brings up questions she has wrestled through over the years.

She does ramble a fair bit… and theologically, it was maybe not as dense or direct as I had maybe hoped. With that said… as someone who loved “Walking On Water: Reflections on Art and Faith”, I think she stayed true to her writing style.. and it just didn’t translate as well to the topic of this book as it did with the open ended-ness of what “Reflections on Faith and Art” could entail. I probably came in with wrong expectations honestly.

[Leah CE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in a day and it felt like a good, long conversation. I am grateful for L’Engle’s willingness to acknowledge and accept the incomprehensible nature of God and I am with those who rest in the grey spaces and the “magnificent paradox” of faith.

“Indeed I am beginning to feel that without contradiction and paradox I cannot get anywhere near that truth which will set me free.”

“God gives each of us our own way to be part of the suffering of the world, and part of the joy of the world too.”

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who thoroughly enjoys her fictional works, I found this an interesting read, as it felt almost conversational, and gave a window into her life and her beliefs. She brings up some points and questions worth pondering, but I would also caution that this book is very much her personal musings, not necessarily grounded in solid theology. "Test all things. Hold on to what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

[Caroline Fontenot · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything by L’Engle, and I’ve always enjoyed her work in the past. Unfortunately, this one didn’t land at all. After eight days of trying to read it during Advent, I finally gave up. The book never felt cohesive. It was more like a stream of consciousness than a clear, focused reflection. It jumped around so much that it never managed to hold my attention, and I just couldn’t connect with it. Off to a Little Free Library it went.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of reflections by a seasoned author in her later years. The first part of the book focuses more on her own experience and memories. As the book proceeds, she provides a rather loose, free-form retelling of the life of Jesus (with her own comments along the way). I enjoyed reading this book aloud with my husband, inspiring some quiet contemplation.