Windows to the World: Literature in Christian Perspective

by Leland Ryken

This is a teacher's book, written by an able teacher.... Most people are interested in literature because of a deep love for literature itself. They want to understand the reasons for that love. Ryken helps us do this, but he also helps Christians understand and validate their love for literature.... Ryken has also provided a solid means for non-Christians to understand a Christian perspective on literature.... It [Windows to the World] comes closer to defining the goal and task of the teacher of literature than any work I have read. - Christianity and Literature

Genres: Nonfiction, Literature, Christian, Books About Books, Christianity, Theology

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Dr. Ryken has served on the faculty of Wheaton College since 1968. He has published over thirty books and more than one hundred articles and essays, devoting much of his scholarship to Bible translations and the study of the Bible as literature. He served as Literary Chairman for the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible and in 2003 received the distinguished Gutenberg Award for his contributions to education, writing, and the understanding of the Bible.

He is the father of Philip Graham Ryken

Reviews

[Drew Norwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leland Ryken is an excellent guide to literature from a Christian perspective (and I don't mean only for "Christian literature" but for all literature). Windows to the World's goal is "to enhance your enjoyment and understanding of literature by uncovering some of the principles that underlie literature and its study.” Ryken succeeds in doing this by plainly showing the value, beauty, effect, and role of good literature in the human life. He also brings to bear the wisdom of writers and critics who have commented on the subject, such as C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, Dorothy Sayers, Walker Percy, Flannery O'Connor, Plato, Aristotle, Matthew Arnold, and others.

The book is organized as follows (these are my paraphrases rather than the chapter titles): (1) the case for literature, (2) the role of the imagination and worldview, (3) literature as the preeminent leisure activity, (4) the writer's impact on the reader, (5) the reader's role in literature, (6) assessing the truthfulness of literature, (7) assessing morality in literature.

This book reminded me of Gene Veith's Reading Between the Lines, which is also a Christian guide to literature. Both are highly recommended. But after looking back over Veith's book, I realized that the two writers covered completely different matieral. Both are helpful, introductory level works on literature, but Ryken covers different ground and organizes his material very differently.

[Anndrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up while I perused the shelf of my college library, looking for sources for my capstone project. I am so glad I did. It is a useful and helpful reference for both readers and writers. I highly recommend it to anyone fascinated with stories!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to literature, along with material related specifically to Christians as a reading group. Ryken talks about what literature is, what it does, and how it relates to topics like truth and morality. A wonderful and helpful intro to the enjoyable topic of fiction literature. Well researched with an annotated bibliography for further research. Great little book!

[Emma Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introductory treatment of why literature matters to Christians.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the first of Ryken's books that I have read, and as an author, he seems to be consistently solid, but also dry. Windows to the World is an excellent overview of literature and the benefits of reading it. But it reads like a textbook, which will be a challenge for some readers.

Recommended, with the understanding that it's not intended as entertainment.

[Lily Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (basically for the last chapter alone)

[Nicholas Seders · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Windows to the World" is a casual introduction to Christian criticism and literary theory; this is a book that will not overwhelm the person of faith who is merely interested in being a more informed bookworm. The reader is not bogged down with literary terms, and those that are included are thoroughly explained. It is easy to read and easy to understand - something that cannot often be said about matters of literary theory.

As far as content is concerned, I would say that Ryken pretty much hit the nail on the head. I often found myself giving a nod of affirmation, jotting down helpful insights, and mentally cataloguing practical tips. As someone that thoroughly enjoys reading & is exceedingly involved in literature, this was a great read!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on reading literature as a Christian.

[Messiahgrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I read for my Ph.D. program and I loved Ryken’s insights into the works and the readers coming together to create the reading experience. His extensive use of quotes from well-known and respected literary critics and scholars added finesse to his arguments. While scholarly, it stayed accessible.

[Arden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A intelligent and well written on the importance of literature, especially for the Christian.