There are a few times a year that we should stop and reflect on life a little. Or a lot. Today we present some Easter Books for Adults for reflection. From devotional reading to more historical books. Some short stories by classical authors consider the deeper meaning of Easter. We hope these Easter Books will add some inspiration to your personal reflections.
1. Killing Jesus: A History – Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard
Martin Dugard & Bill O’Rilley are authors of The Killing of Historical Figures series. This is the fourth book in the series. Dugard and O’Rilley rewrite the well known story of death of Jesus, by also putting it into a historical context. The reader will learn many details that are not covered in the Bible. You will find out more about the politics of Jews and Romans, about their religious leaders, about who Herod was, and more.
This book deals more with the history surrounding Jesus death than with religious aspects of his teaching. It is well written and very interesting Easter Book that should be read by all who want to find out more about history of time in which Jesus lived and died.
2. The Cross and the Lynching Tree – James H Cone
Both the cross and the lynching tree are symbols connected with history of African Americans. The lynching tree represents their suffering through the history. The cross represents divine power and salvation and God’s victory over sin and death. The image of Jesus dying on the cross for African Americans is powerful one, and in a way help them overcome hard times and keep the faith in Jesus Christ during the lynching era.
Cone’s book is interesting one. It combines social history, theology and cultural studies and it features many prominent African Americans who fight for justice and their rights. But this book is mostly about victims i.e. people who perished during lynching period. This is not an easy read, but it should be read because it tries to answer difficult questions on how life can be meaningful when so much death and injustice is happening.
3. The Women of Easter – Liz Curtis Higgs
This is a book about biblical women whose name was Mary. It tells the story of the three Marys: Mary of Bethany, Mary of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene. These three played crucial roles before Jesus’s death. Each of these three women encountered Jesus and that changed their lives forever. Mary of Bethany prepares the way for Jesus burial when she anoints his feet. Mary of Nazareth – Jesus mother – was with him throughout his life and death. And Mary Magdalene supports Jesus during his dark hours but she also tells the news about his resurrection.
The author knows Bible well and that is very obvious from this book. She tells the story about three Marys by analyzing, studying, explaining and illustrating roles of them verse-by –verse. This is one very interesting book.
4. Bread & Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter – CS Lewis, CK Chesterton
Lent is a time before Easter. Lent is a time in which Christians are preparing for Easter, a time for contemplation about Jesus sacrifice, death, resurrection. Bread & Wine is a perfect collection of short stories for Lent and Easter. It has 72 stories/ poems/ writings divided into 6 sections: Invitation, Temptation, Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection and New Life.
Many different authors are featured here from Oscar Wilde, John Donne, Mother Therese, Dylan Thomas, C.S. Lewis etc. There is a variety of writing so each reader will find something for themselves. This is a perfect collection for Lent and Easter time.
5. Easter is Coming: A Devotional Journey with Jesus – Christopher Greer
For Christians, Easter is very important time of the year. It is a time when Christians celebrate what Jesus has done for them. It is a time for contemplation, thinking and prayer. During this time the book Easter Is Coming will be of great help. This book is a daily study guide that will help Christians to remember the cross and resurrection. During forty seven days a reader can prepare themselves for Easter by reflecting on the importance of Jesus’s death and resurrection. It combines Bible passages with questions for reflection on each passage read. This is a great book for your for spiritual journey toward Easter.
6. Easter Stories – C.S. Lewis and more
There are 27 stories written by classical authors like C.S. Lewis, Leo Tolstoy, Selma Lagerlof, Oscar Wilde, Elizabeth Goudge, Maxim Gorky, Ruth Sawyer, and Walter Wangerin and they are all on the topic of Easter. These stories show that Easter is much more than bunnies and eggs and they show the reader a deeper meaning of this religious holiday. But like all collections the quality of the stories does vary a little. The stories also vary in genre; from Biblical fiction to historical fiction. But what all the stories have in common is that they capture spirit of Easter perfectly. Guaranteed to please and add value to your Easter books collection.
This is a nice and inspirational collection that will show Easter in different light and it will be read and reread many times in years to come.
