*Journey to Bethlehem by Leland Ryken

Journey to Bethlehem is a lovely anthology of historic Christmas poetry, hymns, and devotionals. Starred review!

*Journey to Bethlehem: A Treasury of Classic Christmas Devotionals by Leland Ryken. Crossway, 2023, 144 pages.

Reading Level: Adults, ages 16 and up

Recommended for: Teens and up

Two of my favorite books that I’ve been privileged to review for Redeemed Reader are Wild Bells by Missy Andrews and Soul in Paraphrase by Leland Ryken. Happily, Journey to Bethlehem combines elements of both in one handsome volume!

Ryken collects thirty historic hymns, poems, and prose devotionals in this slim book. For each selection, he includes the original text and follows it with a thoughtful reflection or explication of the passage. Ryken concludes each reading by suggesting a Scripture passage that connects. Selections include works by John Calvin, Martin Luther, Christina Rossetti, John Donne, Augustine, Charles Wesley, G. K. Chesterton, and more.

Of note is Ryken’s explanation in his introduction: this book isn’t an “Advent devotional,” although it can certainly be used that way. Nor is it related to our contemporary Christmas celebrations. Instead, he drills down to the essence: these are works that direct our attention to the nativity, the Incarnation, and what Jesus’s birth means. The book can be read in 30 days, during Advent, but it can also be dipped into periodically throughout the year, much as many Bible reading plans keep a reading from the Gospels on each day through the year. Ryken’s thoughts on the various works help readers grasp the historical significance of the literary piece he chose; he also helps readers understand the work itself better, particularly the poetry selections.

Jesus’s birth was not charming. It was accompanied by deprivation and terror. Martin Luther’s thoughts about the birth of Jesus are a rescue effort designed to spare us from shallow thinking about what actually happened on the night Jesus was born.

~Ryken, p. 74

This is a handsome volume, cloth-bound with a bookmark. It would make an excellent gift for someone! I highly recommend it, especially for literary types and those who will enjoy meditating on the great tradition of Christian thought regarding Jesus’s birth.

Overall Rating: 5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 5
• Artistic/literary value: 5

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: Do check out Ryken’s Soul in Paraphrase, a collection of Christian poetry that follows a similar format (and the books look quite similar, only differing in color).
• Reviews: Wild Bells is harder to come by, but it’s worth seeking out if you’re a poetry-lover!
• Resource: You may be interested in our entire list of Advent Family Devotionals.

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below from both Amazon and Westminster may earn us a commission. Read more here.

Consider supporting a small, Christian business and buy this book from Westminster Books! They also have Soul in Paraphrase.