Unlike some edited volumes that require commentary to frame each selection, the authors let each author speak entirely for themselves. The variety and breadth of voices is amazing. I am amazed how the selections are picked to be complete thoughts that speak for themselves, all within short lengths—the majority of selections are around three pages long.

I found it confusing to interpret the dates for each reading without provided labels. There are 96 days total, so I'm guessing that puts 46 days for Lent, including holy week, then 50 days from Easter to Pentecost.
Sections 1, 2, and 3 ("Invitation," "Temptation," and "Passion") run through Lent, with Section 4 ("Crucifixion") roughly running through Holy Week (it has 12 readings). Section 5 ("Resurrection") begins with day 47, so that makes sense to line up with Easter. Eastertide would then include Section 5 as well as Sections 6 and 7 ("New Life" and the 19 readings in "Pentecost") to end on the day of Pentecost.

I'm also curious why they didn't note what book each selection came from in the text. Perhaps they didn't want you to have preconceived notions before flipping to the list of sources and acknowledgments in the back.

Great book for Lent. I will definitely be recommending to friends and family. And anyone else I know!

Moving compilation of writings for Lent, Easter and Pentecost. This newly-revised collection includes writers from the ancient Christian tradition (Augustine, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich) and some of the best thought leaders today (Barbara Brown Taylor, N.T. Wright, Will Willimon). I can't imagine a more perfect companion for the Lenten season - for anyone who appreciates thought-provoking writing of spiritual depth.

Great collection of readings for Lent or anytime really. Encouraging authors, accessible selections—well worth the investment.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The readings are thought provoking and encourage reflection. A perfect addition to the Lent and Easter season.

This book is an excellent resource for those wanting to have reflective readings during the time of Lent. This isn't the first edition, so if you've read a previous one, you'll find new readings to love and reflect on. Highly recommend!

The selections in this book are of great merit, well-chosen and appropriate for the Lent season. They are not meant to be read hurriedly, rather they are intended to meditated upon, thought about and savored.

I highly recommend this book for its stated purpose.

What a treat to finally have an e-reader version of this updated Lenten classic. BREAD AND WINE was first printed in hardcover in 2003, and I have treasured my paperback copy of the 10th printing (2010). The 2025 revised and expanded edition thoughtfully rearranges and adds to the daily meditations, including a new section of readings for Pentecost.

The essays and excerpts from notable authors include 46 readings for each day of the Lenten season (from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday), with an additional 50 readings for Easter Sunday and the days following. The seven sections (Invitation, Temptation, Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection, New Life, and Pentecost) are introduced by rich-yet-accessible poems from writers such as Christina Rossetti, Oscar Wilde, Dylan Thomas, and Malcolm Guite. But the devotional essays and excerpts are what make this collection shine – and why I have returned to re-read it every Lenten season ever since I first purchased it.

The daily meditations include excerpts from well-known authors such as C.S. Lewis, N.T. Wright, Thérèse of Lisieux, Martin Luther, Barbara Brown Taylor, G.K. Chesterton, Augustine of Hippo, Wendell Berry, Julian of Norwich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Meister Eckhart, Madeleine L’Engle, Dorothy Day, Oswald Chambers, Henri Nouwen, and Watchman Nee. But some of the gems are from lesser-known writers, and the entire collection is thoughtfully organized by the editors, who remind us in their introduction that “we ought to approach Lent as an opportunity, not a requirement....Lent is the season in which we ought to be surprised by joy. Our self-sacrifices serve no purpose unless, by laying aside this or that desire, we are able to focus on our heart’s deepest longing: unity with Christ. In him – in his suffering and death, his resurrection and triumph – we find our truest joy.”

Book Report: Bread and Wine
by C. S. Lewis, Eberhard Arnold, Kathleen Norris, Henri Nouwen, Simone Weil, and Others**

Bread and Wine is a rich anthology of Christian reflections drawn from some of the most influential spiritual writers of the last century. Compiled to guide readers through the season of Lent, the book gathers essays, meditations, prayers, and theological insights from authors such as C. S. Lewis, Eberhard Arnold, Kathleen Norris, Henri Nouwen, and Simone Weil. Although each writer brings a distinct voice and background, the collection is unified by its focus on repentance, sacrifice, spiritual renewal, and the mystery of Christ’s suffering and resurrection.

Purpose and Structure
The purpose of Bread and Wine is to help readers enter more deeply into the meaning of Lent. Rather than offering a single narrative or a continuous theological argument, the book presents a mosaic of perspectives. Each reading stands on its own, yet together they form a coherent spiritual journey. The selections are arranged to accompany the reader from Ash Wednesday through Easter, encouraging reflection, self‑examination, and a renewed awareness of God’s presence.

Themes Across the Anthology
1. The Cost of Discipleship
Writers like Eberhard Arnold and Simone Weil emphasize the seriousness of following Christ. They challenge readers to confront their own complacency and to embrace a life shaped by humility, obedience, and sacrificial love. Their reflections remind readers that Christian faith is not merely intellectual assent but a lived commitment.

2. The Nature of Suffering
Henri Nouwen and Simone Weil offer profound insights into suffering—not as something to avoid, but as a place where God meets humanity. Their writings explore how Christ’s suffering transforms human pain, inviting believers to find meaning and hope even in hardship.

3. Repentance and Inner Transformation
Kathleen Norris and C. S. Lewis focus on the inner life, calling readers to examine their motives, confront their weaknesses, and open themselves to God’s transforming grace. Their reflections highlight the importance of honesty, confession, and spiritual discipline during Lent.

4. The Hope of Resurrection
Although the book spends much time on themes of sacrifice and repentance, it ultimately points toward renewal. Many selections remind readers that Lent is not an end in itself but a preparation for Easter—the celebration of Christ’s victory over death and the promise of new life.

Notable Contributors and Their Voices
C. S. Lewis brings clarity and intellectual depth, often addressing the human tendency toward pride, self‑deception, and spiritual laziness.

Eberhard Arnold writes with prophetic urgency, calling Christians to radical discipleship and communal faithfulness.

Kathleen Norris offers poetic, contemplative reflections that connect everyday life with spiritual truth.

Henri Nouwen provides gentle, pastoral insights into vulnerability, compassion, and the love of God.

Simone Weil contributes philosophical and mystical reflections that probe the meaning of suffering, attention, and divine love.

The diversity of voices is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Readers encounter a wide range of spiritual perspectives, yet each writer points toward the same central truth: the call to follow Christ more deeply.

Impact and Significance
Bread and Wine stands out as a devotional resource because it refuses to offer easy answers. Instead, it invites readers into a thoughtful, sometimes challenging engagement with their faith. The anthology encourages slow reading, reflection, and prayer—qualities that align well with the contemplative nature of Lent.

For modern readers, the book provides a counterbalance to hurried, surface‑level spirituality. Its selections encourage depth, honesty, and a renewed focus on the heart of the Christian story: Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.

Conclusion
Overall,

Whether it’s for Advent or Lent, I love a good literary anthology of writings from my favorite classic thinkers and theologians—a collection of excerpts and essays from names I know and love alongside writers I have yet to discover. Almost as if they could read my mind, the editors at Plough Publishing House have revived and updated Bread and Wine, with selections from 20th-century theologians like C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and Dorothy Day; classic thinkers such as Martin Luther and John Donne; and more recent writers including Frederick Buechner, Madeleine L’Engle, Tish Harrison Warren, and Barbara Brown Taylor.
The ninety-six readings will take you through Pentecost, and are arranged in seven sections. First, the Invitation offers an open door to the weary. Section two reviews Jesus’s earthly ministry, leading up to section three’s meditations on the suffering of Christ. Section four offers readings on the crucifixion, and section five trumpets the good news of resurrection. Finally, sections six and seven carry the reader to Pentecost with readings about the new life in Christ and the role of the church gathered.

I appreciated the multifaceted view an anthology provides, and the opportunity to marinate in a concept over a series of readings. As usual, C.S. Lewis challenged me to greater precision in my terminology: “The Resurrection narratives are not a picture of survival after death; they record how a totally new mode of being has arisen in the universe.” Eberhard Arnold (an early 20th-century German theologian and a new resource to me) brings the collection to a close with heartening words connecting the resurrection to our identity as the church: “This community of faith and community of life in the first love was marked by the presence of Christ—the Christ who had said, ‘I am with you always.'”

What a treasure! "Bread and Wine" is a compilation of the strongest and most powerful Christian authors reflecting on the seasons of Lent, Easter, the Ascension, and Pentecost. At first I intended to lightly read because, let's face it, most modern devotional books are light as air. As I read, though, I was impressed with the great voices in Christianity that were selected. Among this eclectic group were some of my favorites: St. Augustine, Oswald Chambers, Dorothy Day, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Thomas Merton. I came across quite a number of voices new to me that were dynamic and inspirational at the same time. I thought about the writings long after I finished reading. I was moved by several passages and have been changed because of them.
I highly recommend "Bread and Wine" for anyone hungry for a greater understanding of Christ in the seasons of Lent. I plan to read this book again. Thank you, editors, for an awesome collection.

It's so hard to review a book like this. Necessarily, we have to say that not every chapter is going to "hit" - some authors just connect better, some content just hits harder (or softer, as the case may be). Some days are just more engaged than others, through no fault of the book's. There are just so many factors that go into trying to engage.

Some of these chapters were breaths of fresh air for me. They hit right at my heart, spoke my language, used verbiage that is familiar to my soul. In chapters like this, I loved this book.

But other chapters just never really caught on. That's the nature of having multiple authors, multiple voices in one volume. Some things just miss.

That said, there was nowhere in this book that I was confused or thought the offering was junk. Just spots where it really spoke to me and spots where it really didn't. And I imagine that if I were to pick it up and read it next year, five years from now, ten years from now, different chapters would hit in a different way and those that struck me this time might not even phase me next time. Such is the truth of reading in seasons, as we all tend to do.

So I determine it's a good book, based on only one reading. I am thankful for its gifts.