The Christian Book of Mystical Verse compiled by A.W. Tozer

Have you ever been up late, working hard into the night when a craving hit?
Maybe you grabbed something sweet or salty or maybe even a hearty meal to satisfy that urge.

Lately our youngest hasn't been sleeping (thank you 1 year molars the gift that keeps on giving) and I found myself hit with a craving for poetry (I have mentioned I'm a geek before right?)

It seemed quite providential when Moody Publishing released The  Christian Book of Mystical Verse  right at the beginning of tooth #2. How could I resist?

Although the book lists A.W. Tozer on its cover, Tozer functioned as the compiler of this collection rather than contributor. Instead the pages are filled with the words of Fredrick William Faber, Jean Marie De La Motte-Guyon, Charles Wesley, Thomas Blacklock, Isaac Watts, and Christina Rosetti.


While I was introduced to poetry early and consistently through life, I was pleased to see this collection included many verses I was unfamiliar with. I was also impressed to see the equal footing given to both male and female writers, and the variety of topics covered in the pages.

I will say that I had a very hard time connecting with Faber's verses. I'm guessing it was a stylistic conflict. Unfortunately  Tozer did not share this difficulty and featured his work heavily throughout the book.
Variety is definitely a strength within this collection, however, and there really is a writer for everyone to connect with in this collection.

The Christian Book of Mystical Verse provides  a fascinating selection to both help readers in their reflections as well as introduce them to the writings of those who have gone before.

4 out of 5 stars

I received this book from Moody Publishing in exchange for an honest review, The views expressed are my own and unaltered.