A Sacrifice of Praise: An Anthology of Christian Poetry in English from Caedmon to the Mid-Twentieth Century

A Sacrifice of Praise is a one-volume collection of Christian poetry in
English compiled from a spectrum of poets who span twelve centuries. Beginning
with Caedmon (ca. 658-680), the poetry comes from the anicent, medieval,
Reformation, and modern periods from Anglican, Roman Catholic, Protestant, and
Orthodox poets, as well as mainline and evangelical traditions. Because poetry
is a vehicle of praise and exhortation, of meditation and understanding, these
selections include every form and style of reflection and psalm, from private,
personal devotion to hymns and epic forms with godly themes. In
addition to the poetry, each chapter includes an introduction and time line
meant to provide a background against which readers can better understand the
intricacies and nuances of the poets and their work. Short biographical
introductions to each poet are briefly introduced alongside their
poetry. We who speak English have twelve centuries of Christian
poetry behind us. It is a deep and broad stream of praise, frequently poured out
by men and women who died for the faith in the midst of persecution. While the
glory of God may have been diminished by sectarian motives of some poets, the
channel of the stream has always been faith, an unbroken succession of men and
women who have praised God. Thus while A Sacrifice of Praise may instruct those
who write poetry, it is ultimately a hymnbook for all of God’s
people.