Book Review: Beautiful and Terrible Things by Christian M. M. Brady

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press

Release Date: September 1, 2020

Genre: Grief and Personal Growth

Bible scholar Christian Brady, an expert on Old Testament lament, was as prepared as a person could be for the death of a child--which is to say, not nearly well enough. When his eight-year-old son died suddenly from a fast-moving blood infection, Brady heard the typical platitudes about accepting God's will and knew that quiet acceptance was not the only godly way to grieve.

With deep faith, knowledge of Scripture, and the wisdom that comes only from experience, Brady guides readers grieving losses and setbacks of all kinds in voicing their lament to God, reflecting on the nature of human existence, and persevering in hope. Brady finds that rather than an image of God managing every event and action in our lives, the biblical account describes the very real world in which we all live, a world full of hardship and calamity that often comes unbidden and unmerited. Yet, it also is a world into which God lovingly intrudes to bring comfort, peace, and grace.

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My Review 💙

What happens to us when we die? It is a question that every human that has walked the planet has pondered at one time or another during their lifetime, and normally comes to their mind when there is a death that hits close to home. Delving deeper can help someone cope with the loss, which is exactly what happened to Christian M.M. Brady.

"We experienced the Beautiful and Terrible Things of this life," says Mr. Brady and sadly he experienced both in his son, Mack. Losing a child is grief unimaginable, but the author used his pain and despair to dig deeper into his beliefs, and share how he has been able to cope with the biggest tragedy of his life.

"This book is my lament," but it is also a book filled with reflection and hope. Each chapter ends with Bible verses, prayers, and reflection questions that bring that chapter to a rooted and more personal level. The text doesn't come across as preachy but yet still shares the message of the Gospel from a place of brokenness. It is heartbreakingly beautiful to read.

Honestly, I don't think there is a better way to share your faith than when you are faced with your own mortality, and I commend Mr. Brady for this text. I cannot fathom how hard it is to lose a child so suddenly, and to write such a wonderful testimony. I cannot recommend Beautiful and Terrible Things highly enough!

My Rating: ★★★★★

About the Author

Photo by Mark Cornelison /UK Photo

Christian M. M. Brady is an American scholar who specializes in biblical literature, rabbinic literature, and the targumim, especially Targum Lamentations and Targum Ruth. He is the inaugural Dean of the Lewis Honors College and Professor of Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Kentucky (2017).

Brady grew up in Montgomery Village, Maryland and received a B.A. from Cornell University in History and Near Eastern Studies with a concentration in Religious Studies. He went on to earn an M.A. from Wheaton College, Illinois in Biblical and Theological Studies, a graduate diploma in Jewish Studies from the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of Oxford, and a D.Phil. in Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford where he was a member of St. Cross College.

Dr. Brady is married to Elizabeth Walma Brady and they have a daughter Isabel (Izzy) and a son Mack who died aged 8 on December 31, 2012. Mack's death prompted an outpouring of sympathy from the local community. A scholarship fund established in Mack Brady's name supports Penn State soccer. He is an ordained priest in The Episcopal Church (USA), is Canon Theologian in the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington (KY), and writes about Christian theology and issues relating to grief and suffering. His latest book on the subject is Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope.

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*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the John Knox Press through NetGalley. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.