Transfiguring: Poems

Nathaniel A. Schmidt

Jun 2023 · Wipf and Stock Publishers

About this eBook

At times brutal and raw, at others tender and sensitive, Transfiguring seeks to make sense of life in a world so often vicious and beautiful. A formalist work rich in imagery, allusion, narrative, and prosody, readers will encounter a surprising array of people and situations: from Icarus falling out of the sky to a chaplain sitting with his patients; from Judith beheading Holofernes to Saint Thomas reflecting on his doubt; from the poet growing his faith in an art museum to first hearing someone pray in tongues. Each poem wonders how these experiences, be they holy or horrific, shape us spiritually. Composed during a season of transition for the poet—into seminary, ministry, and marriage—Transfiguring processes experiences of loss, pain, and growth and wonders, What helps us to heal, and how do we hear God? It ponders what transfigures the human soul.

About the author

Nathaniel A. Schmidt is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church of North America and serves as a hospice and hospital chaplain. He holds degrees from Calvin Theological Seminary, Calvin University, and The University of Illinois, Springfield. His first collection of poems, An Evensong, is also available from Resource Publications. He lives with his librarian wife, Lydia, and their daughter in southwest Michigan, meaning life is a perpetual story-time.