Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance

Description:

One of America's most trusted theologians offers spiritual inspiration for every week of the year

WINNER OF THE 2026 WILBUR AWARD

A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance offers an essay for every week in the seasons of the Christian year: From Advent and Christmas to Lent and Easter through the entire calendar.

Other than its major holidays, many people are not familiar with the rhythms of the church year, an ancient spiritual cycle of time. Yet all religions have such calendars -- and they shape our understanding of faith. In the West, we live in tension with the secular calendar (mostly an inheritance from the Roman Empire) and the Christian liturgical calendar, a cycle of sacred stories that compose a larger narrative of love, hospitality, mercy, justice, and gratitude. Bass reclaims and presents fresh perspectives for every biblical text in the church year; from musing on A Wrinkle in Time in Advent, to remembering her father's old-fashioned blue Christmas decorations, and offering a revolutionary reading of the Last Supper.

With fresh insights on familiar stories, these essays surprise and inspire, challenge and comfort, and will be savored year after year. Beautifully designed, the book is also a perfect gift.

Brief description: Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D. (Duke University) is an award-winning author of a dozen books, a speaker, preacher, and a trusted commentator on religion and contemporary spirituality. Her bylines include The New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, CNN Opinion, On Being, and Readers Digest. She has appeared on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, and other global news outlets. She currently writes The Cottage, one of the most widely-read Substack newsletters. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Review Quotes:

Praise for A Beautiful Year

"Filled with tender memories, biblical reflections and prophetic connections to our current time... meaty enough to serve as a devotional for the seasons of Advent and Lent, with enough inspiration for the ordinary days in between."
--The Presbyterian Outlook

"To journey with Diana Butler Bass through the seasons of the year is to see familiar scenes with fresh eyes and gather amazing insights along the way. At once a teacher and fellow pilgrim, she is a wondrous guide."
--Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington

"If you (like me) are among the growing multitude who already love the brilliance, historical insight, prophetic intensity, and spiritual depth of Diana Butler Bass, you won't want to miss her newest book, which, I predict, will be celebrated as one of her best. If you are new to Diana's work, A Beautiful Year is the best place to start. You might find yourself asking a few friends to join you, spending a year reading and reflecting with each other on the wisdom you find in these 52 rich and insightful meditations."
--Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt and Life After Doom

"What does faith mean in these times, knowing what we know? What does it mean to be rooted in ancient wisdom? ... [Bass] relates her own often tender stories to the epic stories of the Bible, creatively considered, sometimes with daring interpretation. You are going to cherish this book."
--Hearts and Minds

"Whether you prefer to savor Bass' wisdom one meditation at a time or, like I did, devour the entire book in a single sitting while marking countless pages to revisit throughout the year, you'll find yourself encouraged, grounded, and empowered to live your faith with renewed clarity in these unusual times."
--So What Faith, Great Books for December 2025

"A Beautiful Year is not disconnected from our reality--not at all...it recenters us. I found myself breathing more deeply as I read."
--Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne

"As I read Bass's melodic prose, I feel joined to that great cloud of witnesses who kept time by the church's seasons. Enter into a sacred story that serves as a counter-narrative to the noise of the headlines."
--Jemar Tisby, author The Color of Compromise

"Diana Butler Bass has a keen, even uncanny ability to see what direction the currents in which we were swimming were taking us--and to help us gather what we might need for that journey. Her new book, A Beautiful Year is a book for our moment."
--Robert P. Jones, founder, Public Religion Research Institute

Praise for Diana Butler Bass

"A brilliant scholar and a wonderful storyteller."--Anne Lamott, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Bass has been synonymous with innovative, thought provoking, spiritually grounded and accessible writing." --Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President, Interfaith Alliance

"One of the most thoughtful, insightful voices to emerge among us."--Marianne Williamson, New York Times Bestselling Author

"[Bass'] new book will not only help you wake up. It will equip you to be an enthusiastic participant."--Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt

"Bass is the gold standard for liberal Christian thinkers in America." --Anthea Butler, Ph.D., Professor, University of Pennsylvania

"Bass is a powerhouse." --The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, author of Love is the Way

"Bass goes more deeply into what it means to be a Christian now, in a moment when many can't summon the energy or the hope required." --Bill McKibben

"I've been grateful for Bass's sharp mind, but upon finishing Grounded, I found myself in love with her mystical heart and gorgeous storytelling."--Glennon Doyle