Glimmerings: Letters on Faith Between a Poet and a Theologian

Whether you’re seeking something to believe in or no longer feel at home in your traditions, the spiritual search can be deeply lonely.

In Glimmerings, leading Christian theologian Miroslav Volf and celebrated poet Christian Wiman engage the tensions of belief felt by many. In an exchange of personal letters, Volf and Wiman give voice to and validate the most pressing spiritual questions of our time. Close friends and Yale colleagues, the correspondents reveal visions of faith that are sometimes sharply divergent, yet always honest and punctuated by warmth, humor, and apology. The result is a vivid, consoling collection in which questions are dignified and the spiritual search in all its complexities is honored.

Whether they’re discussing Scripture’s most problematic texts, Christianity’s most preposterous claims, or their own experiences of God’s presence and absence, Volf and Wiman are united in their shared refusal to oversimplify the realities of human pain. Instead, we are invited to share an honest hope: While certainty can never be ours, perhaps God shows up in “glimmerings.” As we accompany each other in our tensions, we can find strength in solidarity, beauty in mystery, and love that persists even as our faith perplexes.