Excellent introduction to a little-appreciated season of the Christian calendar! As someone who is very new to the liturgical calendar I have appreciated this series, and Rutledge does a great job of showing the value and purpose of Epiphany, which doesn’t get the attention of seasons like Advent, Lent, and Easter

Published by InterVarsity Press in late 2023, Epiphany: The Season of Glory, by Fleming Rutledge, is the latest entry in the Fullness of Time series. This series, book by book, examines the liturgical year and guides readers through the scripture, prayers, and traditions associated with each of these sacred times. The publisher's blurb about this volume says:

"We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father." This line from the prologue of the Gospel of John declares the theme of Epiphany. Christmas celebrates Christ's birth; Epiphany manifests his glory. The feast of Epiphany and its following season are not as well observed as they should be. Many of us associate Epiphany with the visit of the Magi but don't know much more about it. In this short volume, priest and theologian Fleming Rutledge expounds the primary biblical texts and narrative arc of the season, inviting us to discover anew "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

Epiphany opens with some broad observations about both the feast itself on 6 January and the traditions associated with the season between that feast and Ash Wednesday. Following this general commentary, each chapter delves into one of the Sundays or major events, such as the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple (Candlemas), and offers reflections on the traditions, prayers, and scripture readings associated with them.

As the title of the book suggests, Rutledge insists that the primary focus of Epiphany ought to be the glory of God. She holds to this throughout and offers many insightful comments on other potential foci, always offering a rationale for why the glory of God is a preferential option. This was, for me, a refreshing look at some theology more popular in the past than today, and an antidote to some of the basic moralizing that is common in preaching. For example, Rutledge encourages preachers on the Last Sunday after Epiphany to focus on the glory of God revealed in Christ flanked by Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration. She acknowledges the temptation for preachers to move right to Peter wanting to build shrines for the figures and turn it into some kind of object lesson about waiting for God, but discourages this as missing the intended primary focus of the day and season.

Rutledge returns several times to the idea that God's glory is something that might be experienced, in limited ways, by humans, but that our knowledge and experience of it is not due to our own seeking. God's glory always comes from God and is to be experienced with awe and wonder as a glimpse of God's very being. This consistent reminder that God responds to our requests out of love and a desire to be with us, not because God is beholden to us, is an important and worthwhile point to make.

I was surprised that Rutledge, an Episcopal (Anglican) priest, chose to ignore the Revised Common Lectionary readings for the season in favour of an older, now disused set of readings. She acknowledges that she prefers the King James Version of scripture and quotes it regularly in the book, occasionally referencing other translations. Rutledge claims that these choices are simply matters of her personal preference and there is no reason to doubt this. I suspect they are also choices that resonate with many of InterVarsity Press's target audience. Nothing wrong with this, though worth noting for Anglicans who gravitate to Rutledge's work that they may have to do some extra homework to make full use of the references she makes here.

Epiphany is well-written and a pleasant, engaging read as expected from Rutledge. She is very fond of mixing Latin names and titles for various concepts in the book which, in my opinion, were neither helpful nor illuminating. The content is a good mix of information about the feast and season of Epiphany and aids to people planning worship or preparing to preach. The utility of the information here will vary depending on the reader's context, of course.

Overall, Epiphany is a very fine book with some refreshing observations about this important season, has much fine exegesis and theology, and is a worthy contribution to the continuing conversation about the glory of God.

I greatly appreciated this work by Fleming Rutledge. If you're not particularly familiar with Anglicanism, liturgy, or Epiphany, this book will help enlighten you with some of the beauty that the church calendar has to offer, as well as showing where scripture speaks to the liturgy of Epiphany. Highly recommend if you're looking to learn more.

Epiphany by Fleming Rutledge sheds light on an often overlooked part of the church calendar: Epiphany. I read this book knowing nothing about Epiphany and coming from a church tradition that does not follow the church calendar. After reading this book, I understand the significance of Epiphany, the history around it, and why it is celebrated every year.

My favorite chapter in this book was the chapter on glory. The term glory often feels like a "christianese" word that we use frequently but don't know what it means. I loved how Rutledge asked readers to think about how we use glory today, how it was used in other time periods, and how it applies to Jesus as defining his absolute radiance and power. I also loved the contrast of human glory with divine glory, noting that the source of glory is God himself and that His glory does not go away based on human strivings or perceptions. I also loved the chapter on the magis meeting Jesus as an infant, foreshadowing Jesus coming to save the gentiles.

One thing that didn't work for me in this book was how to connect everything in the book with actually celebrating Epiphany. Because my church tradition doesn't do this, it would have been helpful to have readings, hymns, and prayers laid out for each week. They were woven into the writing but I would have loved an easier way to follow along.

Overall, I'm enjoying the entire Fullness of Time series and would recommend it to others who want to learn more about the church calendar.

Thank you to Brazos Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Priest and theologian Fleming Rutledge in Epiphany explains the feast of Epiphany. Through Biblical texts and explanation, Rutledge describes that the season is not as observed as it should be. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this well-written, well-researched book that I will revisit often on my spiritual journey.

As I began to read Rutledge's introduction to the season of Epiphany, I realized how little I thought about the time between Christmas and Lent. She turned my gaze to the various epiphanies that were part of Jesus' life on earth. As with all of the titles in this series, it walks the line between church history, theology, and a general introduction to the church year, especially for those from non-liturgical backgrounds, I love how each author, including Rutledge, brings their own style to their series entry.

I wasn't really aware of the Epiphany season, what it meant, its duration, etc. But I've read Rutledge's work previously and read the Advent book in this Fullness of Time series which was very good, so I thought I'd read this one too.

Gosh, it's good! Really good. Rutledge as only she can provides the liturgical detail one needs in her very learned and delightful manner. What particularly grabbed me was its emphasis on God's glory, and the controlled power Jesus asserted through key 'epiphanic' moments, for example, the Cana miracle, the Transfiguration.

This small book is tremendously readable and I feel I have a much better understanding of this season and want to experience more of Jesus as a result.

I feel very blessed to have received an ebook version from IVP via Net Galley. This has had no bearing on my review.

I really enjoyed learning more about Epiphany, which I'd previously thought was just a feast day and not an entire liturgical season. I'm loving this series!

I love the premise of this book! I like to say that I was born into a pew at the Presbyterian church where my grandfather pastored for many years--in other words, that liturgy is in my blood. It's certainly seen a resurgence in my own life over the past few years, and I love it.

So, I was really excited to pick up this read. It proved a bit dry/scholarly for my taste (and had a few rather one-sided/disproportionate statements I felt would have merited from further expansion, or at least equal review on the other side of the political spectrum), so is a DNF at this time. Maybe not my best introduction to Rutledge as an author; not sure what would be better.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Even though I grew up learning about the liturgical church calendar, Epiphany is definitely the season that I feel was the least emphasized and that I know the least about. Epiphany is not just the day that we celebrate the visit of the Magi, but also a season devoted to discovering the glory of God. This book was definitely very informative and academic. I will most assuredly have to come back and read this again as I ponder about the glory of God. I highly recommend this book for those who want to learn more about the liturgical church calendar.

"The season of Epiphany is designed to show that there is no road to the glory of God through human seeking; it cannot be summoned by human endeavor. It cannot be repeated too often: it comes as pure gift."

"The light that belongs to God's self is uncreated, because it precedes creation."

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The only thing stopping me from giving this book five stars is that I found that in places, Rutledge is unnecessarily judgmental and/or dismissive of both other denominations and certain groups within her own. It drew me away from the otherwise stellar content and was frequently jarring.

I enjoyed the detailed look at the Epiphany season. Author Fleming Rutledge gives details that expanded my view beyond the nativity story. The book gives historical details as well as spiritual insights. I not only learned more about this time in the church calendar, I was also inspired to mark the high points of the after-Christmas time and events.

Part of the Fullness of Time series, this book by Fleming Rutledge is an excellent addition to any liturgical library, along with books by other authors on Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Rather than a devotional for each season, the emphasis is on spiritual development. First, readers encounter some knowledge and history of epiphany itself. Bask in the glory of Christ, along with Rutledge, and the rest of the church. An excellent series!

Epiphany covered a subject that I knew little to nothing about: the liturgical calendar. Of course, the emphasis was on the Epiphany season from January 6 to the start of Lent. I found it interesting, but not easy reading. I liked how the writer had Jesus and his glory at the forefront. Author Fleming Rutledge demonstrated how following the liturgical calendar could help Christians more clearly see God's glory.
I would recommend this to Christians desiring to learn more about Epiphany and to pastors and worship leaders wanting to know how and why to incorporate it into their services.
I received a complimentary copy and am sharing my opinion of this fascinating study.

A really helpful overview of a neglected season in the Christian year. I appreciated the reflections on what glory is and how we can incorporate Epiphany into the space between Advent/Christmas and Ash Wednesday/Lent. Lots to think about in how to shape one's devotional and church life during the first few months of the year!

Epiphany is the.third in his series following the liturgical calendar. The series aims to promote the knowledge of an interest in the various seasons. Written from an Anglican perspective, this slim volume is jam packed full of information, personal stories and reflections. This is helpful for those who want to delve deeper into there theology and churchmanship.

Epiphany, the third book in Fleming Rutledge's Fullness of Time series goes into great detail about the Epiphany, which is January 6 on the calendar. It is the day believed to be when three wise men from the East, known as Casper, Melchoir and Balthazar, came to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. They bestowed on him their gifts: gold, myrrh, and frankincense. To Rutledge's credit as a theologian, the book is a scholarly read that assumes the reader is knowledgeable about the traditions and Scriptures of Christianity.

The depth of Rutledge's knowledge is presented in a thesis style document, speaking the way a lawyer would when presenting a case before a judge. But most readers are often not judges so at times, the reader needs to take time to absorb the material to understand the meaning of the message. Rutledge writes in the language of philosophers, similarly to St. Augustine in his tome City of God and the multiple works of St. Thomas Aquinas. The tone is very serious and the analysis is meticulously detailed. Rutledge's book is designed for serious minded readers, and would most appeal to Rutledge's own colleagues.

A nice book that is part of a series that follows the liturgical calendar. This book is about epiphany. As someone not familiar with all of the liturgical calendar, I really appreciate this series and taking time to focus on the current liturgical season.

This is the third book in this series that I have read (others are Advent and Christmas), and like the others, I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. I did not grow up in a liturgical church, so I didn't know anything about the season of Epiphany. I really enjoyed learning more about this season between Christmas and Lent and why it is important in the Christian year. This writer seemed to be a little more theologically focused than the other two I have read, so it was a little harder to read, but I am glad I have learned more about this important season in the church year.

I have already preordered a copy of this book for when it is published.

I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Such a good insight to the liturgical calendar.
Slightly different to my normal read but I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone.
This was so well written and well thought out.