The Sound of Life's Unspeakable Beauty
Christianity Today Book Award in Culture and the Arts (2021)
“In the final analysis, music is prayer cast into sound.”
One of the greatest luthiers of our time reveals the secrets of his profession—and how each phase of handcrafting a violin can point us toward our calling, our true selves, and the overwhelming power and gentleness of God’s love. Schleske explains that our world is flooded with metaphors, parables, and messages from God. But are we truly listening? Do we really see? Drawing upon Scripture, his life experiences, and his insights as a master violinmaker, Schleske challenges readers to understand the world, ourselves, and the Creator in fresh ways.
The message of this unique book is mirrored in sensitive photographs by Donata Wenders, whose work has appeared in prominent newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Esquire, as well as museums and galleries throughout the world.
Table of Contents
Translator’s Note
Preface: Creating Metaphors for Life
1. The Singing Tree: The Heart’s Search
2. The Tree’s Wisdom: The Beginning of Spiritual Strength
3. The Design: The Harmony of Opposites
4. Tone Colors: Beauty’s Vulnerability
5. The Arching and the Wood’s Grain: Belief as Reverence and Mercy
6. To Be an Instrument: The Beauty of our Calling
7. The Closed Sound: Belief in a Loving and Therefore Suffering God
8. Reworking the Violin: The Pain and Crisis of Faith
9. The Sculpture (I): The Meaning of Doubt
10. The Charisma of the Stradivarius: The Meaning of Grace
11. The Secret of the Violin’s Varnish: Reconciliation in the Diversity of Community
12. The Inner Fire: Living by the Holy Spirit
13. The Concert: From “Me” to “You”
14. The Sculpture (II): The Meaning of Beauty
Conclusion: A New Beginning
Publishers Weekly
“Thoughtful Christians will find this insightful work packed with logical and potentially paradigm-shifting arguments.”
“Reading Martin is not an exercise; it is an encounter and experience. May each reader or listener who slows to ‘hear’ this work of art through its hallowed depths discover anew the ‘singer’ within their own heart.”
— William Paul Young
author of The Shack
“Drawing on diverse sources—trees, mountain hikes, musical instruments, artwork—a violinmaker weaves a tapestry of beauty and spiritual wisdom. Rarely have I read such a fresh and stimulating work.”
— Philip Yancey
author of The Jesus I Never Knew
“Reading these richly evocative reflections, I found myself again and again ‘surprised by joy.’ And gratitude. I was reminded that when people live into their callings deeply and faithfully, they become beacons: they remind us what happens when one says yes to the Spirit’s invitation daily and faithfully. Stories from Schleske’s work as a violinmaker, his knowledge of trees and music and even varnish, become heart-opening parables, not by preachment, but by the loving particularity with which he pays attention to the work he was given.”
— Marilyn McEntyre
author of When Poets Pray
“I have never seen someone so passionately and comprehensively express the relationship between calling and faith. Page by page, Schleske offers lessons along his violinmaking journey that are sure to inspire his readers. His book compels me to join him as a friend and fellow traveler, walking in the woods with him as he shares his beautiful insights. Schleske is the teacher. I am the student. And in the end, I find in the book a sense of hopefulness about the world in which we journey.”
— Tony Payne
Wheaton College
- Title: The Sound of Life's Unspeakable Beauty
- Authors: Martin Schleske, Makoto Fujimura, Donata Wenders, Janet Gesme
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Print Publication Date: 2020
- Logos Release Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781467458641, 9780802876140, 0802876145, 1467458643
- Resource ID: LLS:9781467458641
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-06-30T01:53:45Z
Martin Schleske, a best-selling German author, is renowned not only for his writing but also for his innovative and skillful work as a violinmaker. His violins, violas, and celli bring the musician and instrument together, creating unimaginable depth in music making. Just as Schleske's instruments open up a world of beauty for the musician, so do his books and articles open up the beauty of creation and God's heart to the reader.
Janet Gesme teaches German and music at Central Oregon Community College and enjoys translating and interpreting German, Russian, and Spanish. She played viola professionally for twenty-nine years and now plays cello with the Central Oregon Symphony.