FRUIT OF THE VINE

Fruit of the Vine: A Biblical Spirituality of Wine is designed to help the reader grow in spirituality through reflecting on biblical vineyard stores, wine making, and wine as a metaphor for life. A spirituality of wine--categorized as a spirit--connects the spirit in wine to the universal spirit all share. Wine appeals to all five senses. Its bouquet can be smelled; its complexity, often compared to fruit, can be tasted; its shades of red, designating its body, can be seen as it clings to or quickly runs down the inside of a glass. One can hear the pop as the cork leaves the bottle's neck and the gurgle of the wine leaving the bottle as it is poured into a glass. Wine is a major sign of transformation in the process of growth from blossom, sunlight, and water to grapes, which are in turn broken apart, integrated into a whole, and fermented into alcohol. While the wine is aged, it undergoes even more transformation. People are transformed when they share this already multiple-times-transformed beverage. The vineyard and all it produces can reveal the divine if a person but opens his or her eyes to see.Fruit of the Vine illuminates the spiritual significance, explores the biblical meaning, and deepens the appreciation of one's relationship with wine.--Matthew Ver Miller, Licensed Psychologist and Board Certified Coach, Rocky Mountain Professional CounselingIn Fruit of the Vine, Boyer lends his unique, personal, and scholarly viewpoints on wine in the Bible. Through short scriptures, reflections, and suggested prayers, the reader is guided to a new and interesting understanding of what wine meant to the Bible's authors and can mean for us today. Whether looking for a deeper look at your own spirituality or for more depth in your wines, Fruit of the Vine serves a cup full of both. --Jeremy C. Graddy, Physical Therapist, Advantage Therapy, Southwest MissouriVolumes have been written on the complex process of wine making and wine's influence on Western Civilization. Boyer's latest book distills this complexity down to a concise, insightful journey of personal discovery, celebrating spiritual transformation in everyday acts. Most of us have shared a spiritual connection over a glass of wine with an old friend. Few of us, however, have explored the spiritual meaning of wine's transformative journey from vine to table, and Boyer is the perfect guide. --John Kossler, Ecologist, Western Meridian ResourcesMark G. Boyer--well-known author and college instructor--has been writing books on biblical and liturgical spirituality for thirty years. He has written fifty-two spirituality-focused volumes which prompt the reader to recognize the divine in everyday life. Boyer has taught courses in Bible and film at Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, for almost thirty years. This is his twelfth Wipf and Stock title.