Christianity Books

Book SynopsisFor Christians, the retreat from Jerusalem after the crucifixion and the loss of hope of the two walkers to Emmaus seems to parallel so many aspects of the post-Christendom context, and helps to make sense of what is otherwise baffling for many. Each chapter of this book reflects on an aspect of the biblical narrative.Trade Review"'... a book full of rich insights, ruthlessly honest, compassionate and wise. I commend it warmly.' Vinoth Ramachandra, IFES (Asia)"

Read more less

Book SynopsisA new title in the SPCK Library of Ministry, this book describes how, in adopting an organic approach to ministry development, it is possible to make a real impact on people's lives and ministries; this approach is based on the organics model proposed by James Hopewell.

Read more less

Book SynopsisReveals how Lindisfarne and its people have responded to trial, tribulation and triumph in the course of a long and vibrant history.Trade ReviewThis delightful little book moves effortlessly between Holy Island’s fascinating past and the author’s anecdotes of the present. I learned a lot about the lives of Aidan, Cuthbert and other notable figures from the Island’s history, and enjoyed the way in which David Adam weaves the stories of the Celtic saints into his own experiences as vicar there. This book would whet the appetite for anyone hoping to make a pilgrimage to Lindisfarne, and enhances the experiences of people, like myself, who have already had the privilege of visiting Holy Island and whose memories of that trip are very special. -- Mary Brookfield * Ministry Today *I’d pick up a copy of Adam’s book before setting out on my journey as it provides a fresh take on many of the island’s legends and stories while adding nutritious meat to the bones of history. -- Jo Haywood * Northeast Life *I would recommend this book to someone who like myself has very little or no knowledge of Lindisfarne. It would also be an ideal preparation for anyone planning to visit the island, whether simply to enjoy the beauty of nature and the wildlife, or on pilgrimage and seeking something of the ‘other’. -- Karen Anne Govaerts * De Numine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers an invitation to deepen our prayer life. Written in the Celtic tradition, and illustrated by line drawings, this book provides resources both for personal daily prayer and corporate weekly worship. Designed to stimulate spiritual formation, it includes prayers of confession, adoration, and intercession and thanksgiving.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLaid out in a way that makes a daily pattern of prayer possible and sustainable, it has a wealth of common-sense teaching about faith and the practice of it, and an imaginative and catholic selection of material.Trade ReviewI cannot recommend this book too highly. It could be used as a gift to any kind of enquirer and searcher with complete confidence. -- Andrew Hawes, Warden, Edenham Retreat HouseA publishing phenomenon [that has] occupied the Church Times best-seller lists for many weeks. * Church Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTransforming Preaching is a basic text for all those approaching the ministry of preaching for the first time. David Heywood roots preaching in a clear understanding of the nature and authority of the word of God; explains how people listen, learn and grow in the Christian life and provides clear guidelines on how to construct a sermon.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“Rooted firmly and deeply in the pamphlet and manuscript sources of the period, this study embodies a masterful exploration of early Quaker life and thought. In its lucidity and depth, Rosemary Moore’s book clearly deserves an honored place among the first rank of studies of Quaker origins. No one interested in the topic can afford to pass this fine book by. Let’s call it what it is: history at its finest.”—H. Larry Ingle,Author of First Among Friends: George Fox and the Creation of Quakerism“I would urge an investment in Rosemary Moore’s readable prose and clear exposition of Quaker theology.”—Gil Skidmore Reading Monthly Meeting“By highlighting the enduring tension between the individual interpretation of the Light and the importance of group witness, this book provides the prologue not only to the Wilkinson-Story controversy which threatened to split the Quaker movement in the 1670s, but to the continuing and accelerating evolution of a socially abrasive Puritan sect into a respectable, and respected, religious movement. With analytical material moved to endnotes, this book is well-suited to the interested general reader. However, the integrity of its scholarship and useful critique of source material also makes this work very suitable as a text for those studying early modern religion, and especially the fragmenting nature of English Protestantism in the seventeenth century.”—Beverly Adams Ecclesiastical History“Rosemary Moore provides a welcome addition to early Quaker studies.”—Arthur J. Worrall Pennsylvania History“[T]his is a fine contribution to Quaker studies. . . . Since its publication in 1964, Hugh Barbour’s The Quakers in Puritan England has been the indispensable starting point for studying the first generation of Friends. Although Barbour’s work is still useful, Rosemary Moore’s The Light in Their Consciences has supplanted it as the essential foundation to explore early Quaker history.”—Richard L. Greaves Sixteenth Century Journal

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA guide to liturgy and worship in the Church of England within the framework of Common Worship, which combines theory, theology and history with a sense of the realities of parish life and pastoral practice. It also explores how liturgy can reflect the life of the church and the wider world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Celtic hymn, "Be Thou My Vision" is still popular after 12 centuries because of its vivid response to our deep human need for God. David Adam takes the reader through this hymn, seeking to discover the spiritual riches that are hidden in all our lives.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis work outlines the essential message of six major New Testament books, looking in particular at their portrayal of Jesus and what he accomplished in his sacrificial death. It also explores the significance of six key themes from the New Testament, including rebirth, heaven, hell and new life.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe focus of this volume is on giving the most up-to-date scholarship in the form of a commentary of about one page on each reading. This is designed to give students and preachers a secure understanding of the Biblical background, rather than giving preaching tips.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe focus of this volume is on giving the most up-to-date scholarship in the form of a commentary of about one page on each reading. This is designed to give students and preachers a secure understanding of the Biblical background.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAimed at new Christians or anyone who wants to refresh their prayer life, this work covers both the practicalities of how to pray and a range of approaches which may help to deepen the prayer life. These include praying with the Bible, Ignacian prayer, Benedictine and Franciscan approaches.Trade Review"- "Approachable, down-to-earth, refreshing, informative, humorous and moving - these are only some of the words which clamour to be used of a book which represents a major contribution in an area which can be as difficult as it is hugely important." David Hope, Archbishop of York

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis work is a simple summary of faith, rather like a Catechism. It is not intended as a textbook, but as a resource for the student to keep. It includes chapters on Common Worship, Christian behaviour, sex, and the Church's Year.

Read more less

Book SynopsisContains reflections on the Common Worship readings for each Sunday. Each passage provides a starting point for thinking about the lectionary readings and drawing connections between them. The focus of the writing is spirituality, drawing out different perspectives on the texts from Tom Wright with his biblical criticism slant.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThese reflections on the Common Worship readings for each Sunday are taken from Jane Williams' weekly "Church Times" column. Each passage provides a starting point for thinking about the lectionary readings and drawing connections between them.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe context and approach of readers have been underestimated in Biblical Exegesis. The Biblical text is credited with an abstract quality that lifts its words above time and space, above human contingencies. This book looks at the interpretations, and how certain subjects have been understood within them, including homosexuality and marriage.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCovers topics such as the Jerusalem temple, the Enoch traditions (the role of theosis - the human becoming divine - which is central to Orthodox theology, the original meaning of the Son of God and the role of Knowledge/wisdom in all this); the High Priesthood; the "Revelation" - the coming of the Kingdom; and more.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDavid Adam has long found inspiration in prayers written by the Celtic peoples of Britain and Ireland. This volume contains a series of mediations on forty prayers whose rhythm and earthiness offer a more natural way of conversing with God.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe relationship of 'land' to 'theology' has been a motif living within the Jewish tradition since the patriarchal era: one mark of the covenant with Abraham was the promise of land. Gary Burge explores what the New Testament says about 'the land' and outlines the various ways in which these passages have been interpreted.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the role and nature of the local church/congregation rather than on the work of ordained ministers or lay people. Written by an experienced practitioner it will help readers - both lay and ordained - understand their congregation better.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA theology of women's priesthood from a Christian feminist perspective. Suggests a feminist reconfiguration of the Eucharistic Prayer, demonstrates how the symbolism of the liturgy allows for new interpretation informed by women's experience and gives new insights into liturgical symbolism and the sacramental significance of the woman priest.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn accessible, adult, catholic prayer book which can become the well-used friend of the reader - it can be kept and prayed with.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPam Rhodes reflects on various aspects of human life - weariness, prayer, love, sin, protection, comfort, faith, community, creation - drawing on words from hymns which have moved and inspired people down the centuries.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis new edition of a modern classic on prayer shows how it is not just a hobby or a technique for Christians but an exposure to God in which he progressively takes over. Contemplative prayer, far from being the prerogative of a professional elite, is the fullness of Christian living for anyone.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn in-depth study of the music of words and their effect on those who worship.Trade ReviewHer book will be of interest and importance to all who leas worship or wish to understand the nature of liturgy more deeply. [...] For Hammond, worship is an action of the whole person, physical as much as spiritual. Posture and physical effort are the basis of sound. [...] Worship that is "in spirit and in truth", that is worthy of God, in so far as human effort ever can be demands the highest human skills that we can offer, Hammond insists. It needs premeditation, practice, choreography, rhythm, repetition, and physical exertion. She confronts head on the pernicious assumption in our culture that what is "performed" savours of insincerity and deceit, and our nagging doubt whether repeating inherited words can have authenticity; and she assails the cult of false [...] because predictable spontaneity. She wants to bring back mystique [...] as a classist and patristic scholar Hammond is sympathetic to the value that the acient world place don the skills of rhetoric - namely, how to secure an entrance in the minds of your listeners for the message you want them to take on board. [...] Hammond's criticisms of aspect of 'Common Worship' are restrained, but strike home. The minimal use of biblical use of directions for gesture and posture, compared with earlier official texts, plays down the physical dimensions of worship. [...] Hammond believes that rhythm and stress are the most important factors in making liturgy memorable. [...] As Hammond puts it, "prayer with the body becomes an act of public witness to the faith" -- The Revd Dr Paul Avis * The Church Times *AMID all the soul-searching in the Church of England about "leadership in mission", who is giving thought to leadership in worship? Dr Cally Hammond, Dean of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, sees that the whole liturgy is an eloquent sign to believers and unbelievers alike of Christian truth, and that the elements within it — words, gestures, postures, and symbols — are signs in themselves. Her four deceptively simple topics, repetition, rhythm, punctuation, and posture — the "structural supports" of liturgy —conceal a profound exploration of the mystery of worship. Her book will be of interest and importance to all who lead worship or who wish to understand the nature of liturgy more deeply. A liturgy is not merely a text, and a text is not a liturgy. Liturgy is enacted. It consists of words (mainly scriptural) spoken corporately and also dialogically, with the intention both of addressing God and of speaking to each other in the presence of God. In liturgy, we do all that with the help of an array of sacred symbols, together with a range of significant actions performed by priest and people. How vital it is, then, that the Church should be equipped with priests and bishops, assisted by deacons and lay persons, who understand how the liturgy "works" and are able to celebrate it, with the congregation, in a manner that is dignified, uplifting, and God-centred, not jarring on the sensibility of the worshippers. For Hammond, worship is an action of the whole person, physical as much as spiritual. Posture and physical effort are the basis of sound. The persistent mind-body dualism of the Western philosophical tradition has encouraged us to think that worship takes place in the head, and so to privilege words over actions. The legacy of Romanticism suggests that authenticity lies in individual self-expression, in articulating our personal feelings. The current trend to turn worship into entertainment cannot be done without putting the "worship-leader" centre stage and making a celebrity out of a servant. Worship that is "in spirit and in truth", that is worthy of God, insofar as human effort ever can be, demands the highest human skills that we can offer, Hammond insists. It needs premeditation, practice, choreography, rhythm, repetition, and physical exertion. She confronts head-on the pernicious assumption in our culture that what is "performed" savours of insincerity and deceit, and our nagging doubt whether repeating inherited words can have authenticity; and she assails the cult of false (because predictable) spontaneity. She wants to bring back mystique. The meaning of sacramental and other symbolic actions is encoded in the sign. The signs participate in the reality to which they point and which they truly communicate. We reverence the cross and crucifix as though it were the actual cross on which Christ died. The bread and wine of the eucharist "become to us" the body and blood of Christ. Our Bible, used constantly, becomes iconic of God’s word to us, though it is physically a book like any other. Transcendent realities can be apprehended only obliquely, in metaphor, symbol, and sacrament. These signs are fathomless; we will mine their depths all our lives. As a classicist and patristic scholar, Hammond is sympathetic to the value that the ancient world placed on the skills of rhetoric —namely, how to secure an entrance in the minds of your listeners for the message that you want them to take on board. Its antithesis is the familiar bluff style that strains to avoid any impression of artifice. Hammond emphasises that sincerity is not enough: worship demands our best skills. In practice, not all worship ministers manage even to project the voice, a skill that is still needed even with amplification; but the ability to modulate sense and meaning, to achieve the right tone, is even rarer. Who has not squirmed in their pew when a lesson-reader has declaimed the text, dramatising it as though it were a play or film score, or has misconstrued it with hilarious results? Hammond’s criticisms of aspects of Common Worship are restrained, but strike home. The minimal use of rubrical directions for gesture and posture, compared with earlier official texts, plays down the physical dimension of worship. Minimising repetition (this applies to modern Bible translations, too) undermines the function of a text to ingrain and embed Christian truths in the lives of worshippers. The transmission of the faith from one generation to the next relies on memory, and, therefore, needs repetition, leading to imitation. Corporate action, the unison of hearts and minds, requires the predictability that repetition gives. It creates a secure space, an ambience of trust, in which we can let go of petty egotistical concerns and give ourselves to God. It helps us to see more clearly, to focus on the object of attention. "Repetition is of the essence of Christian worship." Hammond believes that rhythm and stress are the most important factors in making liturgy memorable. When the liturgy, incorporating the sacraments, is competently and holistically celebrated, glory shines through, and worship becomes a window into God’s saving work in Christ. As Hammond puts it, "Prayer with the body becomes an act of public witness to the faith." -- Revd Dr Paul Avis * Church Times *This is a book which does what it promises on the cover in a way that will take entirely by surprise most people curious enough to open it. Whatever they expect, it is unlikely to be the expert application of the principles of classical rhetoric to the language of contemporary Anglican public worship. Some might be daunted, but there is no reason for anyone to give up at the first mention of litterae notabiliores or clausulae. Cally Hammond is as fine a communicator and teacher as she is a scholar, combining practical and realistic accounts of the experience of being part of a congregation with elegant analyses of the elements making up the total act of corporate prayer. The architecture of the book is clear and simple. Hammond takes posture, repetition, rhythm and punctuation as routes into the nature and working of words in worship. Her handling of each aspect shows a mastery of outstanding theorists and practitioners of performed speech – in particular, Cicero and Augustine – and a vast breadth of research. Yet while she does not condescend to the audience, she has taken care to digest difficult material into fluent, almost conversational, style. For those keen to have quoted material in original languages, there are many Latin and Greek footnotes, sufficiently amazing for their lack of printing errors. For all readers, there are Hammond’s own elegant translations of the same material. One of the reasons why words work in worship is that they are uttered by embodied speakers. The chapters on posture and rhythm show how being an upright creature on two feet disposes the way in which we make sounds, regulates the speed at which we move, and directs our gaze. That is the givenness of being human. But there are also conscious ways of using the body in worship and Hammond argues persuasively for the importance of this additional expressive dimension. Her defence of kneeling is powerful and personal, as is her explication of the value of signing oneself with the cross at particular moments in an act of worship. The subject of repetition enables her to tackle a thorny issue in current practice, namely the objection in some quarters to the regularly repeated prayers of the Church, on the grounds that such formulae are not indigenous to a particular worshipping community and therefore incapable of bearing any sincere value. There are answers to be offered, which draw on the value of shared words to express incorporation into the life and tradition of a larger body. Whether they would persuade the objectors is another matter. Perhaps more engaging for a resistant audience would be the striking demonstrations of the affective use of repetition. Think of the sanctus, whose ‘Holy, holy, holy’ gives those who speak it time to imagine themselves before the mystery of God, or the repeated petitions of the Kyrie eleison that set human need before divine mercy. I was struck most of all, though, by Hammond’s positive approach to what she calls ‘mind-slip’ in familiar liturgical forms (p. 80). Instead of dismissing as inattentiveness the tendency to miss whole sections of the verbal action because we have gone down independent avenues of thought, she suggests that it might in fact constitute a deepening of spirituality. The chapters on rhythm and punctuation are technically the most demanding, requiring the reader to recollect distant lessons in prosody or learn the principles for the first time. They are perhaps also the most rewarding. Here, Hammond shows us why the way our liturgical language is patterned is essential to its meaning. She provides the tools to make better listeners and better speakers, practically illustrated from familiar texts, whose artistry emerges through her careful demonstrations. Nor is the presentation of printed material neglected, from typefaces and spacing to the positioning of page turns. This is timely instruction when attention to the quality of worship in all its aspects so often seems remarkably casual. Printed paper, as Hammond acknowledges, is no longer the only medium for presenting the content of liturgical rites to worshippers. Screens are rapidly gaining an equal share in the market. While they encourage people to look up, rather than bury their heads in orders of service, their disadvantage is their failure to allow a sense of flow and anticipation. The congregation cannot look ahead to see what comes next (p. 149). Here is an example of the nearest thing to shortcomings in this excellent study. The author is open about dependence on a particular – and distinctively Anglican – mode of worship. This assumes the norm of an authorised modern language rite, amplified by a repertoire of hymnody and psalmody in the diction of earlier periods of Anglican history. On a very few occasions, there is discernible resistance to other styles of performance, and this may discourage some who suspect that their way of doing things is not valued. Others may simply give up when faced with technical detail. Imagining these possible reactions, however, makes me uncomfortably aware of the irony of responding to a book about the corporate experience of worship from the silent and secluded position of the individual reader. It is eminently suitable for discussion by groups eager to find out more about their practice of worship and, in the hands of the right facilitator, capable of addressing children as well as adults. Hammond has given us a set of impressively authenticated and wonderfully illustrated practical principles for achieving public liturgical speech of memorable quality. The established Church and the emerging Church will profit by taking note. -- Bridget Nichols * Modern Believing *In this rich, scholarly book, Hammond explores the question of how words work in worship beyond their basic function of conveying information. She does this by means of four themes – Posture, Repetition, Rhythm and Punctuation – each of which forms a chapter in the main body of the work. The book also includes an Appendix – ‘The Rhythms of the Coverdale Psalter’ – and an extensive bibliography. In relation to other books on this subject Hammond places this work in the middle of a spectrum which has the predominantly practical at one extreme and the overly theoretical at the other. From this middle ground the author presents a challenge both to liturgical scholars and worship leaders to look again at the words and structure of liturgy and to rediscover their potential to enhance the experience of worshippers. Although Hammond presents ideas which have relevance for all corporate worship, her primary focus is on the liturgies of the Church of England. Throughout the book, Hammond supports her arguments through extensive reference to biblical sources, as well as those from Christian tradition and Classical literature. Generally this is done to good effect, but occasionally arguments and focus are lost in the density of detail. This emphasis on the importance of historic development might imply support for the ‘old is best’ or ‘more authentic’ approach to liturgy and, by implication, preference for traditional worship over against the modern and innovative. However, Hammond’s aim is more subtle and more radical than that. Although aspects of the arguments in this book do have the capacity to speak to contemporary debates around accessible, relevant worship, they do so obliquely. In encouraging a critical approach to historical sources, Hammond’s primary aim is to open up the potential in inherited patterns of formal liturgy – to enable participants to see the transformative possibilities within them. For example, in her discussion on the significance of repetition in liturgy, Hammond argues convincingly for its presence as a means of embedding and ingraining truth and of freeing the mind and spirit into deeper prayer – into ‘absorbing God’ (p. 68). In this way, repetition can be seen first of all as creative opportunity rather than as a problem to be solved in an attempt to ‘counter boredom and over familiarity amongst worshippers’ (p. 64). Towards the end of the book, commenting that both words and ritualistic actions are essential to worship practice, Hammond adds, ‘Christianity needs both; but it needs to know it needs both’ (p. 157). It might be safely presumed that academic liturgical scholars are aware of this already. Ministerial students should certainly be taught it and have access to this important text in libraries. Primarily a work of scholarship, I do wonder, however, whether this book is accessible enough to those who regularly lead worship in local congregations. I hope so. There is much that is valuable here to enhance their knowing appreciation of words within worship. -- Christine Worsley * Theology journal *This brilliant, scholarly and kindly argued book may well outface some readers at points with its detail. But it is not just a book for scholars of liturgy. It is for anyone who really cares about how well done traditional and modern liturgies can inspire devotion and true sincerity of purpose in worship. It is both a resource and an encouragement to do better. -- John Beer, Cambridge * Anaphora *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA journey of faith in the face of severe learning disabilityTrade ReviewIn this long awaited book, key themes from Frances Young's earlier work – motherhood, suffering, disability, meaning and love – re-emerge in a richer and deeper melody. The cries of anguish and "why?" are taken up into a new-found trust and joy. She draws us into the beauty and strength of a love which faces all the challenges and yet celebrates the wonder of Arthur's life and vocation. If you are someone grappling with the hard questions about God, life and things going wrong, this book is for you. * Deborah Ford, Hospital Chaplain at Cambridge University Hospitals *This book isn’t an easy read, but it has depth – a beauty about it that is remarkable and life-affirming. -- Sue Atkinson * Church Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPortraits of Gospel characters who saw and responded to Jesus, special emphasis on the role of Mary. Encourages readers to reflect on how we see Jesus, how he sees us, and how to see the world as he sees it.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBased on 'the prayer of seven directions', Encompassing God seeks to increase our awareness of being held by God. We are nurtured at every moment of our existence in the encompassing love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Trade ReviewHis style is straightforward, organised, and accessible: ideal for a newcomer — or someone having another go. -- John Armson * Church Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA thoroughly practical guide on how men and women can make the best of doing life together. God intended men and women to live and work together in partnership and in harmony. This exhilarating book explores what that means in real terms.Trade Review· ‘Jenny Baker doesn’t just teach on equality – she thoroughly lives it out. This book provides a much needed challenge for Christians to re-think the complex issues of gender and to restore people to their God-ordained equality and freedom.’ * Vicky Beeching, writer & broadcaster *This is a bold and beautiful book on a key issue. * Professor John Drane, theologian & author *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor anyone who is recovering from depression or other mental distress; their relatives and friends; those offering pastoral care clergy, Readers, lay pastoral assistantsTrade ReviewThe life of God is eternal; everything else passes, including depression. And this is the truth that Katharine’s book echoes . . . every page is a breath of life and a promise of resurrection. * Jane Williams, from the Foreword *· I believe passionately – from my own experience and from what I’ve seen happen in other people’s lives – that even in the most wretched of places and out of the darkest imaginable pain, God can and does bring healing, beauty and joy, strength and peace. He redeems our suffering by giving it meaning and turning it into a source of goodness. ’ * From Chapter 17, Joy and gladness *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA priest who is also a management consultant considered the Church as an organisation like other organisations - but not quite. Speaking from an extensive experience of helping and advising both religious and secular organisations it shows how what we know about organisational development would have a transformational impact on the Church.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis little book invites people to try out a way of prayer that has been used down the centuries. It is compact and easy to use: no need to find different material in different places - all you need is on the page. It can also be useful for prayer away from home as the bible readings and psalms are included in each office.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHearing the voice of John's Gospel in Years A, B and CTrade Review'Journeying with John: Hearing the voice of John's Gospel in Years A, B and C' is not a traditional commentary in that it neither goes through the Gospel, section by section, nor does it go through the passages from the Gospel prescribed in the lectionary in a systematic way. Instead, it focuses on each liturgical season, commenting on the various Johannine passages before focusing more intensely on one or two. The structure is also unusual, though highly effective. After a long introduction to the Gospel, there are eight chapters: Advent and Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Passion and Holy Week, Easter, The Easter Season, Pentecost, Ordinary Time. Each chapter is made up of three parts, exploring the text, imagining the text and reflecting on the text. The first part is by Paula Gooder, who brings the reader into the text through background, context and exegesis. Mark Pryce 'imagines' the text through poetry and creative writing, offering a different lens through which to examine a familiar scene. James Woodward then offers some reflections on how this might be applied to our own lives and in contemporary society. This is then followed up with some suggestions for action, conversation, questions and prayer, set in the context of 'marks of mission,' from material generated by the Anglican Communion focusing on the mission of the Church. There is a wealth of material and insight here for individual reading, for study groups and indeed, for homiletic preparation. While many parts could be marked out for consideration, the reflection in Chapter three on our pastoral heart and Chapter four on the passion of Jesus are particularly worth consideration. Having finished the book, the only fault was that I was left wanting more. I would deeply appreciate a more systematic approach to all of the Johannine narrative in a similar vein. -- Peter Thompson * Church of Ireland Gazette *John’s Gospel has fared less well than the other three in the Revised Common Lectionary in that, instead of having a year to itself, its message is dispersed in short spurts over three years. In this attractive book three seasoned scholars, all actively involved in the Church’s life, seek to remedy this by bringing together reflections on John as seen through the lens of the Christian liturgical year. The Preface explains that the book arose from shared study of John in the light of the Anglican Communion’s five ‘marks of mission’. The Introduction then explores the Gospel’s background, covering issues such as authorship, structure, the Johannine ‘community’, date, John’s attitude to ‘the Jews’, its relation to the Synoptics, and its portraiture of Jesus as both divine and human. This is expertly written, balanced in its views and taking account of modern scholarship without being over-heavy. It ends with a poetic paraphrase of John’s Prologue, which adds new ideas and images (e.g. the Word as a lover and adventurer, an unquenchable love which flares like a forest fire). This sets the tone for the eight chapters, which first ‘explore’ the text; then ‘imagine’ it; then ‘reflect’ on it; and finally offer ideas for action, conversation and prayer, all relevant to the theme of mission. They discuss in turn John’s incarnational theology (linked to the season of Advent and Christmas); ‘Epiphany’ – the revelation of Jesus’ glory, including his miracles; ‘Lent’, focusing on Jesus’ discourses and ‘encounters’; ‘Passion and Holy Week’ considering what kind of Saviour Jesus is and the role of the Cross; ‘Easter’ on the Resurrection and its implications; ‘the Easter season’ on knowing, belonging and loving, and the nature of the Church; ‘Pentecost’ on the Holy Spirit’s role; and ‘Ordinary Time’, discussing John’s ‘I am’ sayings, focusing especially on John 6 (which occupies five successive Sundays in Year B). There is no general conclusion, footnotes or indexes; the book ends with a short note on ‘Further reading and resources’. To some extent the arrangement of the material is artificial, since some aspects of John’s relate more easily to the Church’s seasons than others. But on the whole the attempt is successful (the most awkward area being ‘Ordinary Time’). Inevitably the authors are selective on what they cover: only three miracles receive any detailed discussion, and certain problematic aspects are ignored (e.g. the fact that the lame man does not come to faith in the narrative). Many will find the more creative sections helpful, even though they go beyond what arises directly from the text. I warmly commend this short book to those beginning study of John, and those seeking to relate its message to their personal lives and the modern world. -- Ruth B. Edwards * Theology journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDip-in collection of creative material to enliven services throughout the Church year. For busy clergy and worship leaders. Includes a wide range of material from humorous drama sketches to reflective meditations that may be used in the sermon slot or at other points in the service. Covers all the major seasons and festivals of the Church year.

Read more less

Book SynopsisReadings for Weddings is an inspirational collection of Bible quotations, poems, hymns and prose for secular weddings, church ceremonies and services of blessing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA book for all who seek to understand what it means, in biblical terms, to embody the spirit of Christ in the world todayTrade ReviewA work [that] challenges us to accept and celebrate our bodies. * The Woman’s Pulpit, April-June 2017 issue *[It] raises profoundly important issues. * Theology Journal, Issue 120.2 *a robust and careful biblical study * Inspire Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the question that will be of most interest to readers: Was the Birth of Jesus according to Scripture? It outlines the debate between those who think that Matthew and Luke devised their narratives on the basis of specific Old Testament texts and those who think the Gospel narratives have determined the choice of those texts.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOpens up the latest research into Jesus' life and times for the general reader. Looks at the Gospels in a fresh way, making the setting of Jesus' life more vivid and realistic. Helps readers imagine the challenges that Jesus faced, and their impact on his actions and teachings.Trade ReviewThe above work is a short one, but it is not intended to be a quick read. From the very beginning it is made clear that the author has a thoughtful approach and wishes to evoke a similar thoughtfulness in the readers’ minds. I say ‘readers’ because this book is designed to be used for reflection by both individuals and groups, providing questions to consider for yourself or to discuss with others. A variety of tools are employed, not just prose; readers are also introduced to poetry as well as encouraged to seek out particular pieces of art and film. Essentially, David Bryan explores the geographical, cultural and religious background of where Jesus grew up, specifically the area of Nazareth, and from that foundation imagines what Jesus’ journeys towards Jerusalem might have been like: How would one from the countryside react to the scale of the cities? What tensions would one experience moving through an occupied land? Etc. Following this unifying thread the book is densely packed with ideas and moves through a variety of themes. The first chapter sets the feel of the book while setting the scene of Jesus’ adopted home. It outlines such things as what life in 1st Century Nazareth can best be estimated to look like, or what its nearest urban centre would have been like (Sepphoris – a town missing from the gospel accounts). The treatment of these questions is not as deep as a text book might give, but the aim of this book is obviously different. It is here, then, that the questions begin to come from the author to stir thought: What does home mean you? How would this home have influenced Jesus? Chapters 2 through 4 mainly tackle one particular journey of Jesus, the trip to Jerusalem at age twelve. The potential routes and physical challenges of the journey are described, and particular thought is given to the idea of the borders and boundaries that were crossed during the party’s travels. These topics give rise to questions on such themes as culture shock, discrimination and prejudice, tangling with the power of society at large, and the readers’ own journeys of faith. The next two chapters form a contrasting and complementing pair. Chapter 5 contains what one might expect from a book about Jesus with a devotional edge in that it focuses on the challenge that Jesus issued outwards through his teaching. In this case Bryan narrows the discussion down to Jesus’ command to love our enemies. Here is a particularly interesting inclusion of the opinions of a variety of commentators from different faiths on these words of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. The suggestions for discussion/thought here include such things as the practicalities and practical-ness of peaceful resistance. If chapter 5 focused on Jesus’ challenge given outwards then chapter 6 flips the direction and looks at the challenges the author perceived Jesus to receive from those he met on his travels. Bryan looks at three encounters in which he argues that Jesus can be perceived to be faced with something which challenged him and his thinking. All three are stories of healing but draw in such themes as the barriers illness creates in Jesus’ culture, or the divisions of ethnicity and gender present at the time. Bryan puts forward the case that the experiences were ones of learning for Jesus and as such sources of learning for Jesus’ followers today. However, this chapter is not the clearest in its approach or argument; it is not always clear what the author thinks the challenge was, nor how strong is the basis for his particular interpretation. The seventh and final chapter moves on to reflect on the story of the woman at the well of John 4 and the state of modern day Sychar (also called Schechem or Nabulus). This provides a platform to encourage the readers to consider inter-faith relations. Israel is a place of faiths and conflicts, now as it was then, but it is not the only place in the world, and nor is it the place in which most of the book’s readers will live, work and interact with others. Bryan wishes to ask his readers to think of their part in finding peace in this world. All in all the book has much to commend it. It is perhaps a bit too short and could have done with a bit more description and reflection from the author himself to generate responses, but equally it can be said that its simplicity leaves space for the reader to think, and usefully so. As such it will fit the reader who wants something to aid reflection as opposed to simply read through. -- Ben Dare Broad * Regent's Reviews *David Bryan beings the fruit of up to date scholarly insights about the geographical, political, social and spiritual realities of that world and what it might have been like to inhabit it, it turn informed by his reflections on his own experiences of modern Israel. But this also very much about the Jesus of faith, about the author’s passionate desire to bring his readers a fresh understanding of who Jesus was and is as they seek to follow him, and about the difference Jesus still wants to make through his followers to our world today. -- Desmond Alban * Franciscan 28(2) *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers intercessions, blessings and forms for the peace covering each Sunday and major festival of the Church's year. Can be used as a complement to the readings and collects for Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGod is everywhere, and that means he can speak to us in all sorts of interesting places! It doesn't take more than a page or two to get absorbed by this hugely enjoyable and original book, in which Sister Elizabeth invites us to read the Bible (in traditional or less obvious electronic form).

Read more less

Book SynopsisStephen Cherry's latest book is a sequence of beautifully crafted prayer-meditations, providing simple yet profound spiritual nourishment for the Lenten season. The book gives an engaging introduction to the different ways that prayer can work in the lives of the busiest of Christians.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Provocative Church offers a liberating understanding of evangelism as a corporate activity, in which all the gifts needed to enact the life of the Kingdom - to stir people into asking, 'What does this mean?' - are spread throughout the whole Church. It encourages the development of a theology of conversion.Trade ReviewThe Provocative Church is one of the best, most honest, most theologically grounded and therefore most practically helpful books on evangelism to have come out in recent years * Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford *

Read more less