Search results for ""spck""

‘The problem with Rhidian’s Thoughts is how often I find myself agreeing with him. Most annoying!’ John Humphrys Why bother with God? Do you know what matters in life? What are the limits of kindness? Why doesn’t God intervene? What are you worth? For twenty years, bestselling novelist Rhidian Brook has pondered such questions on Radio 4's Thought for the Day, encouraging, nudging, sometimes provoking millions into thinking about the possibility of a God who is intimately and cosmically involved in the human story. Over 100 of his Thoughts are presented here, forming a kind of alternative history of the 21st century, and inviting us to reflect on the deeper spiritual dimensions of our lives and times. ‘This earthy disturber of breakfasts subverts and provokes with Thoughts that last much longer than a day.’ Roy Jenkins ‘I hate celebrities, Harry Potter, musicals, and Thought for the Day. Unless Rhidian Brook is on.’Philip Kerr ‘A great collection from a wise and humane thinker and writer.’Victoria Hislop ‘Profound, entertaining, wise and funny – this is a masterclass in the genre. Bishop Nick Baines ‘Gems on every page. Take your time so you can reflect fully on the beauties contained in the brevity.’Professor Laurie McGuire

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Closing Ranks tells of an illustrious career, giving a behind the scenes look at the workings of the Metropolitan Police. One of the founder members of the Black Police Association Charitable Trust, Leroy Logan has had first-hand experience of race relations in modern-day Britain, and he relates how his strong Christian faith helped him persevere in a frequently hostile work environment. Offering encouragement to other black officers to stay on and work to change the culture within the police, Leroy's passion for good policing shines through . . . as does his touching concern to guide and empower young people. 'I was amazed and intrigued by the way Leroy had stood his ground and progressed within the Metropolitan Police against so many obstacles: hostility, outright racism and being repeatedly overlooked for promotion.' Steve McQueen, from the Foreword 'This is a story that needs telling.' Patrick Regan OBE, Kintsugi Hope 'Leroy Logan is a great example of achievement against all the odds.' The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover

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It is often observed that no historical figure has had a greater impact on the world than Jesus Christ. Why is that? And what difference does his impact make to the world today? It is also often said that Jesus was a 'revolutionary', and numerous books have appeared in recent years claiming just that - from the wild and sensational to the serious and respectable. This book, written by influential authors reflecting a diversity of expertise and points of view, considers the claims that continue to be made about Jesus, whether by believers or nonbelievers.

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A delightful retelling of the story of Baby Moses, especially for under 5s. It features full-colour photographic spreads of the characters from the award-winning Big Bible Storybook. This board book is perfectly sized for small hands, with short text for a parent or carer to read to the child.

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‘Martin’s book is the delighted exclamation of someone who has learnt – is learning – to swim in the ocean that is Orthodoxy: "Come on in; it is lovely here!"’Andrew Louth Until now, there has been little in the way of an accessible guide for those who seek to become or live as Orthodox Christians. A new convert himself, Martin Dudley is familiar with the questions, feelings and challenges that arise. He explains that, to grasp Orthodoxy, we must think and act as the Orthodox do. This involves suspending the Western analytical tendency and allowing free rein to the synthetic tendency, which enables us to detect a unity and perceive, however dimly, the interaction between the parts and the whole in relation to God and the Church. The author draws on a wealth of material, from the Church Fathers to straight-talking Mother Thekla, to explore the essentials of belief. He provides guidance on participating in the Liturgy, the requirements for fasting, confession and Orthodox prayer. In celebrating the culture of Orthodoxy – shaped by many different ethnicities and languages, gloriously expressed in art, music and literature – this volume fully conveys the rigour and joy of becoming and being Orthodox.

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'An astonishingly good read, gripping and thought-provoking' William Lane Craig 'If you wanted to understand Stephen Hawking but couldn't face the maths, this is the book for you.' Dr Althea Wilkinson, Jodrell Bank Stephen Hawking kept breaking rules. Given two years to live, he managed another 54. He wrote about quantum cosmology - and sold 20 million books. He could not speak, yet the world recognized his voice. Hutchings and Wilkinson shine light on his extraordinary ideas. The result is a thought-provoking theological commentary and critique of black holes, origins, many universes, and Big Questions. In 'God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse', Hutchings and Wilkinson explain the key elements of Stephen Hawking's physical and mathematical theories, consider their philosophical and religious implications, and relate his ideas to traditional Judaeo-Christian concepts of God. This book about Stephen Hawking and God and the relationship between God and science gives a brief but engaging overview of the history of physics and cosmology. Perfect for beginners, 'God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse' offers a concise and accessible introduction to Hawking's work and how his contributions to modern physics and cosmology can complement religion. Exploring topics such as gravity, quantum mechanics and general relativity, the authors offer a fresh perspective on the relationship between God and science, providing a balanced and informed commentary on Hawking's work both scientifically and theologically.

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What is my calling? It is a question wrestled with throughout every stage of life but perhaps felt most acutely by the twenty-something population. As Christians we might know that life to the full is experienced when we respond recklessly and wholeheartedly to the call of God. But how do we know what that is? And how do we pursue it once we do? This book tells the story of Rich Wilson and the growth Fusion, a movement that serves over 2200 churches across Europe in reaching students. Packed full of stories of ordinary people caught up in a much bigger God charged-movement, this book will inspire, challenge, reassure and encourage readers that God has a call and a plan for every single life. Exploring the adventures and adversity we face as we dare to live out a faithful response to the call to follow Jesus, these God encounters, ignition moments, dead ends and failures will show how God can use all things to become tools for transformation and forge faith in the journey.

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‘This is Wright at his best – exegete, theologian, churchman, and public intellectual rolled into one.’ Miroslav Volf ‘Wright’s crowning achievement.’ John Cottingham Building on his critically acclaimed Gifford Lectures, N. T. Wright presents a richly nuanced case for a theology based on a renewed understanding of historical knowledge. The question of 'natural theology' interlocks with the related questions of how we can conceive of God acting in the world, and of why, if God is God, the world is full of evil. Can specific events in history, like those reported in the Gospels, afford the necessary point from which to answer such questions? Widely shared cultural and philosophical assumptions have conditioned our understanding of history in ways that make the idea of divine action in history problematic. But could better historical study itself win from ancient Jewish and Christian cosmology and eschatology a renewed way of understanding the relationship between God and the world? N. T. Wright argues that this can indeed be done, and in this ground-breaking book he develops a distinctive approach to natural theology grounded in what he calls an 'epistemology of love'. This approach arises from his reflection on the significance of the ancient concept of the 'new creation' for our understanding the reality of the world, the reality of God and their relation to one another.

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Since the early days of Christianity, martyrdom has had a particularly honoured place, and 2020 will see the Catholic Church marking the fiftieth anniversary of the canonization of 40 martyrs killed during the Reformation in England and Wales. In this powerful exploration of the significance of martyrdom today, Catherine Pepinster looks at the lives of over a dozen martyrs, past and present, to consider how ideas about giving up your life for your faith have changed over the centuries, and especially the way martyrs often become caught up in the clash between religion and politics.

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Interpreting Paul brings together N. T. Wright’s most important articles on Paul and his letters since the publication of his magisterial Paul and the Faithfulness of God and its companion volume of essays Pauline Perspectives in 2013. Here is a rich feast for all serious students of the Bible. Each essay will amply reward those looking for detailed, incisive and exquisitely nuanced exegesis, resulting in a clearer, deeper and more informed appreciation of Paul and the relevance of his teaching to Christian life and thought today.

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‘If what stands in your way is too high to climb, too hard to dig under or too big to go round – it’s time for mountain-moving prayer!’ – Anthony Delaney, Ivy Church, Manchester The toughest challenges can be tackled, defeated and shifted aside by faith-fuelled prayer. Relational struggles, financial strangleholds, emotional strife; whatever your mountain, through prayer God’s power can move it. The huge challenges casting shadows across our communities can also be addressed through prayer. ‘God will move our personal mountains, but we mustn’t stop there. His goal is to transform the lives of those around us as well,’ observes Debra. ‘God’s call to me from the very beginning was to focus prayer on the big, specific issues causing social fragmentation: lack of aspiration amongst young people, elderly isolation, family failures, distrust and separation between ethnic groups. These mountains need moving in most neighbourhoods.’ ‘I work with police colleagues of many faiths and many of no faith – all are in awe when they witness what can be unlocked in this way.’ – Olivia Pinkney QPM MA, Chief Constable, Hampshire Constabulary Author and popular speaker Debra Green OBE runs ROC (Redeeming Our Communities).

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George Herbert is one of the great 17th century poet-priests. His poems embrace every shade of the spiritual life, from love and closeness, to anger and despair, to reconciliation and hope. And his work is always rich with audacious playfulness: he seems to take God on, knowing God will win, as if he's having an argument with a faithful friend he knows is not going to leave. In much of theology and spirituality, God is a critical spectator to human lives, but for Herbert, his sense of relationship with God is primarily of a friendship that can never be broken. These are some of the themes Mark Oakley explores in this outstanding book. He offers a poem for every day in Lent, with a 2-page commentary on each of the 40 included.

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This is Terry as he really is — wise and funny. A good book from a big man. If only he could be the Primate.' John Sergeant ‘A travelogue that is refreshingly irreverent and deeply human.’ James Naughtie From darkest Africa to the darker and infinitely wetter birthplace of John Knox, from the remote expanse of the Alaska Highway to part of the Antipodes that even Bill Bryson could not reach, Terry Waite takes us on a guided world tour in the company of Dr Robert Runcie. Even an archbishop has little control over wars and missed connections, floods and food poisoning. But this Primate sailed majestically through the most troubled of waters, as his companions (including Chaplain Richard Chartres) baled energetically in his wake. Hilarious and affectionate, Travels with a Primate offers an unashamedly nostalgic return to the 1980s. It is a delightful tribute to enduring friendship.

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In this pithy, entertaining guide to what really matters, Alister McGrath brings together Richard Dawkins and C.S. Lewis, two intriguing and well-known writers, in 'conversation'. The two men could hardly have more different perspectives; these arguments provide an excellent means of sharpening our own thinking on the meaning of life.

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Just This is a collection of brief and evocative meditations and practices that invites us to cultivate the gift of waking up to the beauty of reality in all its glorious ordinariness. With his signature blend of contemplation, theology, and pastoral sensitivity, Fr Richard Rohr creates a spaciousness for the soul to grow into a kind of seeing that goes far beyond merely looking to recognising and thus appreciating. This is the heart of contemplation, the centerpiece of any inner dialogue that frees us from the traps of our perceptions and preoccupations. The contemplative mind does not tell us what to see; it teaches us how to see what we behold.

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What is consciousness? Is the mind a machine? What makes us persons? What does it mean to aspire to human maturity? These are among the fundamental questions that Rowan Williams helps us to think about in this deeply engaging exploration of what it means to be human. The book ends with a brief but profound meditation on the person of Christ, inviting us to consider how, through him, 'our humanity in all its variety, in all its vulnerability, has been taken into the heart of the divine life'.

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This gift edition of the NLT features the whole Bible text and 24 full-colour plates detailing various scenes from the scriptures. Complete with an attractive presentation plate, this children's Bible will be an excellent baptism or confirmation gift. With beautiful illustrations from Javier Joaquin to capture their imagination in their earliest years, this Bible will be their first introduction to God's Word as they grow older.

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Zac's Place is a church in Swansea. It is a small chaotic community of Jesus followers where the most fragile of life's walking wounded try to work out their faith, because they quite simply wouldn't fit anywhere else. It's also the spiritual home for the local chapter of the motorcycle club God's Squad. Zac's Place was founded in 1998 and for nearly twenty years has been led by Sean Stillman - a "painfully shy, nervous preacher's kid" - whose front-line ministry, at Zac's Place and on the road, has cost him dearly, including physical beating. In Zac's Place, chaos and disorder sit alongside community and grace in an environment that sometimes resembles an AA meeting mixed with a casualty department. This is Sean's personal story of a transformed faith alongside the broken, the story of the church he started and the European-wide growth of an unlikely bunch of biker missionaries. The thread that will run through it is the `greater righteousness' that Christ was looking for - what can happen when our concern for the perfect performance is stripped bare and replaced with poverty of spirit.

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The last 10 years have seen an upturn in the number of people reporting difficulties with emotional and mental health issues, particularly anxiety and depression. And, it is often the strongest who struggle under the weight of all they have nobly tried to shoulder. Turn to the Bible, and this truth is played out in the lives of some of its greatest characters. King David led a nation – yet wrote some of the Bible’s bleakest laments. Elijah worked outlandish public miracles – and later pleaded God to take his life. Dedicated, hardworking mother and woman of God Naomi acknowledged that she had become characterised by bitterness. And lifelong God follower Job found himself longing for a death that would not come. This book affirms that depressive illness can strike anyone – not least the capable, busy people with the `can-do’ attitude of the title. This special bespoke edition for the Christian market takes a destigmatising, thoroughly informed approach to depression, with a foreword by Will Van Der Hart, whose own experience of ill mental health led to him founding Mind & Soul, the leading Christian mental health organisation.

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All of us will be familiar with supporting friends, family and colleagues through the ups and downs of relationships. But could some of the more difficult times of argument and conflict be more than general relationship issues? Is there something more sinister going on? Over the course of a lifetime, 30% of women and 16% of men will be subjected to abuse by a partner, yet so many of us are unsure exactly what constitutes domestic abuse, and wouldn't know how to react if we, or one of our friends or family, found ourselves in a relationship with an abuser. Natalie Collins is the perfect guide to lead you through this subject, amassing over a decade's experience leading workshops, raising awareness and capturing national media attention in her work against domestic abuse. Highly readable, invaluably insightful and steeped in theological insight, Natalie starts right from the basics, exploring what domestic abuse is, why it is perpetrated and the impact it has on children and adults. Filled with case studies, including Natalie's own story, this book offers much-needed advice on how we can address domestic abuse, both as individuals and as a church community.

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Vital reading for anyone who wants to create communications that cause people to act.' Matt Barlow, CEO, CAP When facing a red light, what can you say to turn it green? Hooking an audience? Sweating in a job interview? The results of what you say aren’t coincidence. Whether you persuade, or not, is down to whether you use the right prompts. The Centre Brain – the body’s action centre – responds to what it hears. And, if the right prompts are used, the brain can be persuaded to act. This book explains why your communication works, or doesn’t. Why you prompt action, or don’t. The result of a 20-year quest to discover what prompts action, this book offers readers a glimpse into the story behind their stories. Combining psychological insight, real-life experience and inspiring application, this book will empower you to really make the most of your message. 'This book will help you get to the heart of what makes people and their communication persuasive.' Ram Gidoomal CBE, international businessman

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The following historical statements all appear in well-established textbooks, and have become part of our common culture. Which of them would you say are true? * The Catholic Church incited and actively colluded in nearly two millennia of anti-Semitic violence, and Pope Pius XII is still rightfully known as ‘Hitler’s Pope’. * Only recently have we become aware of ancient and remarkably enlightened Christian gospels, which narrow-minded Catholic authorities tried to suppress. * Once in power as the official Church of Rome, Christians quickly and brutally persecuted paganism out of existence. * The fall of Rome and the ascendancy of the Church precipitated Europe’s decline into a millennium of ignorance and backwardness, which lasted until the Renaissance. * Initiated by the pope, the Crusades were but the first bloody chapter in the history of unprovoked and brutal Christian colonialism. * The Spanish Inquisition tortured and murdered huge numbers of innocent people for ‘imaginary’ crimes, such as witchcraft and blasphemy. * The Catholic Church persecuted and tried to suppress scientists such as Galileo, and the Scientific ‘Revolution’ therefore occurred mainly in more tolerant Protestant societies. * Being entirely comfortable with slavery, the Catholic Church did nothing to oppose its introduction in the New World, or to make it more humane. * Until very recently, Catholicism’s hierarchical view of the ideal state has resulted in its bitter resistance to all efforts to establish more liberal governments and its eager support for right-wing dictators. * It was the Protestant Reformation that broke the repressive Catholic grip on progress and ushered in capitalism, religious freedom and the modern world. In this powerful and persuasive book Rodney Stark subjects these and other widely-held beliefs to a rigorous historical assessment. He gives a compelling account of how each of them became accepted as the conventional wisdom, how egotism and ideology often worked together to create false or highly distorted pictures of people and events, and how we need to work hard to recover the truth if we’re to undo the cultural damage that centuries of anti-Catholic history has done.

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Moses knows his people are in trouble. Plucked from the River Nile, he’s a shy guy sent by God to get the Israelites back on track. And what an escape plan – free tickets for all on the Exodus Express! Will nasty Pharaoh stop them in their tracks? Or will they make it through the Red Sea channel tunnel to the promised land? This beautifully illustrated, rhyming retelling of the story of Moses will entertain young children and adults alike.

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In this compelling account of the origins and evolution of our secular worldview, Theo Hobson shows how Christian values continue to underpin our public morality, how faith remains indispensable to Western humanism, and how atheistic humanism represents a dead end. At the same time, he offers a timely warning against the dangers of a religious-secular culture war, given the radically politicized and destructive forms of religion endemic in the world today Here is a fresh and provocative argument about religion and politics – but one that doesn’t fit into the normal boxes. It suggests that although the public creed of the West is best described as ‘secular humanism’ we can only really understand and affirm secular humanism if we see how firmly it is based on Christian norms and values. If we don’t, the West is divided: mired in a stagnant stand-off between fundamentalist atheism and an equally hard-line Christian theism. This book offers a more nuanced and historically more persuasive way forward, showing just how much our secular morality owes to Christianity, and how it can only find coherence through a new and positive view of its origins.

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At Oxford University in the 1970s, Alister McGrath faced a crisis when he realized that his scientific atheism made less sense of reality than the ‘big picture’ offered by Christianity. A reluctant convert, he was astonished by the delight he found in exploring a previously unknown world of ideas. Crucial to his understanding have been the Christian Creeds, which he regards as maps to the landscape of faith. His hope in this volume is that we too may grasp comprehensively the treasure to which they point: the living God, who is the ground of our existence; Jesus Christ who journeys with us; the Holy Spirit who offers us reassurance and affirmation on the way. Drawing on the theology of popular writers like C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton and Dorothy L. Sayers, and full of stories and illustrations, this vivid portrayal of the imaginative power and vision of Christianity will prove invaluable to clergy, church leaders, theological students – and all who long to expand their understanding and love of God.

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‘If the English people were to be set a test to justify their history and civilization by the example of one man, then it is Sir Thomas More whom they would perhaps choose.’ So commented The Times in 1978 on the 500th anniversary of More’s birth. Twenty-two years later, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Thomas More the patron saint of politicians and people in public life, on the basis of his ‘constant fidelity to legitimate authority and . . . his intention to serve not power but the supreme ideal of justice’. In this fresh assessment of More’s life and legacy, John Guy considers the factors that have given rise to such claims concerning More’s significance. Who was the real Thomas More? Was he the saintly, self-possessed hero of conscience of Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons or was he the fanatical, heretic-hunting torturer of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall? Which of these images of More has the greater historical veracity? And why does this man continue to fascinate, inspire and provoke us today?

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From the pen of a great historian, here is the most accessible and affordable one-volume history of Christianity you can buy. As well providing a masterly panoramic survey of the religion itself, Professor Blainey keeps you informed about the social and economic forces that influenced it, making fascinating connections with politics, literature, popular culture, other religions and wider historical events along the way. The result is a vivid account of the world’s largest religion, packed with illuminating insights into the ideas and achievements of some of the most powerful people and movements that have shaped our world right up to the present day.

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Making the Most of Your Child's Baptism is a short full colour guide for parents bringing their child for baptism in the Church of England. In this baptism guide you'll find a full explanation of the baptism service, its meaning and symbolism. Making the Most of Your Child's Baptism is ideal for anglican churches to gift to parents who ask for their children to be baptised. It follows the Common Worship Baptism service and is full colour throughout, making it attractive for parents and godparents as they prepare for their child's baptism. Aimed at those not familiar with church, Making the Most of Your Child's Baptism is structured around the service itself and includes questions to think about and follow up activities for parents, godparents and children.

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Nick Page's bestselling Tabloid Bible is back by popular demand, and now in full colour and complete with sidebars of shame. The Tabloid Bible tells both well-known and obscure Bible stories as the newspapers and websites of the day might have covered them. ATISHOO! ATISHOO! WALL FALL DOWN! Insurers refuse payouts over Jericho wall collapse. "Aggressive trumpet playing is not covered," they say. ARKING MAD! Nutty Noah builds the world's biggest boat in his garden. "I'm sure he doesn't have planning permission," says irate neighbour. KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS. Moses brings maxims from the mountain! TOWER OF BABEL COLLAPSES. "!ccyshhibothuth mi varg," says suddenly incomprehensible builder. ARMAGEDDON OUT OF HERE! Gigantic explosion splits earth.

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Robin Gill sensitively examines the various explanations that theologians offer to the problem of why the world contains so much innocent suffering. A book for all who want to believe in God but struggle to do so in the face of the pointless cruelty that appears to be built into God’s creation.

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A valuable new companion journal to the bestselling Breathing Under Water! We are all addicted to something, according to Franciscan Father Richard Rohr. This Companion Journal can help you work your way through the wisdom of the twelve-step program as outlined in Breathing Under Water, so you may determine the source of, and solution for, your own addictions. Containing reflections, discussion questions and room to write notes, this Journal encourages you to explore the process in a way that’s relevant and meaningful for you. ‘A must-read for any person who recognises the need to go "inward" on their soul’s journey to question what their relationship is with God, themselves, and others.’ The Cord ‘Richard Rohr continues to guide us to greater wholeness . . . his books have helped countless souls, especially those who struggle with issues of brokenness and seek transformation.’ National Catholic Reporter

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For many people, the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans is just another tragic fact of history – a cruel travesty of justice, perhaps, but nothing more. But for Christians the death of Jesus has a much deeper and far-reaching significance. Jane Williams examines the reasons why Jesus' death was seen by his first followers as nothing less than the demonstration of God's love for his creation, and the means by which we all can find forgiveness and redemption, both now and in the world to come.

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Drawing on a collection of lectures that Tom Wright delivered from 1999 to 2015, God in Public brings together the message of Jesus – in its larger biblical context – and the challenges of the contemporary public and political worlds. Those new to Tom Wright will find this book an ideal introduction into his writings. In this book, Wright challenges the west’s response to 9/11 and then expands to discuss a more Jesus inspired way of approaching the public problems we find ourselves in, based on the following Jesus’ life and teachings. Questions such as: What has Christianity to do with power? Why must the church remind those in authority of their responsibilities? And What can Christians do to act as the voice of the voiceless? Are central in this book as Wright demonstrates the many ways in which faithful exegesis of scripture can throw fresh light – God’s light – on the great philosophical and ethical problems of our day.

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Rowan Williams explores the essentials of Paul's thought for complete beginners - as well as for those who've read Paul's letters many times before and want to see them in a fresh light. Written at a highly accessible level, this book would make a perfect gift for anyone thinking about confirmation, while also appealing to people who are curious as to why Paul has had such a profound influence on Christian history and belief. Questions for reflection or group discussion are provided for each chapter. The book also features a reading guide that includes a reflection and prayer for each of the seven weeks of Lent.

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This elegantly written biography offers the most intimate, detailed, rounded and supremely human portrait yet painted of the great Christian thinker and martyr. Draws on writings only recently made accessible - including the correspondence between Bonhoeffer and his teen-age fiancé, Maria von Wedemeyer. Fresh insights into the duplicity into which Bonhoeffer was drawn, with intriguing quotes from the bogus diary and letters he composed to distract the Gestapo from his real activities. Packed with fascinating extracts from Bonhoeffer's own letters and papers, creating a vivid sense of the momentous times in which he lived, and of his innermost thoughts and feelings at any given moment.

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The Church is very good at inviting or challenging people to love their neighbours. It is not so strong on encouraging us to love ourselves. This book illuminates the healing truth that encountering the love of God sets us free to live as we were intended to live – loving ourselves and those around us. Through Bible passages, stories and exercises, the authors encourage us to throw off the sense of apprehension that bothers so many, and to enjoy living to the full in God’s exhilarating company.

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Tom Wright has completed a tremendous task: to provide comprehensive guides to all the books of the New Testament, and to furnish them with his own fresh translation of the entire text. Making use of his true scholar's understanding, yet writing in an approachable and anecdotal style, Wright captures the urgency and excitement of Matthew's Gospel in a way few writers have. Each short passage is followed by a highly readable commentary with helpful background information. A glossary is included at the back of the book. The series is suitable for group study, personal study, or daily devotions.

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Writing in an accessible and anecdotal style, Tom Wright helps us to approach the rich and many-sided story of the book of Acts. Wright shows how the book builds on Luke's gospel, laying out the continuing work and teaching of the now risen and ascended Jesus in the power of the Spirit. His writing captures the vivid way in which Luke's work draws us all into the story, while leaving the ending open and challenging, inviting Christians today to pick up and carry on the story as we in turn live our lives in the service of Jesus. Tom Wright has undertaken a tremendous task to provide guides to all the books of the New Testament, and to furnish them with his own fresh translation of the entire text. Each short passage is followed by a highly readable discussion, with background information, useful interpretation and explanation, and thoughts as to how it can be relevant to our lives today. No knowledge of technical jargon is required. A glossary is included at the back of the book. The series is suitable for personal or group use. The format makes it appropriate also for daily study.

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He loves the tango, was trained as a Chemist, and in his youth he had a regular girlfriend whom he planned to marry. For a pope, Francis has an unusual life story. Drawing on conversations, interviews, inside information and the Pope's own writings and talks, A Call to Serve offers first-hand information, moving reflections, and profound insights into the life and character of Jorge Bergoglio, his ministry in Buenos Aires, the challenges he faces in Rome, and his vision for renewing the church and serving the world. Over one hundred and fifty full-colour photographs accompany the Pope's remarkable story, capturing key moments and people in his upbringing and former life in Argentina. They also chronicle the historic events surrounding the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the extraordinary series of surprises that followed the election of the first pope from the Americas.

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Stephen 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. Barefoot Prayers is ideal for people who may have little time for sitting and reading but more time for thinking and reflecting.

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The Body and the Spirit, though, roughly speaking, being in the same place they are almost always separated from each other in Christian thought. The body is painted as something bad, frail, coarsely corporeal and ruled by "the flesh" (which is always pronounced with parental disdain, as if it were a bad influence on an otherwise good child). Whereas the Spirit is pure, lofty, and Good, and that you can only really connect with God with what is inside. But is it fair to separate 'Spirituality' from the Body? Following up 'Heaven', her bestselling and highly praised look at how we see heaven and how the Bible depicts it, Paula Gooder explores key Biblical concepts of the Body before moving on to examine what Paul taught in the New Testament. That actually we need to take a different look at what is meant by the Body. With careful scholarship, thoughtful reflection on Biblical passages, and an stylistic approach like that of 'Heaven', which The Times Literary Supplement called "a fine example of careful biblical scholarship made accessible and exciting", Body isn't just a book for the brain. Neither is it a book to feed the Spirit. It's a book for the person. The whole person.

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Clergy have a pivotal role in creating and nurturing church communities in which all people can grow up into Christ. This book explores the nature of that role by considering key similarities with the essential but often conflicting demands of motherhood. Like mothers, clergy need to preserve and hold people faithfully, while encouraging them to grow, take initiatives and become more confident and self-supporting. This book will help clergy to think about how this is achieved through the myriad of 'small' things they do from day to day, highlighting skills such as comforting, cherishing and multi-attending - skills that are centrally important but often unarticulated and undervalued.

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Talking about ethics tends to involve talking about what we should or, more often, shouldn't do. We talk about setting limits on actions that, for whatever reason, we think are either wrong or somehow harmful to ourselves or others. The aim of this book, however, is to explore Christian ethics within a wider, more positive framework - one that that views Christianity's moral resources as part of the good news that it proclaims to all creation. Ethics, says Hovey, need not be characterized primarily by negative prohibitions, limits, and tiresome hand-wringing. Rather, it's about a joyful and worshipful way of living, which flows naturally out of the abundant goodness God's life and character, as revealed in Jesus.

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Explores the deepest questions of identity, spirituality and meaning. In Falling Upward (and many of his other teachings), Richard Rohr talks at length about the False Self and how it gets in the way of spiritual maturity, especially if its preoccupations continue into the second half of life. Here he focuses on the True Self, which he likens to a diamond, buried deep within us, formed under the intense pressure of our lives, needing to be searched for, uncovered and separated from all the debris of ego that surrounds it. In a sense True Self must, like Jesus, be resurrected, and that process is not resuscitation but transformation. 'For a growing number of us, reading Richard Rohr is like sitting around the tribal fire, listening to the village elder give words to that which we've always known to be true, we just didn't know how.' Rob Bell, pastor and author of Love Wins

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· Is it possible to love the Bible and affirm evolution? · Does belief in heaven mean there’s no need to worry about climate change? · Should Christians avoid getting involved in worldly concerns like politics? Acclaimed byNewsweekas ‘the world’s leading New Testament scholar’, Tom Wright conveys his knowledge in terms that excite and challenge Christians of all persuasions, allowing them to see the Bible in a fresh and surprising light. In this sparkling collection of popular essays, sermons and talks, Wright provides a series of case studies that show how the Bible can be applied to some of the most pressing issues facing Christians today.

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Throughout history, Christians have expressed their faith through story. They created texts featuring important early Christian figures - like Jesus, Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalene, and Judas - to express their relationships to God and to the world around them. Some of these texts are found in today's New Testament, but there is a wide assortment of other texts that are not included in the Bible. This book offers readers a guide to the Christian Apocrypha, beginning with a description of scholars' efforts to recover and reconstruct the texts, followed by examinations of a number of key texts. It responds to a number of misconceptions and common questions about the Apocrypha and finishes with a discussion of the enduring value of the Christian Apocrypha.

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This engaging companion volume to N. T. Wright's Paul and the Faithfulness of God is essential reading for all with a serious interest in Paul, the interpretation of his letters, his appropriation by subsequent thinkers, and his continuing significance today. In the course of this masterly survey Wright asks searching questions of all of the major contributions to Pauline studies since the early twentieth century.

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Lists can be an entertaining distraction but Ten demonstrates they can be stimulating too. With characteristic wit and candour, John Pritchard attempts to get clear in his own mind what he believes after 40 years of trying to faith understandable to others. Topics include: - Ten problems people have with faith - Ten things I believe about God - Ten things I don't believe about God - Ten words of wisdom - Ten clichés to avoid - Ten ways to pray - Ten lessons learned This is a great book whether you're sceptical about Christianity, feel there may be something to it, or simply want reassurance - in the midst of life's frequently bewildering moments - that it really does make sense.

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