SPCK Publishing

AWARD: CRT Christian Life Book of the Year 2024!

You probably don't need to be told that the demands of modern living are taking their toll on our wellbeing. You likely feel it.

And yet, some of us feel as though we're the only ones who are weary, overwhelmed or anxious so we don't talk about it and try and pretend that it's not happening.

The truth is that we're far from alone; we all have days where life feels too much, and we've all had times when we're desperate to know that brighter days are ahead.

Packed-full of practical tips alongside stories of struggle and strength, Brighter Days is for all of us who want tools to invest in our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual health so we can look forward to a healthier and more hopeful future.

'I have long regarded the NRSV as the gold standard of English Bible translation. . . This edition's care over word choices and language makes it very appropriate for reading aloud and for personal Bible reading or use in Bible study groups.'
Steve Walton, Professor of New Testament, Trinity College, Bristol

Acclaimed by both biblical scholars and general readers as the most reliable English Bible available, the New Revised Standard Version follows in the great tradition of the King James Version in being true to the original meaning of the text while conveying it in a dignified style that speaks powerfully to today's readers.

Now with British spelling, grammar and punctuation, and with over 20,000 updates and enhancements to the text, this is the first comprehensive revision of the NRSV since it was published in 1989.

Features:
British text
Clear readable 9 pt typeface
Double-column layout
Hardback binding
Illustrated silver endpapers featuring 'Presented to:'
Silver ribbon marker
Durable black cover material with silver foiled design
Silver head and tail bands
Removable white bellyband
Printed on paper from sustainable sources

'The new British version of the NRSVue. . . reflects the latest scholarship while being sensitive to cultural changes on issues such as gender, race and disability. It also echoes a more distinctly English tradition which will be welcome to many who are the cultural descendants of those who still treasure the King James Version.'
Angela Tilby, Canon Emeritus of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford

'Thirty years of advances in textual analysis make it more accurate than any other translation, and now its sensitive rendering into elegant and inclusive British English ensures a smoother and more rewarding reading experience for millions of English speakers, both in the UK and around the world. All of which means the NRSVue now stands at the pinnacle of English Bible translations.'
Emma Ineson, Bishop of Kensington, London

'The finest English Bible we have today.'
Richard J. Foster, theologian and writer

Mark Oakley reveals George Herbert as a fine companion with whom to examine the journey of the soul.

His poems are 'heart-work and heaven-work', embracing love and closeness, anger and despair, reconciliation and hope.

There is too an appealing and audacious playfulness about Herbert: he seems to take God on, knowing God will win, confident God will not abandon him.

This sense of relationship with God as primarily friendship is one of many intriguing and healing aspects we are invited to consider.

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

'My Sour-Sweet Days contains forty well-chosen poems by George Herbert (widely considered the greatest devotional poet in the English language), each of which is followed by a short but profound reflection by Mark Oakley. The combination is excellent: richly expressive poems and accessible personal meditations. This book powerfully demonstrates how poetry can bring comfort, refreshment and renewed energy to our spiritual lives.'

Professor Helen Wilcox, editor of the critically acclaimed edition of The English Poems of George Herbert (Cambridge University Press, 2007)

'It's extremely unusual to meet anyone who isn't a specialist who has such a subtle feeling for language as Mark Oakley does.'

Sir Andrew Motion, former Poet Laureate

'In another world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.'
From An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (1903)

Canonized by Pope Francis in October 2019, Saint John Henry Newman (1801-90) was one of the most controversial and influential thinkers of his day. He is now recognized as one of the finest prose stylists of modern times, as well as a popular poet and hymn-writer. His spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is a modern classic, and his many theological writings continue to be widely read and highly regarded by Christians of all traditions.

As Eamon Duffy brilliantly demonstrates in this fresh assessment of Newman's life and achievement, other theologians of his time are now largely of historical interest whereas Newman is still very much our contemporary.

'This splendid book... expertly illuminates every aspect of Newman's life [and] work.'
Wall Street Journal

Gives the reader the benefit of many years' experience of putting MAP into practice.

'This is a must-read for anyone using MAP.'
JOHN DUNNETT, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS AT THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND EVANGELICAL COUNCIL

How to Do Mission Action Planning (SPCK, 2009) was the first book to appear on the MAP process, at a time when it was beginning to have a significant impact. In this fully revised and expanded edition, the authors offer further critical evaluation and theological reflection, by drawing on the experiences of people who have been using the MAP process in different contexts from their own:

Fr Damian Feeney, parish priest and Catholic Missioner of Lichfield diocese
Canon David Banbury, leader of Parish Mission Support, Blackburn diocese
The Rt Revd Dr Alan Smith, Bishop of St Albans
Dr Stephen Hance, Canon Missioner of Southwark diocese
Linda Rayner, the United Reformed Church co-ordinator for Fresh Expressions

‘Erudite, bold and wide-ranging – a book that makes you think about knowledge, wisdom and what the future has in store.’ PETER FRANKOPAN

'A book of remarkable sweep and scope - not just learned, but deeply humane.' TOM HOLLAND

The long human odyssey of self-discovery has reached a crucial stage: everything we do affects everyone and everything else - and we know it. The next hundred years will bring more change than we can easily imagine: more opportunities for more people to achieve the fulfilment of a good life, and more risks that could result in catastrophic harm to the entire planet.

Viewed geopolitically, the main question is whether the world-views of the world’s most important and influential powers – China and America (the one fundamentally Confucian, the other essentially individualist) – can be made to work together constructively.

At the same time, on a deeper level, the even greater question is how the irreversible fact of urbanisation may nurture healthy and mature human individuality, such that the accumulated wisdom of the world’s great cultures becomes mutually transforming and enriching.

This bold and wide-ranging book explores those questions, with all the risks and opportunities they hold for generations still to come.

Interactive and experiential journal introducing prayer practices to teenagers. Space for teenagers to record their own thoughts on the practice and to read what other people have said Ideal confirmation gift Fresh, contemporary design.

This book is based on a blog run by Revd Miranda Threlfall-Holmes and her teenage son, Noah, www.TeenagePrayerExperiment.blogspot.co.uk. Miranda and Noah developed the blog and book as they could find nothing on the market to introduce teenagers to different ways of praying.

Each chapter of the book introduces a prayer practice, e.g using labyrinths, Lego Bible modelling, prayer beads, prayer walking.

It also includes comments by teenagers who have tried it out and plenty of space for the young person to record their own thoughts.

Each experiment is divided into 4 parts:

1. An introduction to the prayer idea being suggested and the context of the tradition
2. The experiment - how to do it and what you need
3. Space for notes on how it went/ what you thought
4. Notes from other teens who have tried out the experiment and their thoughts about it

Packed full of experiments in prayer this is a resource to get stuck into and try for yourself.

When you hear the word 'worship', what first springs to mind?

For many of us we think of singing songs and hymns with fellow believers in a church service or small group. But worship is more than that. Worship is a way of living.

In Worshipping, readers are invited to journey through a series of six studies in David's Psalms, learning from his worship in all of life, from worshipping together to worshipping under pressure, worshipping in failure and in contentment.

With contributions from Mark Greene, Antony Billington, Tracy Cotterell, Joe Warton and Pippa James, this practical workbook will help you see whole-life worship in a new way.

Using personal anecdote, a witty and lively style, and drawing on his considerable theological knowledge, John Goldingay takes us deep into the unfolding story of the Old Testament.

This timely book gives a voice to those living with HIV who are too often ignored or misunderstood by the Church and other religious institutions – including those in positions of care who may have thought they were helping but have ended up doing more harm than good.

The book exposes and challenges attitudes of institutional blindness and abuse and suggests some positive means of remedy, all of which have been formed and tested with the help of clients at the London HIV Chaplaincy.

With its powerful combination of moving personal testimony and honest pastoral reflection, this book will encourage a more informed, sensitive and effective interaction with many who, for whatever reason, feel marginalised by our society and alienated by those who most want to help.

As Rowan Williams says in his foreword, 'This book is a proclaiming of the gospel as well as a call to judgement. It is necessary material for the self-examination and self-awareness of any Christian minister or community, if the Church’s claim to be what it is supposed to be is not to go on being so hollow for so many who need to hear that their agency and dignity are understood and honoured.'

'It has been slowly dawning on me over many years that there is a fundamental problem deep at the heart of Christian faith and practice as I have known them . . . we have all forgotten what the four Gospels are about.'

With that surprising assertion, Tom Wright launches this ground-breaking work in which he helps us to see the gospel story in radically a new light, and to acknowledge that, for many generations, the Church has been avoiding its full impact and holding back from proclaiming its full meaning.

'Classic Wright: clear, accessible, robust, engaging and challenging.'
Paula Gooder in Third Way

'Scholarly, accessible, insightful and provocative.'
Christianity

'Wright argues compellingly that the twin themes of kingdom and cross are inseparably linked. . . This is a much-needed reorientation. The book makes its case for 'rethinking' cogently and deserves widespread attention.'
Theology

Millions have read his words or heard him speak.

Now here’s a chance to find out more about the man behind the books and speeches.

Be a fly on the wall as two friends – one the former Archbishop of Canterbury, the other ‘one of America's leading voices on religion and culture’ (BBC Radio) – talk about their shared passions and interests.

This is Rowan Williams at his most relaxed and personal. Listen in as he reflects on the vital pursuits that have characterized his life and ministry: among them, friendship, imagination, popular culture, faith and politics, prayer, and the blessings of sacred community.

Rowan Williams has made a unique contribution to the spiritual life of the English-speaking world. This eminently accessible introduction to the man and his thought reveals why.

The second - thoroughly updated and revised - edition of a bestselling textbook that surveys the grand narrative of the Bible, demonstrating how the biblical story forms the foundation of a Christian worldview.

The Drama of Scripture provides an engaging overview of the storyline and theology of the Bible. The authors work their way through the Bible as a drama with six acts - creation, sin, Israel, Jesus, mission and new creation.

Their study provides an introduction to the Bible and a commentary on important passages, while helping the reader relate their story to the Bible story at each point.

‘As we contemplate the coming months, not knowing when we can breathe again, it’s worth thinking about how already the foundations have been laid for whatever new opportunities God has for us on the far side of this crisis.’

Rowan Williams offers these words of wisdom and many more in Candles in the Dark. This powerful and timely book brings together the 26 weekly Christian meditations originally posted online from March to September 2020, during lockdown in the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, for the congregation of his local parish church.

Candles in the Dark is a lovely Christian book of comfort for anyone looking for the light in these dark times. Written with warmth and compassion, these meditations offer us hope and encouragement as we continue to endure the most devastating and disturbing world crisis for over a generation. They will leave you spiritually uplifted and with a strengthened faith to guide you through whatever may come.

"It is a real pleasure to find what many readers are always on the lookout for: a new and original writer of a rattling good story told with intelligence and depth." The Tablet

Parson's daughter Mara Johns arrives as a postgraduate student at a great northern cathedral city. Antagonistic to the church and fiercely independent, she repels all friendly overtures and seeks spiritual answers in her theological research. But when her past involvement in an extreme sect resurfaces, she finds her quest won't stay academic. Nor can she hold out against her persistent would-be friends.

Gradually she unbends and laughs with Maddy and May; locks horns with the insufferable 'polecat' - and finds herself torn between the attentions of two suitors. But they are both ordinands, and she's vowed she'll never marry a vicar. When her carefully controlled world falls apart, it is these new friends she must turn to if she wants to survive.

In Christmas the Original Story Margaret Barker explores the nature of the Christmas stories and the nature and use of Old Testament prophecy.

Beginning with John's account, it then goes on to include Luke and Matthew, the apocryphal gospels, and the traditions of the Coptic Church, to throw light upon wise men and their gifts, the character of Herod, Matthew's use of prophecy, the holy family in Egypt.

This book also discusses the stories we get from the Infancy Gospel of Jesus and the development of the Orthodox Christmas icon, as well as the Christmas story and the Mary material in the Koran.

This is an accessible book based on scholarly work.

The Essential History of Christianity covers both the key historical events and the big picture.

Miranda Threlfall-Holmes helps us to understand what has gone on in the past, and sheds light on our present experiences of churches, religion, spirituality and religious conflict. She also gives important clues about what might happen in the future.

This entertaining and accessible guide makes sense of a fascinating subject, providing a clear overview of the broad sweep of Christian history, and is indispensible for those beginning to study Christianity or the Church.

Finding Mr Goldman tells of the epic battle of good and evil played out in the life and sudden death of a wicked man.
Had he known the hour of his death, the wealthy Harry Goldman might have arranged his day differently. Instead he finds himself plunged into a nightmare in which his life of violence and ruthless greed is laid bare before him.
Accompanied by a disreputable looking but likeable tramp, who bears a striking resemblance to Jesus, Goldman sets out on a quest to save his soul. But confronted by the shattering reality of hell, he realises all is lost. It is only then that he discovers the redeeming love of God . . .

"It's easier to build strong children than repair broken men and women. This book provides an incredible opportunity for parents and guardians to start important conversations early on." – Guvna B, rapper, author and broadcaster

"Books like this are essential, the more children are comfortable talking about race the less barriers there will be between us." - Naomi and Natalie from Everydayracism

Do you want to raise anti-racist children? Do you long to learn but are too scared of saying or doing the wrong thing?

Then Talking to Children about Race is for you.

But before we start talking to our children, we must start chatting honestly with one another.

Broadcaster Loretta Andrews and the educator Ruth Hill had been friends for years before the shocking death of George Floyd made it impossible not to dig deeper into the topic of race and how to explain racism to their children.

Drawing on the very real conversations that ensued, this book invites you into the dialogue to better equip you to bring up anti-racist children.

With warmth and approachability, the authors provide a history of race and explore white privilege, unconscious bias and systematic racism. They offer practical tips, ideas and activities to help you to educate, empower and raise anti-racist children today.

"Loretta and Ruth have given us a treasure: a non-judgemental, open-hearted manual on ways to tackle the subject of race with our little ones." - Sarah Clarke (Disastersofathirtysomething)

"What I love the most is that you are part of change – a lasting change tribe. Ruth and Loretta have not only used their platform but their honest voices in sharing their experiences and research to be the conversation opener for children and families on anti-racism." - Dina Maktabi, Founded of Kensington Mums www.kensingtonmums.co.uk

"This is an incredibly helpful and well-written guide that I will go back to time and time again throughout raising my son!" – Emma Borquaye, author and founder of Girl Got Faith

"I really wanted to skim through this book, picking out little nuggets of wisdom, but paragraph after paragraph, chapter after chapter, I was engrossed!!" - Nana-Adwoa Mbeutcha, Co-Founder of Black Mums Upfront

Ancient authors and readers did not work with manuscripts the way we work with printed texts. It is thus all too easy to fall into anachronistic assumptions about how the Gospels were written. Writing the Gospels challenges such assumptions in the light of recent work on ancient media studies and suggests more appropriate models for the composition of the New Testament Gospels.

The main argument is that memory would have been central to the process of composition. The Evangelists almost certainly relied on their memory of the Hebrew Scriptures (and Israelite tradition in general) for their use of them. They will also have been both informed and constrained by the social memory of the primitive Church. It is argued here that they will most likely have relied on their memory of their written sources, or at least, that it is a better working assumption that they did so than that they necessarily worked with their written sources open in front of them. So, for example, Matthew may well have been used to performing Mark from memory and would have had no need to consult a copy if he used Mark as the basis of his own work.

While other aspects of ancient composition are addressed, the main concerns of this study are first to establish the centrality of memory in ancient composition and secondly to explore the implications of assuming that the Evangelists worked mainly from memory, as many of their contemporaries did.

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.

Intimate Jesus is the first book to open up key questions about Jesus' experience of human sexuality and His attitude towards it in himself and others for a general audience.

Andrew Angel examines all the relevant sayings and actions of Jesus and others in the Gospels, and explores their first-century cultural context in order to better understand the historical Jesus as a fully rounded human being.

Intimate Jesus also explores the relationship between sexuality and spirituality, based in scripture, Andy Angel takes this complex subject and communicates it clearly in a way that can be understood by those without a theology degree but with an interest in theology.

'My favourite thing about this book is the different perspectives on one main thing... Worship! Reading it provided much clarity on a word that is often misunderstood.'

Guvna B, Rapper, Author & Broadcaster

What does it mean to be a worshipper? Together, Tim Hughes and Nick Drake explore who, where, why and how Christians worship, what happens when we do and where the future of worship may take us.

With contributions from Graham Kendrick, Lou Fellingham, Kees Kraayenoord, Dr Helen Morris and many more, this book offers a fresh reminder that worship isn't just music and the songs we sing, it is so much more.

The Spring Harvest 2021 theme book, Why Worship? will help you reconnect to the purpose and meaning of worship, so that you can grow closer to God individually and as a church community and get the most out of worship.

Contributors
Tim Hughes, Nick Drake, Dr John Andrews, Dr Helen Morris, Graham Kendrick, Lou Fellingham, Lyn Weston, Kees Kraayenoord, Noel Robinson, Doug Williams, Dr Darell Johnson.

'Ruth Valerio's book is perfect for individuals and groups to think, reflect, pray and be challenged together.' JUSTIN WELBY, from the Foreword

'An arresting and thought-provoking book, brilliantly conceived . . . by turns beautiful and sobering, encouraging and challenging.' PETE WILCOX, BISHOP OF SHEFFIELD

Saying Yes to Life (originally published as the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2020) lifts our focus from natural, everyday concerns to issues that are having an impact on millions of lives around the world. As people made in the image of God, we are entrusted to look after what he has created: to share in God's joy and ingenuity in making a difference for good. Ruth Valerio imaginatively draws on the Days of Creation (Genesis 1) as she relates themes of light, water, land, the seasons, other creatures, humankind, Sabbath rest and resurrection hope to matters of environmental, ethical and social concern.

Foundational to Saying Yes to Life is what it means to be human and, in particular, to be a follower of Jesus. Voices from around the world are heard throughout, and each chapter ends with discussion questions and a prayer to aid action and contemplation.

Gaby and her husband Sean and their four children live in a flat across from Grenfell Tower, and Sean (a Church of England minister) was the first clergy person on the scene. This book stems from personal experience of the impact of the fire. It features the testimony of and commentary on the community that experienced it, and the amazing stories of hope that followed in its wake.

Grenfell Hope will help readers understand what it was like living in North Kensington before and after the fire. It will help engage the reader with poverty issues, to examine attitudes to the poor and to consider how even small gestures in everyday life can change local communities.

In the desperate situation of the fire, God was at work in people’s hearts bringing hope in tiny gestures that mounted up to something enormous. Hope that couldn’t be ignored or even contained. Hope sprang out all over the country.

EVER THOUGHT LIFE ISN'T TURNING OUT QUITE AS YOU EXPECTED?

Growing up, Katharine Welby-Roberts imagined that being an adult was one big party. But depression, anxiety and crippling self-doubt led her to alienate herself from others. To replay events and encounters as nightmares. Occasionally, to be unable to leave the house.

Aware of the cacophony of voices in her head, Katharine invites us to join her as she journeys to the depths of her soul. Here, with instinctive honesty and humour, she confronts the parts of her story that hinder her most.

As she charts a course that offers ways of coping with everyday issues, we are encouraged to embrace our own self-worth. To recognize the value of our existence. To let ourselves be loved. Exactly as we are.

With each chapter drawing on personal experience and featuring an original illustration, the topics include:

- taking responsibility (the need to accept failure)

- your crap/my crap (the boundaries between caring and taking on others' worries and stresses)

- what sort of special? (what it means to be unique in a sea of unique people)

- comparisons (the destructiveness of comparing ourselves to other people)

- affirmation (the healthy and unhealthy need)

- inner conflict (believing we can do anything/nothing at all)

- numbers (the power of social media)

- never chosen (finding our value in who we are in each situation, not in the people around us)

- major crisis in a minor moment (keeping things in proportion)

- regret (spending less time evaluating ourselves and more time just being ourselves)

Candid but powerfully reassuring, the book reminds us that we are each made - fearfully and wonderfully - in the image of God, our true source of confidence, comfort and joy.

'Brilliantly honest, often funny and wonderfully readable'
Martin Saunders, Youthscape

'Wholly authentic in the face of suffering and struggle'
Will van der Hart, The Mind and Soul Foundation

The whole of life can be found in the psalms. It can also be found in our cities.

Psalms for the City is a beautifully illustrated book of poetry that offers comfort, inspiration and encouragement for the heart and soul, as John-Paul Flintoff puts into vibrant, captivating and sometimes heart-wrenching words the pockets of peace he has found in the midst of the non-stop noise and colourful chaos of the city.

Inspired by the psalms - some of the oldest and most soul-stirring poetry in the world - Flintoff's fluid style and technical skills take us on a private tour of our most-loved urban landscapes and reveal the spiritual nourishment in some of its most famous sights. In countless churches and sacred spaces, he shows us locations to lament; he teaches us to discover joy in crowded marketplaces; and shares how he found hope searching the horizon atop Hampstead Heath.

With his own hand-drawn illustrations to accompany the poems, Psalms for the City is a book that poetry lovers will treasure and is perfect for fans of Charlie Mackesy. Presented in a beautiful hardback format, it will also make a wonderful gift for friends and family, and for those who love the diversity of city life.

Open and honest, these are modern day psalms that chart John-Paul's discovery that the extraordinary places welcomed the ordinary, and that when we're looking closely, the ordinary places can become extraordinary.

Psalms for the City is an invitation to take your imagination on a pilgrimage across the city, experiencing the full depths of what it means to be human today.

What happens internally when we listen to another human being in need? This is a question that arose from the pastoral experience of a team in a hospice. This book by Bob Whorton offers an 'imaginative' listening to the author's pastoral experience.

Reflective Caring will introduce you to the innovative method of "soul reflection" - a technique aimed at transforming people's lives. "Soul reflection" can be defined as an objective inference of our inner reactions. If we apply this principle, we can become a more fulfilled, wholesome version of ourselves.

'An extraordinary, authentic example of discipleship, and the honouring and validation of the radiant "broken jewels" on society's margins.' Stewart Henderson, poet, broadcaster and lyricist

Zac’s Place is a church in Swansea. It is a small chaotic community of Jesus followers where some of the most fragile of life’s walking wounded try to work out their faith. It’s also the spiritual home for the local chapter of God’s Squad motorcycle club.

Zac’s Place, founded in 1998, is led by Sean Stillman, whose front-line ministry has cost him dearly and has included physical beatings. In Zac’s Place, chaos and disorder sit alongside community and grace in an environment resembling an AA meeting mixed with a casualty department.

This is Sean’s personal story of a transformed faith amid the broken, the church community that formed from it and the European-wide growth of an unlikely bunch of biker missionaries. God’s Biker asks the questions, ‘What if it’s not about perfection? What if it’s about beauty in broken places?’

Let Tom Wright help you make sense of the changes in social, economic and political culture that challenge Christians today. In a debate where even the language can be confusing (neo-gnosticism, neo-imperialism and postmodernity - and even faith terms like Trinitarian) Tom Wright helps ordinary Christians understand and respond to searching questions about key aspects of faith in our 21st century culture.

Trying to make the gospel heard and understood in the modern world, he helps you to reconsider key aspects of the biblical story that reveal unexpected connections between ancient and contemporary world-views.

The outcome of Tom’s criticism of common secular assumptions and their attempt to control the story of creation, power and truth - past and present, is a call for Christians to give fresh voice to God's truth in today's intellectual, social, economic and political arenas on a global and local community level.

Tom Wright is the widely respected former bishop of Durham and current Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St Andrews University. His many influential and readable examinations of applying faith to the world today include Simply Jesus, Simply Christian and How God Became King. Tom is also the editor of the 'For Everyone' New Testament guides and commentary series.

This book will become an essential guide for anyone looking to understand how they can make it known that the gospel is not only still relevant, but vital to the future of the modern world.

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.

Drawing on a lifetime of Christian pilgrimage, David Adam reflects on biblical encounters with the divine and offers profound insights - on grief and glory, emptiness and fulfilment; repentance and forgiveness; loving and being loved - that will transform the way we live, and the way we relate to God, here and now.

For example, God's question to Adam, 'Where are you?' is relevant to us all; Abraham's long journey of hearing and obeying (and learning the art of having no agenda) is ours too; Jacob's great discovery - that heaven is found on earth and earth is raised to heaven - helps us become aware that we often already possess what we think we're searching for; Moses' desert experiences of grief and glory encourage us that we journey forward to the Promised Land, while Elijah's powerlessness reminds us that God often calls us out of darkness and weakness, for we may need stillness to hear him.

Written by a best-selling author - and distinguished spiritual director - with a proven track record. Inspires in us - through Bible passages, story, poetry and meditation - a sense of awe for the journey we are on and the courage to live life in abundance.

The understanding that God is 'as pervasive and perceptible as the atmosphere in which we are bathed' (Teilhard de Chardin) comes through in all David's writing, and his confidence and delight in the nearness of God is surely one of the reasons his books are so popular.

'The Bible is way more honest than most churches about the actual levels of pain and confusion in life. That's why we need this book. It's going to provoke ten thousand honest conversations, helping to bring healing, hope and understanding to many who currently suffer in silence.' Pete Greig, Founder of 24-7 Prayer and leader of Emmaus Rd Church, Guildford

IT'S OK NOT TO BE OK

Honesty Over Silence seeks to open up conversations around topics that many find difficult, such as trusting God when life is painful, dealing with anxiety and depression, learning to look after ourselves, developing our character, and living with thankful hearts even in tough seasons.

It examines our strength in letting go of our need to be in control, as well as looking at how we can stop comparing ourselves to others, and instead live authentically and honestly as we grow into the people God has created us to be.

'The power of this book is in its piercing honesty and vulnerability. It gives a voice to those issues that we as Christians sometimes want silenced: what happens when darkness falls? Where is God in mental illness? Can I ever be enough? Through Patrick's stories of his own life and those of others, he powerfully reminds us that a life of faith is smattered with, but not shattered by, dark places. This is an amazing book which will bless, encourage and comfort many.' Tim and Rachel Hughes, Lead Pastors at Gas Street Church, Birmingham

At the height of the Lebanese civil war in the 1980s over 100 foreign civilians were taken hostage by Islamic Jihad. As the Archbishop of Canterbury's special envoy, Terry Waite conducted several successful missions to negotiate the release of numerous hostages. But in January 1987, while on one of his many visits to Beirut, he was captured himself.

Imprisoned for nearly five years, four of them in solitary confinement, he was chained, beaten, frequently blindfolded, and subjected to a mock execution. In this moving sequence of poems and reflections Terry Waite recalls the highs and lows of his life, both during that ordeal and throughout the happier years of humanitarian work that have followed.

They give us a glimpse into the depths of faith, hope and love that sustained him through that intense time of suffering. They also take us into memories of his later life, reminding us of the joy and contentment to be found in meaningful work, and in the humanity we share each day with those around us.

Out of the Silence not only offers a rare insight into one man's experience in the throes of a bitter conflict of the past; it also bears witness to the enduring power of forgiveness, truth and reconciliation in the face of adverse forces at work in the world today.

Written for general readers of all religious backgrounds, Reason and Wonder introduces some of the most fruitful discussions now taking place between leading thinkers in science and theology.

As Professor Priest writes in his Preface: ‘In this integrated approach, the notion of science as a monolithic concept is shattered. Instead, the sciences and humanities represent a rainbow tapestry, linked by a common search for understanding, using reason and imagination.’

This fascinating book includes accounts of key points of convergence in areas such as astrophysics, biology, mathematics, neuroscience and psychology, and ends with a stimulating set of questions for group discussion or personal reflection.

Contents:

Eric Priest - Towards the Integration of Science and Religion
Keith Ward - God, Science and the New Atheism
Eleonore Stump - Natural Law, Reductionism and the Creator
David Wilkinson - The Origin and End of the Universe – a Challenge for Christianity?
Jennifer Wiseman - Universe of Wonder, Universe of Life
Kenneth Miller - Evolution, Faith and Science
Michael Murray and Jeff Schloss - Evil in Evolution
Pauline Rudd - Is there More to Life than Genes?
David Myers - Psychological Science Meets Christian Faith
John Wyatt - Being a Person? - Towards an Integration of Neuroscientific and Christian Perspectives
John Swinton - From Projection to Connection: Conversations between Science, Spirituality and Health
Mark Harris - Do the Miracles of Jesus Contradict Science?
Tom Wright - Can a Scientist Trust the New Testament?

Questions for discussion or reflection

Is it possible to be a Christian and a feminist?

The hot topic of feminism has been well documented and debated in mainstream media and yet, as Christians we come to the conversation from a slightly different vantage point. For starters, we have the benefit of a personal relationship with our creator plus the ultimate handbook in the Bible to work out what is right and just when it comes to equality. So why do many Christians feel the Bible presents a barrier rather than a boost when it comes to championing equality between the sexes?

Lauren Windle draws upon her years as a journalist to weave together a wide range of voices on a subject that society has been wrestling with but, in the Church, few are brave enough to probe too deeply for fear of what they might find. This book isn't here to tell you what to think. The views it presents are intended to inform, not form, your opinion on key topics, including: defining feminism, the lessons we teach boys, female preachers, a woman's place in the household, beauty standards and #ChurchToo.

Notes On Feminism features contributions from several high-profile women:

• Writer and model Katie Piper on true beauty
• Olympian Abigail Irozuru on women's bodies
• Comedian Cassandra Maria on why people think women aren't funny
• Author Tiffany Bluhm on why people don't believe women
• Journalist Delphine Chui on why she isn't a feminist.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - 'A meditation on sense-making when there's no sense to be made, on letting go when we can't hold on, and on being unafraid even when we're terrified.' LUCY KALANITHI

'Belongs on the shelf alongside other terrific books about this difficult subject, like Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air and Atul Gawande's Being Mortal.' BILL GATES

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY REAL SIMPLE

London-born Kate Bowler, a thirty-five year-old professor at the school of divinity at Duke, had finally had a baby with her childhood sweetheart when she began to feel jabbing pains in her stomach. She lost thirty pounds, guzzled antacid, and visited doctors for three months before she was finally diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer.

As Kate navigates the aftermath of her diagnosis, she pulls the reader into her life and her history – affectionately filled with a colourful retinue of friends, mega-church preachers, parents, and doctors – and shares her irreverent, laser-sharp reflections on faith, friendship, love, and death. She wonders why suffering makes her feel like a loser and explores the burden of positivity. Trying to relish the time she still has with her son and husband, she realizes she must cure her habit of ‘skipping to the end’ and planning the next move. An historian of the American Prosperity Gospel (the creed of the megachurches that promises believers a cure for tragedy, if they just want it badly enough) Kate finds that she craves these same 'outrageous certainties'. Why is it so hard to surrender when she knows there are no spiritual guarantees?

In Everything Happens for Reason we encounter one of the talented, courageous few who - like Paul Kalanithi - can articulate the grief we feel as we contemplate our own mortality.

Commemorating 75 years of Christian Aid, this is a prayer book like no other. Full of defiance and determination, it is an invitation to join Christian Aid and followers of Jesus around the world in a united chorus of Rage and Hope.

Bringing together voices from different contexts and cultures around the world, this is a collection of prayers of lament for the injustices of the world, and prayers of hope for the world we want to see.

Featuring contributions from Rowan Williams, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi, Rhidian Brook, Robert Beckford, John Bell, Rachel Treweek, Walter Brueggemann and many more, Rage and Hope offers defiant, inspiring Christian prayers for a better world.

The world is broken, full of injustice and inequality, but despite everything, we hope.

Rage and Hope is a prayer book to enable us as the people of God cry out in lament. With prayers for the poor, the sick, broken and the oppressed, you will find words for raging at the darkness and struggles in the world. And with prayers for healing and renewal, you will find words to kindle hope as we look towards a kingdom in which all things will be made new.

In this highly anticipated volume, N. T. Wright focuses directly on the historical Jesus: Who was he? What did he say? And what did he mean by it?

Wright begins by showing how the questions posed by Albert Schweitzer a century ago remain central today. Then he sketches a profile of Jesus in terms of his prophetic praxis, his subversive stories, the symbols by which he reordered his world, and the answers he gave to the key questions that any world view must address. The examination of Jesus' aims and beliefs, argued on the basis of Jesus' actions and their accompanying riddles, is sure to stimulate heated response.

Wright offers a provocative portrait of Jesus as Israel's Messiah who would share and bear the fate of the nation and would embody the long-promised return of Israel's God to Zion.

From the UK Church's complicity in the transatlantic slave trade to the whitewashing of Christianity throughout history, the Church has a lot to answer for when it comes to race relations.

Christianity has been dubbed the white man's religion, yet the Bible speaks of an impartial God and shows us a diverse body of believers.

It's time for the Church to start talking about race.

Ben Lindsay offers eye-opening insights into the black religious experience, challenging the status quo in white majority churches. Filled with examples from real-life stories, including his own, and insightful questions, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of race relations in the Church in the UK and shows us how we can work together to create a truly inclusive church community.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Is it because I'm black?

2 Family feud

3 Why black man dey suffer

4 You don't see us

Interlude: Don't touch my hair

5 Love like this

6 Kick in the door

Interlude: Black (wo)man in a white world

(Interview with the Revd Dr Kate Coleman)

7 Jesus walks

8 Let's push things forward

Bibliography

Song credits

Notes

We have misunderstood Paul, badly.

We have read his words through our own set of assumptions. We need to begin with Paul's world view, to see things the way he saw them.

- What if 'original sin' was never part of Paul's thinking?
- What if the idea that we are saved by faith in Christ, as Luther argued, was based on a mistranslation of Paul's words and a misunderstanding of Paul's thinking?

'Over the centuries,' writes Steve Chalke, 'the Church has repeatedly failed to communicate, or even understand, the core of Paul's message. Although Paul has often been presented as the champion of exclusion, he was the very opposite. He was the great includer.'

Steve Chalke MBE is a Baptist minister, founder and leader of the Oasis Charitable Trust, and author of more than 50 books.

'God's purpose for us is to show, as we get older, that he gives us his strength and, through our experiences of him, his wisdom,' says Ian Knox. 'God is not finished with us. In our later years we are not only to be blessed, but to be a blessing and bring a blessing.'

As we get older, some of us grow more frenetic in our anxiety to demonstrate that the force is still with us. Others withdraw, often quite abruptly.

What is God's view of ageing? The Bible has much to say, and many stories to tell, about those who did great things, those who did ordinary things well, those who prayed, those who used their gifts, those who suffered, those who went right to the end – and those who, in later years, got it absolutely wrong.

How are we going to face the prospect of ageing? Will we subside, give up? Or shall we view retirement as a gift from God, an opportunity to reach out to others? Our older years are full of possibilities, not least of which is that of helping others find Christ.

The Didache is one of the earliest Christian writings, earlier than most of the documents that make up the New Testament.

It provides practical instructions on how a Christian community should function, and offers unique insights into the way the earliest Christians lived and worshipped.

In this highly readable introduction, Thomas O'Loughlin tells the intriguing story of the Didache, from its discovery in the late nineteenth century to the present. He then provides an illuminating commentary on the entire text, highlighting areas of special interest to Christians today, and ends with a fresh translation of the text itself.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In his first major work since The Universal Christ, one of our most prominent spiritual voices offers a wholehearted and hope-filled model for living today, grounded in the timeless words of the Hebrew prophets.

How do we live compassionately in a time of violence and despair? What can we do with our private disappointments and the anger we feel over an unjust world? In his most personal book yet, Richard Rohr turns to the writings of the Jewish prophets, showing how some of the lesser-read books of the Bible offer us a path forward today.

The prophets' writings echo the spectrum of human development. Beneath their initial fervor and their forceful words, there lies a profound lamentation about our shared human condition and the pain of the world. Yet, in their astute critiques of culture and institutions, and their movement from anger and lament to wholeness and hope, the prophets embody what Rohr calls holy disorder - a distinct approach to confronting malevolence and recognizing the wholeness of every living being.

Drawing on a century of Biblical scholarship and written in the warm, pastoral voice that has endeared millions to Rohr, The Tears of Things breathes new life into ancient wisdom and paves a path of enlightenment for anyone seeking a wholehearted way of living in a hurting world.

With contributions from Debra Green and Paul Weston, Cris Rogers explores how we can learn from Nehemiah’s story and restore our hearts, our focus and our world so that the Church can thrive as we join in with God’s heart for restoring all things.

An inspiring call to action, this book will challenge and equip you to join God’s mission and the full ministry of Jesus.

'Wounded I Sing is an Advent song for the soul which, with all the intensity of the minor key, plummets the depths of sorrow but emerges rejoicing.'
Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, England

George Herbert is widely regarded as the greatest devotional poet the world has known. Here Richard Harries introduces the poet and reflects on 24 of his greatest poems, six for each of the four weeks of Advent, including "Redemption", "The Country Parson" and "The Temple".

Each week focuses on a different theme:

Week 1: Winning the Heart
Week 2: Held by Christ
Week 3: Welcome
Week 4: All Praise

After each poem Richard Harries reflects on the poet’s sense of the divine and draws out spiritual insights for the reader to think about as they prepare to celebrate Christ's appearing.

The result is a book that readers will want to return to over and over again, whether during Advent or in any other season of the year.

'Those who want to save their life will lose it; and those who lose their life for my sake will find it' (Matthew 16.25).

We often associate Lent with 'giving something up', but it is also a good time to begin or to deepen the practice of meditation.

Through this ascetic discipline, we enter into the tradition of the Desert Fathers and, as we learn to nurture the silence within, come to experience joy and well-being in every area of our lives.

This book is a practical introduction and guide to Christian meditation as taught by Fr John Main and continued through the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM).

It contains meditation instructions, guidance and support as well as 46 enriching daily reflections on the Gospels, highlighting an aspect of their meaning and their continued relevance for modern living.

Jam-packed with interesting facts, Christian theology and practical tips, Planet Protectors is an informative and empowering guide for children on helping the environment by living sustainably!

In a lively, entertaining style Ruth Valerio and Paul Kerensa offer 52 fantastic ideas for looking after the world - from cycling more and choosing fair-trade, to taking shorter showers and recycling. Children will love taking up a different challenge each week and be inspired to join the fight for the planet's future as they learn about why it is so important to care for the environment and God's creation.

With quirky illustrations perfect for colouring in throughout, Planet Protectors is an ideal book for 7- to 9-year-old children beginning to read independently. It is also a brilliant resource for parents and guardians to open up conversations with children about environmental sustainability, and for primary schools, Sunday schools and youth workers teaching about the environment.

Encourage and empower your children to see how they can make a difference and look after the world by becoming Planet Protectors.

From the pen of one of our greatest living theologians, here is a fresh and compelling introduction to the foundation story of the Christian faith.

Full of illuminating theological insight and spiritual encouragement. Designed for use by individuals or groups, with questions for reflection or discussion at the end of each chapter. An ideal gift for anyone near the start of their spiritual journey or wanting to deepen their appreciation of the heart of the gospel.

Part One: The meaning of the Cross
1. The sign
2. The sacrifice
3. The victory

Part Two: The meaning of the Resurrection
4. Christ's resurrection then
5. Christ's resurrection now

A leading theologian recounts her journey of faith, shaped as it has been by caring for a profoundly disabled son for forty-five years, while also being a writer, university teacher and Methodist minister.

This completely new version of the author's Face to Face (Epworth, 1985) has a different perspective, articulating the way in which this life-dominating experience has given privileged access to the deepest truths of Christianity.

The book therefore combines narrative with theological reflection. The narratives provide background for developing theological accounts of cross and creation, as well as testifying to personal feelings and spiritual insights.

Written by one of the world's most distinguished theologians and spiritual writers, here is a book full of hope and help for all who struggle with faith in the face of unremitting suffering.

'Cottrell has a gift for inhabiting the most diverse perspectives . . . All are rendered in glorious physical language, a strange but apt mix of Scripture and modern idiom. The result is revelatory.' The Tablet

Walking Backwards to Christmas gives you a new and grown-up perspective on the Nativity story you first encountered in school and church Nativity plays. Stephen Cottrell gets you back into the real meaning of the childhood story simply by telling it backwards; from where you are now, to where you need to be to really understand its truth and deeper purpose.

On the whole, this familiar version is more concerned with light than darkness. The backwards approach taken here allows the movement to be in the opposite direction, enabling us to get under the skin of a complex narrative. We begin by seeing through the eyes of Anna, the prophetess; followed by Rachel, who weeps for her children; King Herod; Casper, a wise men; David, a shepherd; Martha, the (so-named) innkeeper's wife; Joseph; Elizabeth; Mary; Isaiah and, finally, Moses. Each imaginative reflection is prefaced by a Bible reading and followed by a prayer.

Each imaginative and solidly biblical reflection is prefaced by the relevant Bible reading and followed by a thoughtfully crafted, devotional prayer. If you want an Advent and Christmas devotional that will help to change and mature your understanding of the Nativity story, then Walking Backwards to Christmas is probably the way.

'As one expects from this world-famous theologian, massive amounts of information and complex arguments are condensed into simple, clear and concise expression.'
The Reader

'Written with verve and scholarly confidence. . . an impressive read.'
Church Times

In Simply Jesus, renowned New Testament scholar Tom Wright sets out to answer three simple but vital questions about Jesus: who was he, what did he do and why does it matter? Perfect for those wanting a popular level entry point into Tom Wright's views on Scripture, Simply Jesus places Jesus firmly within his own context and shows how startlingly relevant he is to our own day as well.

The book starts with Tom explaining the key questions, why they matter, and why we today find them difficult to answer. He then goes on to say what he thinks Jesus' public career was all about, what he was trying to accomplish, and how he went about it. At the end of the book he sketches four ways in which people today have tried to understand the contemporary relevance of Jesus' inauguration of God's kingdom.

After reading Simply Jesus, readers will have a firmer biblical and theological grounding in exploring Who Jesus Was, What He Did, and Why it Matters.

'Invigorating and challenging. . . Wright shows how much of Jesus’ message we have failed to take seriously.'
Christianity

'His engaging writing style grips the reader from the opening pages. . . readers will find this work difficult to put down.'
Life and Work

W. H. Auden, T. S. Eliot, William Golding, Elizabeth Jennings, C. S. Lewis, Flannery O’Connor, Stevie Smith . . . These are some of the great poets and novelists whose struggles with faith find expression in their works, and who demonstrate the fascinatingly different forms that faith can take in different times and places.

Richard Harries considers the work of twenty of these writers, painting vivid pictures of their lives and times. He also provides numerous critically sympathetic insights into the spiritual dimension of their writings.

The result is a book for readers of all religious persuasions, especially those who are fascinated by the ways in which faith is refracted through the lens of great poetry and fiction.

Also by Richard Harries:
The Beauty and the Horror (SPCK, 2016)
‘A major new defence of Christianity that does not flinch from asking difficult questions about the kind of God who could have created our world.’
The Bookseller

‘A heartening book, confronting the hardest questions with wide knowledge and deep wisdom.’
John Carey, Chief Literary Reviewer, Sunday Times

‘An eloquent, honest and engaging case for Christian faith.’
The Tablet

‘A deeply interesting book.’
Mary Warnock

'Brilliant devotional theology for the everyday Christian.'
Christianity

Bringing together some of the finest passages in the ever popular For Everyone Bible commentaries, this book takes you on a journey through the whole Bible in one year. With their characteristic wisdom, clarity and depth, Goldingay and Wright provide a rich blend of theological insight and practical application in 365 concise reflections and prayers.

Whether you're seeking spiritual growth, a deeper connection with the Scriptures, or simply a daily source of inspiration, this book promises to enrich your appreciation of the whole Bible and offers a clear path to understanding and applying God's Word in you daily life.

CONTENT:
PART ONE: THE OLD TESTAMENT FOR EVERYONE
January
Beginnings (Genesis)
February
From slavery to the Promised Land (Exodus-Joshua)
March
The birth of Israel (Judges-1 Samuel)
April
Prophets and kings (2 Samuel-2 Chonicles)
May
Into exile and back (2 Kings-Nehemiah)
June
Wisdom and worship (Job-Song of Songs)
July
Prophecies and visions (Isaiah-Malachi)

PART TWO: THE NEW TESTAMENT FOR EVERYONE
August
Scenes from the life of Jesus (Matthew-John)
September
Stories and teachings of Jesus (Matthew-John)
October
The way to the cross (Mathew-John)
November
The birth of the Church (Acts, Revelation)
December
Early Christian wisdom (Romans-Jude)

Ben and his family are walking in the woods when they are blinded by a dazzling light.

Ben wakes up to find they have been abducted by aliens. He and his wife Anne are in a space zoo! But there is no sign of their son Jack, who is in even greater danger from the aliens.

Will Ben and Anne be able to escape from the zoo and rescue Jack before it is too late?

This book is particularly suitable for adults who are new to reading (emergent reads). It includes ‘What do you think?’ questions at the end of each chapter.

'One of the joys of being a bishop is to preside at a confirmation. The joy is greater when the candidates have been well prepared and are full of expectancy and a desire to grow in faith. Faith Confirmed will help produce confirmands like that. It is a wonderful resource. ' Michael Perham, Bishop of Gloucester and President of Affirming Catholicism 

Faith Confirmed is an introduction to what Anglican Christians believe. It is written for those preparing for confirmation in the Anglican Church and for all those who want to know more about the essentials of the Christian faith. This revised edition has been completely updated for the twenty-first century.

A renowned Bible scholar, Tom Wright, opens up the message and meaning of the gospel of Matthew for today's readers.

He guides the reader through the world of the New Testament. Breaking down the gospel of Matthew into brief, easy-to-study segments, Wright shows how the message of this ancient book speaks powerfully to the spiritual longings of contemporary readers. New Christians and longtime followers of Jesus alike will find inspiration and practical wisdom for their journey within these pages.

Making use of his true scholar's understanding, yet writing in an approachable and anecdotal style, Wright captures the immediacy of Matthew's gospel in a way few writers have.

Tom Wright's own translation of the Gospel of Matthew is combined, section by section, with useful explanation and interpretation of the passage, as well as thoughts as to how it can be relevant to our lives today.The format makes it appropriate also for daily study.

'Call the Midwife compellingly transposed from the East End of London to the Borneo rainforest'
Lynne Tembey, Mothers' Union Worldwide President

1959. Newcastle nurse Wendy Grey leaves her comfortable life and answers a call from people in Borneo to run a clinic in a place so remote, many there have never before seen a white woman. Until her arrival, medical witchcraft has been the norm. Nevertheless, Wendy quickly gains the trust of the locals, and they begin to flock to her for treatment. And - terrifyingly - when some require emergency surgery, she must also become anaesthetist and surgeon... or watch her patients die.

From treacherous journeys on land and water to tea parties with the governor; from tussles with snakes and scorpions to Scrabble with nuns; from struggling with illness to suddenly falling in love - this unique glimpse into contrasting sides of a lost colonial world is possible thanks to Wendy's detailed diaries, written by the light of an oil lamp in her bamboo and palm-leaf house.

Meanwhile, back home, churches throughout the UK are praying for the young woman in Borneo.

'A heart-warming adventure... a spellbinding narrative... a step into another world.' Mark Beaumont, adventurer, author and broadcaster

The women of the Old Testament are brought to life afresh in this compelling and sensitive retelling of their stories in a feminist and Christian context.

Williams both celebrates affirming texts and tackles the challenge of difficult ones. Her wide-ranging treatment of varied stories about very different women reveal the rich tapestry of interweaving texts about women contained in the Old Testament and the patriarchal agendas that shaped them.

"Whilst they belong to a different time, culture and set of values, Williams draws out their evergenerative capacity to afford us insight for today's church and world" Katharine Dell, Fellow and Director of Studies in Theology, University of Cambridge

"Some of these texts delight, some horrify, and some perplex, but under Williams careful tutelage we are challenged to reflect afresh on how it is these texts continue to address us today" David G. Firth, Lecturer in Old Testament and Director of Research, St John's College Nottingham.

In a world obsessed with more, where potential is maximised, and busyness is glorified, another reality also exists: we all have limits - and many of us are living at the edge of them.

Why Less Means More shows you how saying no to one thing might mean saying yes to something far better.

What would it look like to pursue less success and more significance? To live with less complexity and more clarity? To chase less of the 'extraordinary' and celebrate more of the 'ordinary' moments that make up an extraordinary life?

Cathy Madavan, accomplished author and speaker, invites you to leave your fear and franticness behind and discover more space, simplicity and the truth that less really can lead to more.

Join Sister Wendy on a journey through Lent, and discover the timeless wisdom to be found in some of the world's greatest paintings.

Illustrated in full colour with over forty famous and lesser-known masterpieces of Western art, this beautiful book will lead you into a deeply prayerful response to all that these paintings convey to the discerning eye.

From the Hokusai's Great Wave to Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son, these reflections draw from the emotions and spiritual truths behind the painting to give you lessons that will stay with you a lifetime.

Each of the days is based around a different theme. From joy to tranquility to courage to sacrifice - the messages from The Art of Lent are short meditations that are designed to leave you with questions of your own to think about, rather than a compendium of conceptions to espouse in certain occasions.

'For those who want to appreciate the spirituality behind some of the world’s greatest works of art, this book will be hugely inspiring - not only during Lent but at any time of the year.'

Dr Janina Ramirez, art historian and broadcaster

Each devotional of no more than 3 or 4 pages includes the whole of the relevant Bible text making Tom Wright's easy-to-carry book an all-in-one Lent study course.

In his familiar, comfortable style Tom Wright guides with clarity and confidence through the whole of Mark's gospel. Supporting references from the Psalms and complementary gospel of John help you understand Jesus' life, death and resurrection in the context his time, today's world and God's eternal plan.

This Lent, 'The Big Bible: Big Read 2012' focuses Christians and non-Christians on Lent for Everyone: Mark encouraging more people to read and discuss the Bible together more often and in more and more communities.

As a whole church resource, 'Lent for Everyone: Mark' follows the designated Lectionary readings for Lent 2012, year B and uses Tom Wright's own translation of the gospel.

'The trouble is that it is so good the reader will find it hard to stop at the end of each day's reflection, but will want to read on.' - Church Times