‘There’s a wideness in God’s mercy like the wideness of the sea’Frederick Williams Faber, 1862 (the year that the first deaconess was licensed in England)Maggi Dawn, an ordained priest in the Church of England, currently living in the United States, watched the unfolding story of the women bishops debate from across the Atlantic, with a growing sense of sadness and frustration.In this beautifully-written book she reflects on the decision in the context of the wider ...

Pilgrimage has been an important practice for Christians since the fourth century, but for many people these days it is no more than a relic of church history, utterly irrelevant to their lives. In THE ACCIDENTAL PILGRIM author and theologian Maggi Dawn shares her own gradual discovery of what it means to be a pilgrim, and suggests ways in which we can rediscover this ancient spiritual discipline in our global, twenty-first century world. Study trips to the Holy Land, frustrated pilgrimage...

In an increasingly secularised society, the average person is unlikely to have a working knowledge of the Bible. Yet a great deal of our culture is built on stories or ideas that come from the Bible. Literature, art, music, language and even the fabric of our society - such as our justice system - is built on Christian concepts and biblical references. THE WRITING ON THE WALL provides a fascinating introduction to the Bible's best-known, and most influential, stories.

Seventy million assorted individuals comprise a church family that is renowned for its rich diversity. Christians of all shades of belief together make up the Anglican Communion, a fellowship of churches that extends around the world and includes the Episcopal Church in the United States. At its best, the spirit of openness that marks this fellowship is a sign of openness to the Holy Spirit. Few Anglicans would presume to have “arrived” spiritually, and the door is always open to all who a...

In the first Bloomsbury Lent book, former Conservative MP and Strictly star Ann Widdecombe explores the place of penance in a 'me, me, me' world.What is our modern concept of penance? Is it giving up chocolates for Lent or is it a lasting state of the awareness of sin? Is it public or private? Is it punishment or greater closeness to God? Is it always a response to personal sin or can an individual do penance for others' sins, or for the world?Ann ...

In The Tempest-Tossed Church award-winning writer Gerard Windsor explores what it is to be a Catholic. Interlaced with twelve moving cameos, he entertains and stimulates with anecdote, history, forays into art and literature, and the occasional bit of gossip. Starting with how you get religion in the first place, Windsor moves on to the Gospels and the personality of Jesus Christ, and the possibility of any relationship with him. He then grapples with the existence and nature of G...

Catholic priests communicate the glory of heaven through the ministry of the word and the sacraments, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the source and summit of our Faith. By fulfilling this mission, these men truly become an alter Christus- another Christ. In this intriguing look at the awesome call to the priesthood, you will experience firsthand the joys, the struggles, and the extraordinary grace needed, and given by, these men we call “Father.”

Amazing how a simple Jewish woman has captured the imagination and love of the followers of Jesus for all of Christian history!Bringing together both traditional and contemporary Marian prayers, this pamphlet will help deepen your experience of prayer with the Mother of God. Designed to be used daily over thirty days, each prayer provides the opportunity to seek the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What if religions are neither all true nor all nonsense? The long-running and often boring debate between fundamentalist believers and non-believers is finally moved forward by Alain de Botton’s inspiring new book, which boldly argues that the supernatural claims of religion are entirely false—but that it still has some very important things to teach the secular world.Religion for Atheists suggests that rather than mocking religion, agnostics and atheists should i...

"An erudite, elegant, and quietly impassioned plea" exploring historical and literary aspects of the Bible is "an easy, pleasurable read" ( The Guardian).In The Book of the People, acclaimed author A. N. Wilson explores how readers and thinkers have approached the Bible, and how it might be read today. Charting his own relationship with the Bible over a lifetime of writing, Wilson argues that it remains relevant even in a largely secular society, a...

Uplifting and thought provoking, this collection of sayings by Benedict XVI provides an accessible introduction to his theology and his approach to modern-day faith. The pope is perhaps the most influential and important religious leader in the world, yet despite his high office, Benedict XVI has much to teach about humility and spiritual life. Each quotation brings fresh insights and allows us to experience anew the depth and humanity of the Catholic faith.

Of all the New Testament characters, few - other than Jesus himself - have exerted such an enduring fascination as Mary Magdalene, believed by the Church to have been a reformed prostitute. Yet her never-ending appeal is odd for one who appears so briefly - and then so elusively - in the Bible: so what has made her so entrancing to generations of Christians and non-Christians alike? Was she, as many now argue, actually Jesus' wife and the mother of his children? And why is she intimately c...