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An extended conversation with God that ranges from complaint to joy, anger to love. Drawing upon a lifetime of such dialogues, Bill Countryman grapples with the reality of evil and loss, as well as hope and the possibility of fulfilment. The author's lyrical style owes much to the poetry of the Psalms, Job and the Song of Solomon.

The last couple of years have not been easy. Everyone has been affected in some way by the credit crunch and we need to reorient ourselves. It's a comfort for Christians to remember that real life and fulfilment are to be found in relationships - in loving God and loving our neighbour. But in practice it's difficult not to be influenced by consumerism and individualism. How do we guard against this? How can we apply our faith in practical ways? What disciplines can we put in place to help us worship God in every area of our lives? These are the questions that Free to Love aims to answer. Well researched, inspiring, practical and engaging, it will prove of much value to Christians wishing to live in a more deeply considered way.

Since its first publication, Asking the Fathers has been acclaimed as a classic introduction to the spiritual life in the Christian tradition. Now reissued as an SPCK Classic.

With his usual consummate clarity of thought and style, Michael Ramsey sets out to establish what the Spirit meant in the experience and the language of the early Christians. 'There are none from whom we can learn more about a theme so intimately linked with the coming of Jesus Christ.'

For anyone seeking sound advice on how to read the Bible intelligently, whether approaching it for the first time or returning to it in later life.

Christians contemplating divorce face difficult questions. While this book doesn't focus on fixing failing relationships, it does helpfully challenge readers to question their motives and actions.

Learning, Doing. Bruce Chilton explains, in a clear and highly readable way, what the New Testament is, how it was formed, and the various methods we may use to understand it. Valuable guidance is also given on the cultural world of the original writers, and on the key issues of interpretation that arise when we try to relate their words to the world of today.

There are a great many Christians involved in politics today, both in and around parliament and at a local level. This book offers some serious resources to help them understand what the role of government should be.

An accessible and stimulating book to help us reflect on our journey of prayer.

Today's church suffers a crisis of confidence as a result of pluralism, globalism, and postmodernity. Seasoned New Testament scholar Graham Twelftree's historical exploration of Luke's view of the church contributes to the current conversation about what the church is and should do. Twelftree draws together various strands in Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles to show Luke's profound influence on the church and explain Luke's thought regarding the church's origin, nature, purpose, and mission. A final chapter proposes Lukan conclusions to such debated questions as the relationship between church and salvation; the relationship between the Spirit, water baptism, and glossolalia in Christian initiation; the question of infant baptism; the character of worship; the interplay of Scripture and experience; church structure and leadership; and the nature of Christian mission.

C. K. Barrett's Commentary on the Greek text of the Gospel of John has long been recognized as a major contribution to theological studies and has become the standard work in the field.

If Christians want to bring about social and economic justice for the poor and improve human rights they must tackle the issue of corruption. Daryl Balia explains the complex meaning of corruption and how it operates as a form of 'silent crime'.

Covers the historical research which lies behind our liturgies; how our knowledge of ancient liturgies can be judged in the light of our understandings of theology; how dissent is expressed and negotiated; and how the church comes to 'own' a text.

This title presents a thought for each day of the year by the hundredth Archbishop of Canterbury. The unending adventure - January 1 - People sometimes ask me if I have ever felt like losing my faith. No: my faith is always part of me. But faith isn't a state of easy and calm security, it is an adventure of ceaseless battling with troubles: a peace of mind and a serenity indeed, but a costly peace and serenity in the midst of conflict. After all, our world is a world on conflict, and faith is not an escape from it, but something which - in St. John's words - 'overcomes it'.

What is our identity in God's eyes? It is a form of passionate commitment to embracing the gift of our uniqueness, while allowing that uniqueness to dissolve and give way to something greater. In turn, that something greater will give new meaning to our uniqueness. So it goes on in a constant circle, the gift of our identity connecting us ever more closely with one another and with God. In this inspiring book, Alison Webster explores what it means to be human: she looks at relationships, power, disadvantage in the face of dominant ideas of normality, faith and the way we encounter God, and how we grow and change.

This companion volume to "Celebrating Christ's Appearing" covers the Church's year from Ash Wednesday onwards, and has been written for all those involved in planning and leading worship. Chapters deal with Lent, Passiontide and Holy Week, the Easter liturgy, Eastertide, Trinity to All Saints, and seasons and festivals of the agricultural year. In each chapter, the liturgical character of the season is described and clear guidance given on the setting and celebration of the Eucharist and other services. Many resources are provided in this book, and particular reference is made to the material in "Common Worship: Times and Seasons".

Following the urban riots of 2001, and the more recent terrorist attacks, community cohesion has replaced multiculturalism as the key social policy objective of both national and local government. Since these events were seen as having a religious dimension, they raise the question: is religion contributing to social cohesiveness - or actually undermining it? Alan Billings suggests that the positive influence of religion will be in proportion to the ability of the faiths to see pluralism as a gift from God, and to accept that we live in a diverse society where a plurality of beliefs and values will exist until the world ends.

This comprehensive handbook introduces readers to the theological interpretation of the New Testament. It provides a comprehensive book-by-book survey of the New Testament with articles written by leading scholars, including Steve Walton (London School of Theology), John Riches (University of Glasgow), Edith Humphrey (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary), I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen) and Tom Wright (Bishop of Durham).Drawing on material from the Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, this handy and affordable book will work particularly well for students and ordinands in New Testament/Bible survey courses, clergy and lay readers.

This comprehensive handbook introduces readers to the theological interpretation of the Old Testament. It provides a comprehensive book-by-book survey of the Old Testament with articles written by leading scholars, including Gordon Wenham (King's College, London), Walter Moberly (University of Durham), Mary Evans (Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology) and Gordon McConville (University of Gloucestershire).Drawing on material from the "Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible", this handy and affordable book will work particularly well for students and ordinands in Old Testament/Bible survey courses, clergy and lay readers.