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Reviews
Cox’s Book of Modern Saints and Martyrs Heart of a Hooligan - the story of Dave Jeal No Way Back – the story of Rupert Clarke It's Not Always Mum's Fault – a Christian answer to ‘mother-blaming’ NIV Mass Market Bible R/I Prayer The Church, the Visitor and the Gospel Going on retreat with Julian of Norwich An Anthology of Hope New Journeys Now Begin - learning on the path of grief and loss
Cox’s Book of Modern Saints and Martyrs By Baroness Cox with Catherine Butcher; Continuum, £9.99
If you ever wonder about the quality of people’s Christian faith today, here is a book to inspire, move and humble you. For Christian martyrs aren’t people who lived and died for their faith hundreds of years ago – they are living – and dying by the thousand – today. From North Korea to the Soviet Union to Nigeria and Uganda – simple belief in Jesus has cost thousands of Christians their lives within the lifetimes of most of us.
This is a book of inspiring stories from around the world, particularly from areas of Christian persecution or conflict zones. Today over 250 million Christians are suffering persecution, while tens of thousands are martyred every year.
The classic 'Fox's Book of Martyrs' has long been regarded as a source of spiritual inspiration with its stories of those prepared to die for their faith. This contemporary version gives an equally inspiring account of living saints, enlightening the dark side of stories of martyrdom as well as celebrating the faith of Christians from around the world.
“During my work with the persecuted church, I have met many people who are suffering for their faith,” Caroline Cox says. “I always return from my travels humbled and inspired by their courage, faith, dignity and ‘miracles of grace’. Many stories of those living on the frontiers of faith illustrate spiritual blessings such as joy, peace and love in ways which are far from depressing.”
These stories illustrate ways in which men and women experience a transformation of their lives through a dynamic relationship with their living God, whom they love so deeply that they are willing to sacrifice all they have for him and in his service.
Baroness Cox is committed to international humanitarian and human rights work. Her new charity, HART UK (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust), will work in Sudan, East Timor, Burma, Russia and Nagorno Karabakh. For more information, contact Lois Taylor on 020 7922 0925
Heart of a Hooligan - the story of Dave Jeal By Paul Alkazraji; Highland Books, £4.99
Picture an ugly scene where an English group gangs up on a single Swedish football fan. Follow it up with a glimpse of a Salvation Army officer - and an intimation that it is time for football hooligan David Jeal to give up this behaviour for a new life with Jesus... a heart-warming book of new beginnings.
No Way Back – the story of Rupert Clarke By Phyllis Thompson; Highland Books, £3.99
If you have any interest in China, this book may well be for you. It tells the extraordinary story of Rupert Clarke, a missionary doctor who served for 50 years in China and in the Far East - including 16 years detention by the Communists.
It's Not Always Mum's Fault – a Christian answer to ‘mother-blaming’ By Annemarie Pfeifer; Highland Books, £6.50
Are you a mother (or father) who feels guilty because of the way your children have turned out? Then this book may help you to put things in perspective. It is a serious look at maternal guilt feelings when children have gone 'off the rails'. The book avoids transferring blame onto Dad, school or peers, and provides some of the Christian answers to guilt.
NIV Mass Market Bible R/I Hodder & Stoughton £6.99
The Bible has influenced the world far more than any other book in history. Every day, millions of people read from its pages to sustain and inform their daily lives and draw nearer to God.
This latest edition contains the complete text of the Bible, directly translated from the original scriptures into clear English. It also contains a ‘Discover the Bible’ section, including useful background material on the content, people and places of the Bible, as well as advice on how to begin reading this amazing book.
The New International Version is the most popular modern English Bible translation in the world. It is acclaimed for its accurate scholarship, its lucid, dignified English and the clarity with which it communicates the timeless truths of Scripture.
The royalty from every Hodder & Stoughton NIV Bible that you buy helps to fund the International Bible Society’s effort to translate and distribute Bibles to people in need around the world.
Prayer By Philip Yancey; Hodder & Stoughton, £9.99
Multi-award winning spirituality writer Philip Yancey is loved throughout the world for his honest, insightful and inspirational writing. A journalist by training, Prayer: Does it make any Difference? carries all the hallmarks of classic Yancey.
His quest to unravel the mysteries of prayer reads as the journal of a fellow traveller: questioning, challenging, lamenting the unexplainable and rejoicing in the discovery of awesome insights. His journey is beautifully illustrated with moving true stories drawn from around the world. Prayer: Does it Make any Difference tackles the following questions: What is prayer? What difference does it make? Why and how should we pray? What about unanswered prayer? How should we understand prayer for physical healing?
Focusing on such a universal theme, this is potentially Yancey's biggest book yet. To date, his books have sold over 14 million copies, and have been translated into 25 languages. His first book with Hodder, Soul Survivor, has sold over 85,000 copies in just four years
The Church, the Visitor and the Gospel By Paul Bond; SCM-Canterbury Press, £14.99
Many more people visit churches as tourists than as regular worshippers. What message does an empty church give? Many church guides focus only on the history of the building and visitors leave with no more idea of the Christian faith than when they arrived. Or worse, they find the church locked and barred. What kind of message does that give?
This practical manual encourages local congregations to look at every aspect of their building and suggests ways of meeting visitors’ needs from ensuring comfort to providing a quiet place for prayer, and making the Christian faith fully accessible.
Going on retreat with Julian of Norwich By Penny Roker; SCM-Canterbury Press, £8.99
A striking book of contemporary spirituality based on the medieval writings of a woman ahead of her time, Julian of Norwich. An anchorite who lived in a monastic cell attached to a parish church, she found inspiration in the simple domestic detail of her life and used it as a springboard to prayer and contemplation.
Penny Roker’s warm and gentle book enables readers to make an ‘armchair retreat’ using nothing more than things around the house to access and apply the spiritual riches of Julian.
Not everyone can get away on an organised retreat, but this is a complete resource for making a retreat alone at home. It is equally appropriate for guided group meditation. Each day includes a scripture reading, an excerpt from Julian’s Showing of Love, a meditation to read, a practical spiritual exercise, questions to reflect upon, closing prayers, further scriptures reading ideas.
An Anthology of Hope Compiled by Geoffrey Duncan; SCM-Canterbury Press, £14.99
With the Church getting a pretty bad press in recent months, it is all too easy to lose sight of the fact that Christianity is primarily about hope and joy, springing from ‘the God of hope’ (Romans 15.13).
Here is a varied and compelling worship anthology of prayers, liturgies and readings. It is realistic about human weakness and its effects in the world today, but that rejoices in signs of hope springing up everywhere and reminds us of our calling to be bearers of hope.
New Journeys Now Begin - learning on the path of grief and loss By Tom Gordon; Wild Goose Publications, £10.99
Bereavement is a journey to be travelled, not an illness to be treated or a problem to be solved. When grief continues, bereaved people often feel they have failed, have been abandoned by others, or let down by God. As a result, their journey into the future is a hard one.
Author of A Need for Living Tom Gordon writes with sensitivity and clarity about real people as they begin to understand their journeys of bereavement. The book helps us understand the unplanned and often frightening twists and turns grief forces the bereaved to face.
In recognising the new and overwhelming feelings of anger and distress as normal, it gives carers important insights into the processes of loss. Through prayers and poetry it gives a voice to both anguish and hope. Above all, it offers companionship on the journey of bereavement to those who thought no one could ever understand their loss and grief.
Tom Gordon is Chaplain at the Marie Curie Centre, Edinburgh
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