Edgewise? Experiences of some Anglican lay women, edited by H. Ward and J. Wild (DLT, £12.99 (£11.69); 978-1-913657-26-0).
“Three decades after the decision to allow the ordination of women to the priesthood, nine lay women in the Church of England have written their thoughts on what it means to be committed to being ‘lay’ in the contemporary church and world. For more than 20 years the writers have been part of an Anglican lay women’s group, meeting, sharing and reflecting together. Edgewise? collects their individual perspectives on being a lay woman in the church since the opportunity for ordination became a reality, with some threads and themes in common and others unique. The result is a fascinating, thoughtful snapshot of several lives and diverse experiences which presents rich material for reflection by all in the 21st century Church of England and beyond.”
Finding Abundance in Scarcity: Steps towards church transformation, edited by Samuel Wells (Canterbury Press, £14.99 (£13.49); 978-1-78622-369-2).
“All churches have had to learn to do things differently during closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. None has been more imaginative or inventive than London’s St Martin in the Fields. Through its HeartEdge programmes, it has continued many aspects of its ministry, and developed significant new initiatives and is now a virtual college with an impressively varied programme for practitioners. Here, the St Martin’s team reflects theologically and share its newly found pastoral and practical wisdom in many areas.”
The Cambridge Companion to the New Testament, edited by Patrick Gray (Cambridge University Press, £26.99 (£24.29); 978-1-108-43770-7).
“This Companion volume offers a concise and engaging introduction to the New Testament. Including 22 especially commissioned essays, written by an international team of scholars, it examines a range of topics related to the historical and religious contexts in which the contents of the Christian canon emerged. Providing an overview of the critical approaches and methods currently applied to the study of biblical texts, it also includes chapters on each of the writings in the New Testament. The volume serves as an excellent resource for students who have some familiarity with the New Testament and who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the state of academic discussion and debate. Readers will also gain a sense of the new research questions that are emerging from current scholarship.”
Selected by Aude Pasquier, of the Church House Bookshop, which operates the Church Times Bookshop.