The Book of Queer Prophets: 24 writers on sexuality and religion, edited by Ruth Hunt (William Collins, £8.99 (£8.09); 978-0-00-836009-2). New in paperback.
“Is it possible to believe in God and be gay? How does it feel to be excluded from a religious community because of your sexuality? Why do some people still believe being LGBT is a sin? The Book of Queer Prophets contains modern-day epistles from some of our most important thinkers, writers, and activists: Jeanette Winterson tackles religious dogma, Amrou Al-Kadhi writes about trying to make it as a Muslim drag queen in London, John Bell writes about his decision to come out later in life, Tamsin Omond remembers getting married in the middle of a protest, and Kate Bottley explains her journey to becoming an LGBT ally.”
Tales from Lindford by Catherine Fox (Marylebone House, £12.99 (Church Times SPECIAL OFFER PRICE £10.99); 978-1-910674-65-9).
“Return to Lindchester once more with Tales from Lindford, the fourth in the beloved series of novels from Catherine Fox. Valiantly written in real time in the midst of the pandemic, this entertaining book captures the difficulties of 2020 with heart, humour, and insight. Perfect for Lindchester fans, it’s also the ideal novel for anyone seeking comfort and a way of understanding all that has been happening. A 21st-centuryy Barchester that fans of Barbara Pym and the BBC’s Rev will love, this new volume in the Lindchester Chronicles is contemporary Christian fiction at its finest. Tales from Lindford will make you laugh, cry and leave you with hope that grace can be found even in the darkest times.”
Called to Be Friends: Unlocking the heart of St John’s gospel by Ian Galloway (Hodder and Stoughton, £14.99 (£13.49); 978-1-529-35682-3).
“Is it really possible to accept Jesus’s invitation and become a friend of God? To know God is one of humanity’s deepest desires — but how can it happen? Called to Be Friends is the result of exciting new research that unlocks the pattern of the Gospel of John to answer these questions. Ian Galloway reveals that John was written as a literary ‘temple’ that invites the reader inside to meet the person of Jesus. It is constructed as an elegant sequence of narrative panels, each with a section of the Old Testament written in underneath, to create a biblically rich space where the reader can encounter Jesus. The author’s narrative analysis breaks new ground, but Called to Be Friends is written for everyone, and unlocks this beloved Gospel in a fresh and accessible way.”
Selected by Aude Pasquier, of the Church House Bookshop, which operates the Church Times Bookshop.