Defenders of the Faith: The British monarchy, religion and the coronation by Catherine Pepinster (Hodder, £12.99 (£11.69); 978-1-399-80007-5). New in paperback, fully revised and updated
“Defenders Of The Faith explores the powerful connection between the British monarchy and religion, from its earliest times, to the Reformation, the Civil War, and the reconfigured wholesome family monarchy of Victoria and her successors, whose Christian faith steered their response to the atheistic regimes of fascism and communism that threatened Europe and their royal relatives.”
Evensong: Reflections on the Church in England by Richard Morris (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £11.99 (£10.79); 978-1-4746-1423-8). New in paperback
“In Evensong, Richard Morris searches for what it was that drew his father and hundreds like him towards ordination as they came home from war in 1945. Along the way, we meet all kinds of people— archbishops, chaplains, campaigners, bell-ringers, bureaucrats, archaeologists, gravediggers, architects, scroungers — and follow some of them to dark places. Part personal odyssey, part lyrical history, Evensong asks what churches stand for and what they can tell us; it explores why Anglicanism has often been fractious, and why it has become so diffuse.
Finding the Treasure: Good News from the Estates Reflections from the Church of England Estates Theology Project, edited by Al Barrett (SPCK, £12.99 (£11.69); 978-0-281-08805-8)
“The fruit of two years of ‘deep listening’ in five different estate neighbourhoods across England, Finding the Treasure brings together local ministers and academic theologians to attend to the voices of estates residents. What do they love about the place they’re in? What brings them joy as well as grief? And what do hope and good news look like? Rooted in the real-life contexts of these local communities, rich in theological insights, and bold in the challenges it presents to the wider Church, Finding the Treasure offers inspiration and practical guidance for readers willing to engage in similar deep listening within their own communities.”
Selected by Frank Nugent, of the Church House Bookshop, which operates the Church Times Bookshop.