SOMETIMES, books, like buses, come in pairs. The Everyday God could be a complementary pairing with Elizabeth Oldfield’s recently published Fully Alive (Books, 17 May, Podcast, 23 May). Oldfield’s book offers contemporary reflections on the seven deadly sins; and these then lead into reflections on the virtues that are the polar opposites of those sins. The kind of virtuous living that Oldfield seeks is characterised by the seven works of corporal mercy, which are the main focus of The Everyday God.

In this book, Jonathan Arnold brings his varied background in music, theology, and social justice into play through frameworks deriving from each of these three to explore the seven works of corporal mercy and the concepts of justice and mercy more generally. In each chapter, a different musical approach is used to introduce the theme, stories — drawn from a lecture series organised by Canterbury Cathedral and the Social Justice Network that Arnold leads — give apposite examples of the seven works of mercy in practice, while the theological concepts of “being with” (Samuel Wells) and “being interrupted” (Al Barrett and Ruth Harley) inform much of the practice described.

Arnold weaves these strands and themes together in compelling ways which are ultimately based in the Wellsian insight that our fundamental issue is isolation rather than limitation, and the reversal found in the story of St Martin and the Beggar, in which an act of mercy leads to a deeper vison of Christ for the one acting mercifully. This latter insight leads to the polyphonic understanding that, as Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote, “Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his. . .” The everyday God is found in those with whom we are with as the seven works of corporal mercy are practised.

It is possible that specialists in music, theology, or social justice might think that their particular strand was insufficiently explored through Arnold’s approach; but for the generalist, like myself, there is more than enough of interest and insight to keep one engaged as his explorations proceed.

At one point, he proposes an addition to or expansion of the concepts of “being with” and “being interrupted”, in terms of “being disrupted”. This comes from the story of Zacchaeus, but is applied to the one who triggers change through an act of mercy. Within that story, however, it is Zacchaeus, as recipient, who experiences disruption, meaning that this argument for disruption doesn’t work incarnationally as clearly as is the case for “being with” and “being interrupted”.

These are quibbles, however, in regard to a book that expands our understanding of the interconnections between music, theology and social justice, whilst actively inspiring incarnational mission.

The Revd Jonathan Evens is Team Rector of Wickford and Runwell in the diocese of Chelmsford.

The Everyday God: Encountering the divine in the works of mercy
Jonathan Arnold
BRF £9.99
(978-1-80039-210-6)
Church Times Bookshop £8.99