Generous Faith: Creating vibrant Christian communities by Giles Goddard (Canterbury Press, £16.99 (Church Times SPECIAL OFFER PRICE £13.59); 978-1-78622-561-0).

“Giles Goddard embodies the story of the Church of England’s struggle to understand and accommodate differences in human sexuality. From the paradox of feeling both excluded and called to the priesthood, to becoming the only openly gay priest on the Living in Love and Faith co-ordinating group, this book reflects on thirty years’ experience of trying to make the church more inclusive.”

Westminster Abbey: A church in history, edited by David Cannadine (Yale, £25.00 (£22.50); 978-1-913107-47-5). New in paperback

“Celebrating the 750th anniversary of the consecration of the current Abbey church building, this book features engaging essays by a group of distinguished scholars that focus on different, yet often overlapping, aspects of the Abbey’s history: its architecture and monuments; its Catholic monks and Protestant clergy; its place in religious and political revolutions; its relationship to the monarchy and royal court; its estates and educational endeavours; its congregations; and its tourists.”


Churches of Sussex by John E. Vigar (Amberley, £15.99 (£14.39); 978-1-3981-1861-4).

“John E. Vigar presents a selection of the most interesting churches from across the county, covering every period and type of church, from late Anglo-Saxon churches such as Bosham, which appears on the Bayeux Tapestry, to Victorian churches such as the imposing St Bartholomew’s in Brighton. Alongside Sussex’s most well-known churches, unusual and lesser-known churches are also included among the many ecclesiastical gems in the county.”


Selected by Frank Nugent, of the Church House Bookshop, which operates the Church Times Bookshop.