Queering the Church: The theological & ecclesial potential of failure by Penelope Cowell Doe (SCM Press, £25 (Church Times SPECIAL OFFER PRICE £20); 978-0-334-06562-3).

“Church discourses, such as official reports and debates in General Synod, are predicated on the belief that canonical authority can produce a liveable theology and coherent ecclesial and liturgical practices. This book will que(e)ry the methodologies of reports such as the Pilling Report, set in the context of earlier church reports on sexuality and later analysis of the fallout from the liturgical developments arising from Living in Love and Faith, and anaylse the hermeneutical lenses through which these choose to examine homosexuality and its place in church polity.”

Revelation and the Word of God: Theological foundations of the Christian church, Volume 2 by Paul Avis (T & T Clark, £28.99 (£26.09); 978-0-567-70419-1).

“A unique work of Fundamental Theology, Revelation and the Word of God explores key issues of divine revelation as open questions. They include: Why is revelation so elusive? Existential and philosophical problems of revelation in the context of apologetics. The self-revelation of God in mystery. What does it mean to say, as the Bible does, that God ‘speaks’ and ‘acts’?” 

The Women Are Up to Something: How Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch revolutionized ethics by Benjamin J. B. Lipscomb (OUP, £14.99 (£13.49); 978-0-19-768996-7). New in paperback

“The story of four remarkable women who shaped the intellectual history of the 20th century: Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch.”

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