Yearning for the Vast and Endless Sea: The Good News about the Good News by Chris Russell (Canterbury Press, £16.99 (Church Times SPECIAL OFFER PRICE £13.59); 978-1-78622-517-7).

“This is a book for everyone who wants to share the gospel but who cannot relate to what evangelism has become. Its title is taken from Saint-Exupery, ‘If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the people to gather wood, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.’

“Drawing on writers like Bonhoeffer, Newbigin and Pope Francis’s landmark Euangelii Gaudium, Chris Russell aims to redeem evangelism from its present predicament.”

The Nature of Christian Doctrine: Its origins, development, and function by Alister E. McGrath (OUP, £30 (£27); 978-0-19-890144-0).

“A groundbreaking account of the origins, development, and enduring significance of Christian doctrine, explaining why it remains essential to the life of Christian communities.”

Cuddy by Benjamin Myers (Bloomsbury £9.99 (£8.99); 978-1-5266-3146-6). New in paperback

“A bold and experimental retelling of the story of the hermit St Cuthbert, unofficial patron saint of the North of England. Incorporating poetry, prose, play, diary and real historical accounts to create a novel like no other.”


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