Face to Face: The theology of the icon by Aidan Hart (Gracewing, £9.99 (£8.99); 978-0-85244-710-9).

“Face to Face provides a unique and concise introduction to the Orthodox Church’s theology of the icon. Written both for the general reader and, with its plentiful references, for scholars seeking further avenues of exploration, the book covers the essential areas of the icon’s theology from its Scriptural basis, through the writings of the saints who defended the icon against the Byzantine iconoclasts, right up to some of the most recent scholarship.”

Hannah Arendt and Simone Weil: Unprecedented conversations by Kathryn Lawson and Joshua Livingstone (Bloomsbury, £28.99 (£26.09); 978-1350-34445-7). New in paperback

“This unique dialogue between the writings of Arendt and Weil highlights Arendt’s secular humanism, her emphasis on heroic action, and her rejection of the moral approach to politics, contrasted starkly with Weil’s religious approach, her faith in the power of divine Goodness, and her other-centric ethic of suffering and affliction.”

The Cambridge Companion to Christian Heresy, edited by Richard Flower (Cambridge University Press, £30.99 (£27.89); 978-1-108-45485-8).

“The Cambridge Companion to Christian Heresy provides a systematic and up-to-date guide to the study of this topic and its methodological challenges. The opening chapters explore different forms of written material that have played vital roles in historical disputes and in modern scholarly accounts. These are followed by case studies of thirteen notable heresies, ranging from the Gnostics through to the Hussites at the dawn of the Reformation.”

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