Dietrich Bonhoeffer and a Theology of the Exception by Kevin O’Farrell (T & T Clark, £28.99 (£26.09); 978-0-567-70944-8). New in paperback

“Engaging with the many debates about the meaning and character of Bonhoeffer’s late resistance theology and action, particularly as it relates to his participation in the attempted coup d'état against Hitler, this book attends to Bonhoeffer’s understanding of the exception. Resisting the common reduction of the exception to a political or ethical concept, O’Farrell argues that the exception for Bonhoeffer is an extraordinary moment in history that disarms persons, impinging on one’s understanding of politics and ethics.”

Real Rev Life: A clergy survival guide by Martin Poole (Canterbury Press, £16.99 (£13.59); 978-1-78622-587-0

“Clergy life is full of surprises – and many of them don’t come up in theological college. From tricky PCC meetings to unexpected pastoral situations to the quirks of church buildings, this honest and humorous guide dives into the messy, holy, and often unpredictable realities of parish ministry. With warmth and wit, Real Life Rev offers practical wisdom for navigating the everyday challenges of church leadership.” 

Finding Beauty Behind Bars: A climate activist’s enforced retreat by Tim Hewes (DLT, £12.99 (£11.69); 978-1-917362-09-2

“In late 2022 Tim Hewes, a retired dentist and priest in his seventies, was accused of conspiring to bring the M25 motorway to a standstill. On a quiet Sunday afternoon his home in rural Oxfordshire was raided by eight officers from the territorial unit of the Metropolitan Police. Tim was handcuffed and taken to court, from where he was imprisoned on remand for six weeks. Finding Beauty Behind Bars is the diary kept by Tim through this period. It describes the challenges of life in prison, and unexpected moments of beauty and humanity he encountered.”

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