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Both an original work by, and a tribute to, one of the most distinguished English-language experts on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola: this book combines a series of essays exploring key terms used by Ignatius and a collection of reminiscences of Michael Ivens. His earlier commentary, Understanding the Spiritual Exercises, followed by his own translation of the Exercises, had established his reputation, but he was unable to include in his commentary the glossary of distinctive Ignatian terms that many find elusive or recondite. An understanding of such terms provides new avenues of approach and also displays the theological and spiritual substructure of the Exercises. Written during the final years of Michael's life, these essays are poignant in their sensitivity to the death he could see fast approaching. His notes on 'My medical history' are included, along with some candid and revealing memories from his friends. The figure of this great Jesuit comes alive in these pages, and his usual parting words to his visitors, 'Do keep in touch!' take on a new meaning. Michael Ivens (1933-2005) joined the Society of Jesus in 1951, straight from school, and received the usual training at that time (with degrees in Oxford and Lyons), spending fifteen years before ordination to the priesthood in 1966; an exceptional public speaker, gifted with an original mind, he worked mainly in the field of spirituality, writing regularly for The Way and gaining an international reputation as a retreat-giver. Appointed to help train his fellow Jesuits he spent nearly thirty years at St Beuno's (North Wales); for almost half of this time (from 1990) he was plagued with ill health (a brain tumour that eventually turned him blind), but he inspired many by his insight, tenacity and good humour. Joseph A. Munitiz, SJ, was a friend and colleague of Michael Ivens; his professional work has involved him mainly in editorial work (English, Spanish and Greek publications); now retired, he is based at the Jesuit novitiate in Birmingham.

One of the most striking features of life in the Catholic Church today is the ever-widening gap between its official teaching on marriage and sexual morality and the practice of most of its lay members. The book seeks to bridge this gap in two ways: It considers some of the tacit assumptions about marriage and sexual morality in today's society, since these affect Catholics as much as everybody else. It also considers the Church's teaching in some of these areas and explores new ways of putting it across so that it can make sense to ordinary lay Catholics. In doing so the author draws on contemporary writing as well as bringing her own reflections and experience of living the Church's teaching to bear on the subject. The book is aimed at married couples, those considering marriage as well as clergy and those involved in marriage preparation and counselling.Anita Dowsing was born in Copenhagen in 1944. She was brought up as a member of Denmark's tiny Catholic community, but has spent most of her adult life in the United Kingdom. She has an M.A. in English Language and Literature from Copenhagen University, and a Ph.D. in Old English from the University of Wales. Anita Dowsing has spent most of her working life in Adult Religious Education in the Diocese of East Anglia as Co-ordinator of the Norwich Deanery Team, a member of the Diocesan Religious Education Commission and, currently, the Diocesan Marriage and Family Life Commission. She was a member of the East Anglia Steering Group for the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales 'Listening 2004' project (listening to family experience in every diocese), and was one of the facilitators at the Bishops Conference Working Group which produced resource material on marriage and family life for parish use. She is married with an adult daughter.

In his book, L'étranger ou l'union dans la différence, the French Jesuit historian Michel de Certeau (1921-1986) wrote, When we confess our incapacity to know others, we confess simultaneously their existence, our own (to which we are returned) and a fundamental reciprocity between them and us. To the extent we agree not to identify ourselves with anything they can expect from us and not to identify them with satisfactions or assurances we hope to take from them, we discover the sense of the poverty which funds all communication. This poverty signifies in effect both the desire which unites us to others and the difference which separates us from them. The same is the structure of faith in God. An elegant statement which opens for its reader a way to understanding how, like a relation of trust in any other, Christian Faith in the Other, God, begins and ends with the unknown. Humans are incapable of fully grasping others either with their minds or their wills; the same is true of the relation of Faith in the Other. Given humans are ever different from but desirous of union with others, the everyday ideal of all communication in trust is an attitude which has as its goal neither control nor change of the other but rather 'union in difference', also therefore the everyday ideal in Faith.George B. York, II, holds an MA from St Louis University, an M.Th. from the Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, and is currently completing a Ph.D. at the Gregorian University, Rome. He lives in Denver, Colorado, where over fifty years ago he was introduced to the Jesuits who became his way to meeting his mentor, Michel de Certeau.

What led a young Norwegian woman, who grew up with a deep love for the rugged and majestic scenery of her native land, and was educated in its secular, post-Protestant culture, to become a Catholic? This book recounts the various stages of that adventurous journey. Janne Haaland Matláry's love for the unspoiled scenery of her homeland was matched by her passion for research and her joy in exploring areas of knowledge which take us by surprise, forcing us to ask ourselves ever bigger questions. For Janne the many and various questions which presented themselves in the course of her journey converge in a single fundamental question: is it possible to know the truth? Or is everything relative? Eventually the moment came, at Easter 1982, when Janne took the step of converting to the Catholic Church. She was then 25. The knowledge that she had discovered the truth, or rather that it had discovered her - the sense of being taken by surprise - was itself overwhelming. Becoming one with revealed truth was like being touched by and filled with a long-sought-after love. Truth was revealed in the form of love The whole structure of the faith and of Catholic life are present in the various stages of Janne's journey towards conversion, and through her book, we can, so to speak, learn afresh what it means to be a Catholic. Thanks to this book, it is possible to return to the state of 'first love', to experience once again the greatness and daring of the 'yes' of Catholicism, its vastness, its light, and the joy that strengthens us on the precarious path of faith, and keeps intact the intensity of that first love which alone can show us the way to the summit. That is why I hope this book will have the widest possible distribution. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger- from the Preface, written shortly before his election as Pope Benedict XVIJanne Haaland Matláry is professor of international politics at the University of Oslo. An expert in security policy and European politics, she was deputy foreign minister of Norway 1997-2000, and has served as a diplomat for the Holy See at various UN conferences. She is a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and a consultor to the Pontifical Council for the Family. Married and with four children, she is a Dame of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

'Catholicism Revisited' is an attempt to render Roman Catholicism morecredible. The book rests on the author's conviction that a fuller and morecorrect understanding of Catholicism as a religion can emerge only from aradical reappraisal of the salvific role of Jesus' humanity, and of hishuman faith, hope and love, in line with the basic and central doctrines of theIncarnation and the Trinity. Being a Catholic means sharing in an ordinarybut truly mystical way in the spirit of Jesus' human faith, hope and love,and to the maintenance of this insight and the faith-vision of reality itentails all else must yield precedence - the conventional notion of God,the necessary system of Catholic beliefs which support the faith-vision, andthe Church itself. In the course of the book many fundamental issues areraised and discussed, not least the metaphorical nature of theology, theconnection between faith and beliefs, the meaning and use of Catholicdoctrines, the actual experience of being human. It is in the light ofthese issues that the author sees an urgent need to re-imagine the God ofCatholicism. A born Catholic, Robert Butterworth was educated by the Jesuits and spentforty years in the Society of Jesus. He read classics at Oxford andcompleted his doctorate in early Christian theology at the GregorianUniversity in Rome. During more than twenty years as Head of Department hetaught theology at Heythrop College in the University of London and atRoehampton University. On retirement from academia and from the Society hemarried and now lives near London. He has published autobiographicalreflections on his experiences in 'The Detour' (Gracewing, 2005).

Practically everybody loves to travel; to discover something new. We want to escape, to be free, to feel the sun on our faces. So we venture forth to far away places. But whether we are package tourists, culture vultures or backpackers the questions can still arise: Is this really all there is? Is there nothing beyond what we can see - something MORE? Can we find space and time on our journey to find new realities? The outward journey can be the start of an inner journey. This book, superbly translated from the original Swedish, reflects on our modern obsession with travel whilst discussing existential questions. During his visits to Rome, Paris, Venice and the Canary Islands, the author depicts an inner journey. On the way we meet such diverse figures as the philosopher Seneca, the author Proust, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and the 'Man in the corner', whose radical doubts question all kinds of pretentious talk. We click on computer icons - the world opens up. But the pocket icon is of a different sort. It speaks of another journey. At a time when many people feel confused and embarrassed by talk about spirituality, this book puts forward powerful ideas in an eminently readable style - but perhaps it poses more questions than it answers . 'A barely discernable, but serious and calm look stares at me from the cheap plastic Russian icon. The icon's reverse perspective means that the observer is always observed wherever he is. Or rather - the observer is drawn into the icon's world. The diminutive pictures' faded colours: dark red, gold and pale blue light up my study.The icon watches over me whilst I sleep on train journeys or at dreary airports. It is placed next to my bed when I come home. At this moment it is standing on the railing of a balcony several miles off the coast of Africa. But mostly it rests in my pocket. Holiness doubly concealed.' Owe Wikström is the author of fifteen books and is professor of the Psychology of Religion at Uppsala University, Sweden. A Lutheran minister and psychotherapist, he has written several books on psychology, philosophy, literature, music and culture. He is a popular speaker and a frequent contributor to radio and television programmes. His bestseller Långsamhetens lov (In Praise of Slowness) has already been translated into six languages.He was awarded the Swedish C. S. Lewis Prize for 2007.

A collection of key texts from early Carthusian writing in the IIth and 12th Centuries. St Bruno: Letter to his Carthusian sons at the Chartreuse, The Letter to Raoul le Verd, Profession of Faith. Bl. Guigo, fifth prior of the Grande Chartreuse: Letter on the solitary life. Guigo II, ninth prior of the Grande Chartreuse: The scale of the cloister. Other books of classic Carthusian spirituality published by Gracewing include The Call of Silent Love, Interior Prayer, The Prayer of Love and Silence, They Speak by Silences, The Way of Silent Love and The Wound of Love.

"Father Tolhurst does a fine job of leading the faithful in reflecting upon Sacred Scripture. He draws on many excellent, diverse and rich resources from our Catholic heritage. The reflections are wonderful starting points to a deeper understanding of the Faith. They are supported by the teaching of the Church, as well as from the writings of the many holy men and women down through the ages.These reflections are yet another fine way of growing in a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. What better way than through a daily commitment to the Scriptures. I recommend this great work to the faithful who wish to increase their faith and use well the seasons of the church year to grow in holiness".+ Most Reverend John J. MyersArchbishop of NewarkHere are timeless reflections for each day of Advent to help us prepare in mind and heart for the Coming of Our Lord Jesus. We need this special time to pause in our hectic rush and realize that we are waiting for him who is First and Last, our Beginning and our End.The Gospel is given for each day (in the case of Sundays, a choice has been made from the A, B and C cycles of readings), while short commentaries chosen from the writings of one of the Saints or Fathers connect us in our reflection directly to the Early Church, further aided by biographical notes on each writer and by concluding prayers, also from the Saints and Fathers to focus our thoughts more deeply.Pope Benedict XVI, when he writes about Advent, says that there are two main figures which dominate this liturgical time: John the Baptist and Mary. In a very special way this book helps us join with them in awaiting the coming of the Messiah.Dr James Tolhurst is the Series Editor of the Newman Millennium Edition, and his many books include A Concise Catechism for Catholics, as well studies on John Henry Newman and selections from his writings, all also published by Gracewing.

The Carthusian's traditional doctrine on prayer - from its very beginnings to the simplicity of its highest forms. Far from being abstract and theoretical, we learn about the prayer process by sharing the novices' concrete spiritual journey. Their problems and difficulties, and the many pitfalls they encounter on the way, are expressed in anongoing dialogue with their guide who relates to each one individually.Illuminating, even dazzling, insights, in one of the most profound books on Christian prayer available today. Many will find help here in their own quest for God and the ultimate purpose of life.

The theme of this book is the Beatitudes, and the apparent contradictions they contain are shown to offer a radical freedom to those who respond to the call to live wholly in Christ. Here is the important message that this call is not restricted to those who have a vocation to the monastic life, but is to all Christians. The book enables readers of all backgrounds to share the fruits of a hidden and solitary life - a gift that will be universally apprecciated. The classic monastic tradition is opened up in a radical and contemporary vision for us all.

It might seem something of a spurious claim to suggest that Lewis was an eschatologist when the word eschatology hardly ever appears in the corpus of his published writing, but nevertheless this book boldly makes that claim. C. S. Lewis was not a classically trained theologian. He wrote no systematic theological treatise. Time and again he referred to himself as a layman and an amateur, as one theologically uneducated and even unlearned. Yet here was a man, English scholar, broadcaster, children's writer, and Christian apologist, whose later life became very much caught up in the business of heaven.Together with his brother Warnie, with his friends J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and many others, C.S.Lewis made up an intellectual group which called themselves the 'Inklings'. The joke, of course, was a literary one but it could just as easily have been eschatological. For Lewis, above all, the heaven-directed was never lacking. His work is wrought with the sense of another world, more solid and of a deeper reality than we can ever begin to comprehend. He captured perfectly the truth that we have an inkling of that Something More - if only we would realise it - in every longed for, aching, yearned after, itching and unsatisfied moment of our lives. Lewis's work - and thus this book - is not just about eschatology. It is about an eschatological desire that drives our Christian faith and calls us to communion with God."The author brings together, with what seems the greatest ease, the interlocking threads of Lewis's thought. The book is a logical and brilliantly clear illumination of the outstanding gifts that came together when C.S. Lewis's reason and imagination were forever reconciled." Walter Hooper Dr Sean Connolly studied theology at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas in Rome. His most recent research examined the life and writings of C.S. Lewis. He has published two previous books: 'The Road to Holiness' (St Paul's, 1999) and 'Simple Priesthood' (St Paul's 2001). He currently teaches ethics and religious studies in Gloucestershire.

Real prayer consists of three essential constituents - oral or bodily prayer, prayer of the mind and prayer of the heart or 'of the mind in the heart', and if one or other constituent is absent it is not prayer at all. This book is not just about theory it is also about the practicalities of prayer. The author's concern is to help people discover their rule of prayer in a way of living where contemplation and action can harmonize so that they can 'pray without ceasing' in a world where coal is mined and candy floss is made. To pray is to share in God's life, to participate in the life the Father lives with the Son in the Holy Spirit. That living experience and knowledge of God lies not in some far- off country, but in our own backyard, the real and living circumstances of life in the workaday world as we respond to the spiritual fullness of life as it is, and not as we imagine it to be or as we would like it to be. It is not a flight of the alone to the Alone. We journey with fellow members of the Body of Christ as we join 'in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers'(Acts 2:42). The weekly Liturgy is our School of Prayer where we are nourished in Word and Sacrament in the way of salvation so that the other six days are lived in the power of the Risen Christ and according to his will.As an experienced retreat conductor and spiritual guide over many years, Arthur Middleton brings out of his treasury things old and new, and it is a welcome relief to read a book on Christian praying so rooted in the Christian tradition - the Fathers, the great spiritual writers of the Middle Ages, the Anglican seventeenth-century divines and the Tractarians and their successors - and which is yet so properly practical as to how to go about the business of praying, both personally and corporately. Arthur Middleton's gift of writing with exemplary lucidity and theological profundity has served him well in what he has offered to us in this book. BISHOP GEOFFREY ROWELL Arthur Middleton spent ten years in Sunderland and was Rector of Boldon from 1979-2003. Emeritus Canon of Durham Cathedral and Tutor at St Chad's College, he served on the College Council and was Acting Principal in 1997. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Patron of the Society of King Charles the Martyr. On the Editorial Board of New Directions, he is a member of the Church Union Council. His books include Towards a Renewed Priesthood and Fathers and Anglicans: the Limits of Orthodoxy, both published by Gracewing. He has also lectured in Canada and Australia. Married to Jennifer, they have two sons.

Devotion to the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood lies at the heart of the spirituality of St Francis, and his vision was to inspire the Church's development over the succeeding centuries. Writing in this Franciscan tradition, Br Mark offers his own insights on the Eucharist and St Francis, insights that were first shared at an annual retreat of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. This book provides a unique series of meditations for Eucharistic devotion.Although each is a separate reflection on the Eucharist in the life of the Church, there is an implied centrality of the Sacrament in the life of any Catholic wishing to deepen the life of prayer. In this St Francis can be our model and our guide, as one of the original pioneers of extra-Eucharistic devotion. Just as in the thirteenth century his example helped to renew the life of the Church, confronted by many crises, so in our own day the Church, hedged about with conflict and compromise, and with declining vocations, is seeing a revival of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament as perhaps the first sign of renewal. He writes about spirituality as a lived experience of God, shared by all, whether they know it or not . Mark Elvin's book will hopefully deepen our awareness of God's presence in both the Eucharist and the world. + Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue, Bishop of LancasterBr Mark (Fr Mark Elvins) is a Capuchin friar. Born in 1939 at Whitstable, Br Mark took an MA at London University, and a graduate diploma in spirituality at Dublin. He is the author of Cardinals and Heraldry, and of three other books published by Gracewing: Catholic Trivia, Gospel Chivalry and Towards a People's Liturgy.

The Liturgy is the summit and source of the Church's life, said the Second Vatican Council, and the liturgy unfolds its riches within an annual pattern: the Church's year. Here our life, lived in time, can meet and mingle with the life of Christ communicated in time. In Benedictine monasteries, the liturgical year shapes the whole life of the community. In these community conferences and homilies a Benedictine abbot shares with fellow-monks and fellow-Christians something of the wealth of the mystery of Christ as the liturgy unfolds it. It is of immense satisfaction to those who have long appreciated Abbot Hugh's work that he has so generously agreed to share his insights with a wider public. 'In the course of the year,' says Vatican II, 'she - holy mother Church - unfolds the whole mystery of Christ from the incarnation and nativity to the ascension, to Pentecost and the expectation of the blessed hope of the coming of the Lord'(Sacrosanctum Concilium 102). 'Thanks to the Holy Spirit,' writes Abbot Hugh, 'the paschal mystery remains a present, operative reality in human history, a spring of living water, flowing out of the "paradise" of the liturgy and watering the desert of the human heart and human life. It is this which gives our liturgies, so often humanly poor (what else could they be?), their divine value.. It is this unfolding of the mystery of Christ that the following conferences and homilies hope to serve in some small way.Dom Hugh Gilbert, OSB, is Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey. The living stones are the monks. Together they form a house in which the Spirit dwells. If in this place, as the Abbey's motto proclaims, God gives peace, it is through their constant prayer, their glorious liturgy and their ennobling work. The role of the Abbot is crucial to this spiritual building, and in these beautiful conferences and instructions which Abbot Hugh has been persuaded to publish, we see the work of the master builder. ARCHBISHOP MARIO CONTI

This excellent introduction to one of the most important spiritual classics of the Christian tradition is now reprinted in a new edition by popular demand. Full of solid insight, keen intuition and wise counsel for the spiritual journey, the book situates St Teresa's work in the context of the Carmelite tradition and of a contemporary understanding of holistic spirituality. One chapter is devoted to each of the seven spiritual mansions of The Interior Castle.From Ash to Fire is particuarly useful for those who are at the beginning of the spiritual journey, but has many valuable insights for all readers. Carolyn Humphreys uses easy to follow, lay person's language to describe each spiritual stage, relating it to the corresponding human dimension. You may recognize yourself in many of her vivid examples that relate to everyday experiences. She delicately brings to light that 'authentic humanness comes through a person who is dependent on God and interdependent on others,' and thus guides you along the way with sound advice.Carolyn Humphreys is a registered occupational therapist and a Secular Discalced Carmelite.

Janne Haaland Mátlary has devoted her life to questions of ethics and politics.This preoccupation has become extraordinarily relevant to many of the issues that dominate the contemporary political agenda; particularly in Europe where the debate over relativism, human rights and majority tyranny has become a vital concern to very many of its citizens. Combining academic research with an active political life as a diplomat serving both her native Norway and the Holy See, Janne Haaland Mátlary is able to offer us profound insights into the importance of human dignity and human rights in current politics. This book is essential reading for all who are concerned with issues of rationality, law, human rights, politics and religious freedom in European democracy today. As an academic, studying political science, her work has concentrated on security and foreign policy. She makes a strong case that foundations for human rights can be found through human reason, specifically, through retrieving and reanimating the classical tradition of rationalism that was once the pride of western civilization . She builds her analysis of politics with far more promising materials than the instrumental rationality and the radically individualistic concept of the person that have prevented the human rights movement thus far from reaching its full potential. Mary Anne Glendon, Harvard University Janne Haaland Matláry is Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science of the University of Oslo, Norway, and Senior Adjunct Researcher in Security Policy at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. She was State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Deputy Foreign Minister) of Norway 1997-2000, representing the Christian Democratic Party in the Bondevik government. Her main academic fields are the European Union and international security policy. She has published very widely and played significant roles in a number of international and consultative bodies. In April 2007 she was awarded Il Premio San Benedetto. Her biographical narrative of conversion to the Catholic Church, Faith Through Reason, is also published by Gracewing.

Christians are called to proclaim 'the glorious liberty of the children of God' to all men and women in the world. With this in mind, the enclosure of cloistered nuns, the apparent renunciation of personal freedom in order to live within the walls of a monastery for the rest of one's life, is often regarded as a sign of contradiction. How can such a life be justified in view of the Gospel, which invites Christians to become a light to the world and to proclaim the good news to all peoples? This unique book, written by cloistered nuns themselves, provides answers to this and many other questions. Far from being an invention of the Middle Ages which was imposed on women by a male-dominated Church and society, enclosure was in fact freely chosen by nuns themselves from the very beginning and only later became an object of canonical legislation. Drawing on the riches of Christian traditions, this book examines enclosure from a biblical, historical, spiritual and theological perspective, showing how it aids the prayer-life and mission of cloistered nuns.Dom Jean Prou (1911-1999) was fifth Abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes and Abbot-President of the Solesmes Congregation from 1959 until his retirement in 1992. His high esteem for the vocation of enclosed nuns led to an invitation to oversee the international team of clostered Benedictine nuns from France, Canada and England who cooperated to write this book.

Interreligious dialogue is now seen as one of the most pressing needs of our times.However both this perception and active engagement in dialogue are both recent phenomena. From the beginning, many of the pioneers in this work have been drawn from the Catholic monastic tradition. This volume brings together a wide-ranging and engaging series of studies that witness to the depth of theological reflection that the contemporary Christian monastic and scholarly community are engaged in as the religious traditions seek to understand and relate to each other in a global context. Here are reflections on encounters with Buddhism, where the main efforts of monastic interreligious dialogue have been directed, with Hinduism, and with Islam (from St Francis to the Cistercian Martyrs of Algeria). As well as profiling the history and current witness of monastic interreligious dialogue, the volume also contains studies of the great pioneers of this work - Charles de Foucauld, Bede Griffiths, Henri Le Saux (Abhishiktananda), Louis Massignon and Thomas Merton.At a time when there is so much need for understanding among people belonging to different religion, may these studies stimulate that exchange at the deeper level which leads to an experience of harmony, and even of a certain unity. Our conflict-ridden world is longing for this. + Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, M. Afr., writing in the PrefaceContributors include: Peter Bowe, OSB ∙ Pierre de Bethune, OSB ∙ Eoin de Bhaldraithe, OSCO ∙ John Flannery ∙ Ian Latham, LBJ ∙ Jean Olwen Maynard ∙ Antony O'Mahony ∙ Steven Saxby ∙ Judson Trapnell ∙ Agnes Wilkins ∙

'If European history is a verdant plain, then Christianity is the river which flows through it. It is a river with various sources: Judaic tradition, oriental faiths, Greek philosophy, Roman law. And it has been broadened by incoming streams over two millennia - Celtic, Germanic, Salv, Finno-Urigc culture; Islam, humanism, Romanticism - embracing and re-directing them, but also being enriched and deepened by them . . .'The failure of the European Union's Constitutional Treaty has raised serious questions about the Continent's future. Christian churches are active in this debate, as social and cultural forces with influence and outreach. But questions are also being asked about the future of Christianity itself, in a region now deeply divided between competing outlooks and visions. Rethinking Christendom explores the background to today's discussions, drawing on views and perspectives from East and West. It shows how Christianity became the essential badge of European-ness, and the universal reference point for societies drawn together by external threats and internal aspirations.While some Europeans see Christianity as a means of liberation, others view it as a barrier to freedom. This book is a plea for a realistic and informed understanding of Christianity's past, present and future role - in a region where all faiths, worldviews and philosophies can and should coexist in a mutual creative harmony.Jonathan Luxmoore is an English freelance journalist and writer, covering church- related news in Europe for Catholic News Service, Ecumenical News International, as well as The Tablet and other newspapers.Jolanta Babiuch is a Polish lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, having previously taught at the Universities of London and Warsaw, where she was a co-founder of Transparency International. The couple have four children and live in Oxford and Warsaw. Their previous books include The Vatican and the Red Flag (1999).

Following the enormous social changes of the second half of the 20th century, the Church - in common with other institutions- began increasingly to question its own historic role and the role of its ordained clergy.In the wake of the growth of management consultancy in this period, and its application to all apects of social endeavour, many of the Church's leaders began to call for a new understanding of the role of the priest or minister, in which 'function' rather than theology would be given centre stage.In this groundbreaking study the author offers a devastating analysis of the growth of functionalism in the Church - a phenomenon which he attributes to a 'loss of nerve' on the part of a disproportionately powerful liberal establishment - and offers instead a programme for renewal based upon a return to theological and sacramental roots.In a Church that is confused by the increasingly alien culture that surrounds and is inimical to it, the priest must concentrate on a Kingdom-centred rather than World-centred theology, and seek for a sense of that which is perennially valid, rather than temporarily fashionable. Only by a return to the theology of the Church Fathers can a path be found away from anthropocentrism and towards theocentrism.Arthur Middleton has written that rare book, a short study that is at one and the same time a powerful critique and a positive statement of values. His work will be of immense value to all those involved in the ministry, as well as to laity who wish to gain an understanding of why things are the way they are, and how they could be improved in the future.Arthur Middleton is an Anglican priest in the diocese of Durham in England.