Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved and well-known saints in the Catholic church. In this biography, G. K. Chesterton relays the unique and inspirational life of the humble saint. Starting life as a wealthy young man full of life and spirit, Francis soon joined the war between Assisi and Perugia and returned, ill and downtrodden. He ended up joining the papal forces and after witnessing a poor man begging for alms his spirit was renewed and he was inspired to start a new life of humble poverty. Though not yet officially part of the Catholic papacy, Francis soon amassed a following in Assisi and traveled to Rome to get approval from Pope Innocent III to form what is known today as the Franciscan Order. The Order devotes themselves to living in poverty yet giving generously to the needy. Today, Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals and ecology, having showed his love for all of God's creation early in his life. This new edition of the biography of Saint Francis will be an inspiration for all readers, secular and religious alike.

"Deeply respecting, and bowing down before the character of Our Saviour, you cannot go very wrong, and will always preserve at heart a true spirit of veneration and humility." Charles Dickens Charles Dickens was a great storyteller; he possessed the unique ability of documenting the realities of life for both his contemporaries and future generations. A journalist, commentator, historian, and the social conscience of a nation, his influence and reach extended far beyond that normally associated with a novelist. Although the subject of numerous books, none have sought to detail how the writer tried through his work to change the hearts of his readers. In this authoritative and highly readable new biography, Keith Hooper explores the nature and development of Dickens's faith, and the means by which it was expressed. This excellent study of Dickens's beliefs and struggles with the contemporary church gives new and valuable insight into his literary work.

Where We See Tragedy, God Sees Possibility . . . Few American epics of tragedy, intrigue, friendship, and faith will entertain and challenge the soul like the narrative inspired by the events in the real life of David Ring--a boy literally born dead who survives with sobering consequences. Living with the harsh realities of cerebral palsy, Ring faces impossible odds yet stumbles into an improbable life of inspiration and influence in the small, unassuming town of Liberty, Missouri, in the 1960s. As a teenage boy, Ring finds himself tragically orphaned and being shuffled about to various homes. Along this journey, he faces secret, unspeakable atrocities that eventually plunge him into the depths of depression and attempted suicide. But amid the harsh troubles of life, he encounters another boy his age named David, the son of a local pastor. Their unlikely friendship begins on the rocks, but eventually develops into something extraordinary and unique that alters the trajectory of both of their lives--and the whole town of Liberty--forever.

Originally published in 1907, this book contains a biography of the historian and clergyman Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury. The book is divided into two parts, focussing first on Burnet's early life and career in Scotland and then on his rise and fall and rise again under the Stuart monarchs. The language used is accessible, and the authors express the hope that 'this picture of a varied career, and a vivacious personality, may attract the general reader, as well as the historical student'. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of religion in England or the life of Burnet.

Originally published in 1902, this book contains the edited text of two biographies of William Bedell, Bishop of Kilmore, who was martyred for his Anglican faith during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. One biography in the collection was written by Bedell's son, and the other by the Rev. Alexander Clogie, a Scottish clergyman who was imprisoned with Bedell. Also included in the volume is a meditation by Bedell on the efficiency of grace, as well as several of his letters and extracts from State Papers that contain mentions of him. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in seventeenth-century religion and the life of Bedell.

Originally published in 1937, this book contains a biography of Bartholomew of Exeter, one of the few bishops who supported Thomas Becket in his quarrel with Henry II. Some of his letters from the Pope, who used him as a judge delegate, are included in the volume, as is the Latin text of Bartholomew's Penetential, which deals with breaches of canon law and the penalties prescribed. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in English church history and the relations between the English monarchy and the Catholic Church.

In Pure, Linda Kay Klein uses a potent combination of journalism, cultural commentary, and memoir to take us "inside religious purity culture as only one who grew up in it can" (Gloria Steinem) and reveals the devastating effects evangelical Christianity's views on female sexuality has had on a generation of young women. In the 1990s, a "purity industry" emerged out of the white evangelical Christian culture. Purity rings, purity pledges, and purity balls came with a dangerous message: girls are potential sexual "stumbling blocks" for boys and men, and any expression of a girl's sexuality could reflect the corruption of her character. This message traumatized many girls-resulting in anxiety, fear, and experiences that mimicked the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-and trapped them in a cycle of shame. This is the sex education Linda Kay Klein grew up with. Fearing being marked a Jezebel, Klein broke up with her high school boyfriend because she thought God told her to and took pregnancy tests despite being a virgin, terrified that any sexual activity would be punished with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. When the youth pastor of her church was convicted of sexual enticement of a twelve-year-old girl, Klein began to question purity-based sexual ethics. She contacted young women she knew, asking if they were coping with the same shame-induced issues she was. These intimate conversations developed into a twelve-year quest that took her across the country and into the lives of women raised in similar religious communities-a journey that facilitated her own healing and led her to churches that are seeking a new way to reconcile sexuality and spirituality. Pure is "a revelation... Part memoir and part journalism, Pure is a horrendous, granular, relentless, emotionally true account" (The Cut) of society's larger subjugation of women and the role the purity industry played in maintaining it. Offering a prevailing message of resounding hope and encouragement, "Pure emboldens us to escape toxic misogyny and experience a fresh breath of freedom" (Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love Warrior and founder of Together Rising).

Originally published in 1932, this book presents a series of memories and appreciations of the renowned theologian and Bishop of Durham John Barber Lightfoot (1828-89). The text is ordered chronologically and follows a broadly biographical structure, with numerous observations from those who knew Lightfoot being held together by an editorial narrative. It was created in an attempt 'to shew something of his mind as revealed in his writings, and the influence of his utterances on his contemporaries no less than his contribution to the Theology of his day, his place among Church leaders, and his lasting value as a Teacher.' Detailed notes, appendices and illustrative figures are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Lightfoot, church history and theology.

This is a charming book, describing, in the words of Chris Wright, 'one of the greatest partnerships in church history.' It is a story which John Stott himself hoped would one day be told. It is widely agreed that Stott could not have been half so effective without Frances Whitehead at his side. He invited her to become his Secretary when she was still a young Christian, at that time working for the BBC. Having done secret war work as a mathematician, she brought a good mind as well as determination. Stott relied on her, and she would shoulder responsibility to work on the infrastructure to establish his ideas. She also typed his 50 books from longhand. They are both described (by one of the succession of young graduate Study Assistants) as 'fast, exacting and determined', with Frances matching Stott's gold standard again and again. 'She was as remarkable in her way as John Stott was in his.' They were good friends, and she was named in his Will as 'My friend and Executor'. Neither married and both were completely dedicated to John's ministry. You can't understand his ministry without knowing of Frances Whitehead. This is a very colourful biography looking at Frances Whitehead's ancestry as well as her own interesting life. It includes walk-on parts from George III, Gainsborough, Prince Albert, Florence Nightingale, the Singer family (of Singer sewing Machine fame) and Jacqueline du Pre. It is no ordinary 'Christian biography'. Her family at one stage owned much of Chelsea, including the land on which Harrods now stands. Frances's life story gives us glimpses into the way they worked together, and their shared values. Both were very modest about their contributions, and lived modestly. John Stott lived in a small two-roomed flat, from which he worked. His Study Assistant had a desk in Stott's small bedroom - the desk had been rescued from a skip. Frances worked in a small office looking out onto a brick wall. The book concludes with a summing-up of John Stott's and Frances Whitehead's joint legacy. This includes the founding and establishing of two global movements. Timeline, Family trees, Appendices, and over 30 photographs.

James Bethune-Baker (1861 1951) was a British theologian who held the position of Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge from 1911 to 1935. In this book, which was first published in 1908, Bethune-Baker provides a detailed discussion of Nestorius and his views, putting forward the viewpoint 'that Nestorius was not 'Nestorian''. Detailed notes are incorporated throughout the text. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Nestorius, theology and the history of Christianity."

The #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER from the author of MURDER BEFORE EVENSONG 'Immensely moving and disarmingly witty' Nigella Lawson 'Such a moving, tough, funny, raw, honest read' Matt Haig 'Beautifully written, moving and gut-wrenching, but also at times very funny' Ian Rankin 'Captures brilliantly, beautifully, bravely the comedy as well as the tragedy of bereavement' The Times 'Will strike a chord with anyone who has grieved' Independent When the Reverend Richard Coles's partner died suddenly, shortly before Christmas in 2019, what came next took Richard by surprise. Despite his years of experience assisting his parishioners in examining life's moral questions, Richard now found he needed guidance himself. Much about grief was unexpected: the volume of 'sadmin' that must be undertaken, how much harder it is travelling solo for work, the pain of typing a text message to your partner - then remembering they are gone. This deeply personal account of life after grief will resonate, unforgettably, long after the final page has been turned.

Originally published in 1926, this book contains an edited edition of a sixteenth-century account of the life of Saint Radegund, patron saint of Jesus College, Cambridge. Brittain provides an introduction on the life of Radegund and the history of the original book, which is housed in the library of Jesus College and is considered to be one of only two extant copies in the world. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in hagiography and the life of this powerful princess-saint.

Originally published in 1926, this book presents a biography of St Thomas a Becket. Hutton reviews Becket's life from his birth until his martyrdom and eventual canonisation, and the preservation of his relics during the English Reformation. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in St Thomas's life and career.

William Shakespeare stills stands head and shoulders above any other author in the English language, a position that is unlikely ever to change. Yet it is often said that we know very little about him - and that applies as much to what he believed as it does to the rest of his biography. Or does it? In this authoritative new study, Graham Holderness takes us through the context of Shakespeare's life, times of religious and political turmoil, and looks at what we do know of Shakespeare the Anglican. But then he goes beyond that, and mines the plays themselves, not just for the words of the characters, but for the concepts, themes and language which Shakespeare was himself steeped in - the language of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. Considering particularly such plays as Richard ll, Henry V, The Merchant of Venice, Measure for Measure, Hamlet, Othello, The Tempest and The Winter's Tale, Holderness shows how the ideas of Catholicism come up against those of Luther and Calvin; how Christianity was woven deep into Shakespeare's psyche, and how he brought it again and again to his art.

Originally published in 1944, this book presents a study of the life and work of Roman Catholic priest and scholar Alfred Loisy, written by fellow Modernist Maude Petre. Petre died shortly after completing this short biography, and the text begins with a note on her life by James A. Walker. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in this important figure in the controversial Catholic Modernist movement.

Ideal for gift-giving, this beautiful edition offers all of G. K. Chesterton's insight, humor, and wit as he uncovers the real meaning of the life of the worlds most popular saint. The most insightful book about Francis of Assisi-ever. Samples from this classic book: All [Francis's] life was a series of plunges and scampers; darting after the beggar, dashing naked into the woods, tossing himself into the strange ship, hurling himself into the Sultan's tent and offering to hurl himself into the fire. In appearance he must have been like a thin brown skeleton autumn leaf dancing eternally before the wind; but in truth it was he that was the wind. The conversion of St. Francis involved his being in some sense flung suddenly from a horse. There was not a rag of him left that was not ridiculous. Everybody knew that at the best he had made a fool of himself. The word fool itself began to shine and change.

A moving story of hope, faith, persistence and the power of dreams. A piano prodigy, a nineteen-year-old college grad, a Marshall scholar, and an American Idol finalist. This guy had it made. He could sing. He could ski blind. What couldn't he do? Even if you saw him in concert, you might not believe that Scott MacIntyre is blind, and you'd never guess that at nineteen, he faced a diagnosis that rocked his family and nearly took his life. So how did he do it? How did he overcome the odds? This is Scott's story, but he'd be the first to tell you that it's not really about him. This is the story of how God used a dedicated family, a selfless acquaintance, hardship, and a host of characters to give him life, faith, determination, and experiences most can only imagine. Peek behind the scenes to see how he learned to overcome his disability, how he made it in the music industry, how he found the love of his life, and how God taught him that in all things, we can truly achieve our dreams By Faith, Not by Sight.

Andrew White is something of a legend: a man of great charm and energy, whose personal suffering has not deflected him from his important ministry of reconciliation. Andrew grew up in London, the son of strongly religious parents: by the age of five he could repeat the five points of Calvinism. As a child and young man he was frequently ill, but his considerable intelligence meant that his studies did not suffer. He set his heart on becoming an anaesthetist, an ambition he achieved, only to be redirected by God to Anglican ministry. Since ordination he has had a considerable role in the work of reconciliation, both between Christian and Jew and between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim. Often in danger, and always in pain, he has nevertheless been able to mediate between opposing extremes. A man of God, he is trusted by those who trust very few.

This collection of inspiring, astonishing, and humorous anecdotes offers glimpses into the life and miracles of Padre Pio. Countless conversions were inspired through his gifts of bilocation, psychic ability, curative power, and multilingualism. Written by Pascal Cataneo, a fellow priest and contemporary of Padre Pio, readers are given a unique window into the humility, directness, and humor of this Capuchin friar.

The story of one of the most remarkable women of the medieval world, as you have never read it before A French peasant girl who heard voices from God, Joan convinced the royal court of her divine calling and became a teenage warrior, leading an army to victory against the English. Eventually captured and put on trial, she was denounced as a heretic and burned at the stake at the age of just nineteen. Five hundred years later, she was recognised as a saint. Here, Joan and her world are brought vividly to life by acclaimed historian Helen Castor, taking us to the heart of a tumultuous and bloody moment in the fifteenth century and the short by astonishing life of an extraordinary woman.

A modern-day Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Seven Storey Mountain is one of the most influential religious works of the twentieth century. This edition contains an introduction by Merton's editor, Robert Giroux, and a note to the reader by biographer William H. Shannon. It tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace and faith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders--the Trappist monks. At the Abbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," Thomas Merton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he has fully immersed himself in it. The Seven Storey Mountain has been a favorite of readers ranging from Graham Greene to Claire Booth Luce, Eldridge Cleaver, and Frank McCourt. And, in the half-century since its original publication, this timeless spiritual tome has been published in over twenty languages and has touched millions of lives.

This Study Guide develops in further detail the objections to Islam and the case for Christianity that Qureshi introduced in his bestseller Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus. Building on his personal experiences with two of the world's largest religions and the powerful Christian apologetics he developed in his book, Nabeel Qureshi and co-author Kevin Harney deepen their focus on how to share Christ and the good news of the Gospel with Muslims in this complete study course. In eight lessons coordinated to be used alongside the Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Video Study (sold separately), Qureshi and Harney explore: Muslim culture. The most common Muslim objections to Christianity. The core doctrines upon which Islam stands or falls. Compassionate and clear, the Seeking Allah Finding Jesus Study Guide is a useful training tool for pastors, outreach leaders, and any believers who want to winsomely engage Muslim neighbors in spiritual conversations. This accessible course is complete with video teachings notes, questions for group discussion and personal reflection, definitions of common Muslim terms, passages from both the Bible and the Quran, and other learning tools for classes, small groups and independent learners alike. Designed for use with the Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Video Study (9780310520429), sold separately.

She couldn't believe it. There she was with her medical qualifications sitting on the floor of a mental hospital. She'd offered her life to God, wanted to serve him anywhere, but no, surely not this... Sharon Hastings is absolutely passionate about helping anyone who suffers from 'severe and enduring mental illness' (SEMI): schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. She wants the church to know all about these illnesses: how they devastate ordinary people and how they need to be treated. By telling her story, warts and all, showing her own tortuous, painful journey, she equips us to come alongside loved ones, fellow church members, friends and neighbours, understanding the social and spiritual ramifications of their illnesses, including them in our activities (where appropriate) and encouraging their spiritual growth. A natural storyteller, the author draws us in. We journey with her. With wisdom, kindness and the heart of a bruised survivor, she interweaves her exceptional story with vital teaching which simply cannot be ignored by anyone within the church today.

Nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award In this long-awaited and candid memoir, Hitchens re-traces the footsteps of his life to date, from his childhood in Portsmouth, with his adoring, tragic mother and reserved Naval officer father; to his life in Washington DC, the base from which from he would launch fierce attacks on tyranny of all kinds. Along the way, he recalls the girls, boys and booze; the friendships and the feuds; the grand struggles and lost causes; and the mistakes and misgivings that have characterised his life. Hitch-22 is, by turns, moving and funny, charming and infuriating, enraging and inspiring. It is an indispensable companion to the life and thought of our pre-eminent political writer.