Haikus and Home Truths Started on a trip to Japan, as a way of using the sleepless jet-lagged nights, composing haikus became something of an obsession. Gradually the idea formed for using the vehicle of the haiku poem to take a heart-journey, from a travelogue, charting the trip of a lifetime, to an inner journey of reflection. This illustrated collection invites the reader to travel with the author, to ponder, perhaps to smile, and to discover the versatility of this classic Japanese poetic form.

Join us on a journey. as we explore two huntingdonshire traditions - one set in Yaxley's fen, the other St Peter's Church Yaxley. These stories take us back to the time before the fen was fully drained and farmed, when there wa sno road through to Holme Village, and the Yaxley Lode flowed down into the ancient Trundle Mere ans beyond to Whittlesea Mere, the largest lowland freshwater lake in England. All proceeds from the sale of this booklet will be donated to Sue Ryder Hospice at Thorpe Hall, Peterborough, to support their incredible care for those in need.

At Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice we provide expert palliative care for people who are living with life-limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families. As a charity we can only be here to provide that care because of the generosity of people like this author, Paul Middleton, who has chosen to donate profits from the sale of his book to us. For this and all the support we receive we are incredibly grateful.

Whittlesea Mere - one of the wonders of Huntingdonshire! The historic county of Huntingdonshire has much to recommend it, and one of its lost treasures is brought back to life in this welcome updated and substantially expanded edition of a study first published in 1987. The Mere was the largest body of inland water in lowland England before its drainage in the 1850s, an action which brought to an end a long, rich and thriving history of fishing, reed-cutting and boating, control of which excited the interest of kings, and was fought over by medieval abbots and monks, 17th century drainers, local communities and rival landowners. Once drained, the Mere continued to influence farming practice, hindered the smooth running of the main railway line to the north and bequeathed to the nation in its surroundings two important nature reserves at Holme Fen and Woodwalton Fen. Now, in the 21st century, recognition of the area's unique ecological and educational potential has seen the creation of a major environmental restoration project, the Great Fen Project.

Introduction Between 2008 and 2010, both my wife Linda and I received treatment for cancer. The care we received at Addenbrookes Hospital was incredible and we were both able to recover and return to work and a full life. Linda had already been retired for a few years when I decided that it was the right time for me to finish full time work in August 2015. We agreed that, whilst we had all sorts of ideas for activity and adventure in retirement, a wonderful way to start this new stage of our lives would be to go on a retreat to Lindisfarne. In early September, therefore, we did just that - an extraordinary week in which we both felt uplifted and assured of God's presence and leading, whatever the future might hold. Within three weeks of that amazing time, Linda knew that all was not well with her health and after a period of two months, following many tests, scans and consultations, she was given the devastating news that her cancer had returned, was widespread and that only palliative care was in prospect, the last days of which were provided with love and thoughtfulness by staff at the local Sue Ryder hospice. Linda died on 14th April 2016. For me the world had suddenly come crashing down. In my mind, it was as though this exquisite vase, which was our love and shared life together, had shattered into a myriad tiny pieces. This was not the retirement I had imagined or hoped for. For four months I thrashed around, travelling to places we loved, walking miles and miles, mostly alone though sometimes in company, trying to grasp some of the fragments of that vase and to hold on to pieces of the past, afraid that everything was slipping away, for ever; trying to find any meaning at all in what had happened. v Then, in August, the writing started. I had kept a sort of diary/journal during the last few months of Linda's life, firstly to help keep track of her medication and her responses, and increasingly reflecting my own feelings. But the writings, poetry and prose, which began to flow in the August of 2016, were different. This was compulsive - I hardly seemed to have any control over when or how it was written - I simply had to write. Over the months, I began to love the writing as it expressed my deepest heartfelt pain and also brought relief and a measure of healing, if only for a moment. The pages that follow in this anthology are a selection from those months, spread over a year and a half. I have been encouraged to share them by friends, who felt they may have something to say for others, and who also affirmed my own sense that, as a body, the writings represented a "new vase", different from the original one of our marriage and life together, and with a fierce beauty of its own. One friend assured me that this new vase would, one day, be filled with wonderful things and to that hope, a sure hope, I cling. My prayer is that any who read these pages may find something that affords a degree of recognition and, perhaps paradoxically, comfort. I offer them as a gift, as they were to me. Most of all, I hope that the reader will find, as I have, that through the pain of loss and grief, blessings are there to be found if we ourselves can find the courage to lift our heads. In that act of will, reaching out with open hands to receive the love that is waiting out there, we will also find that we too still have love to give and, through that giving, life returns. Paul Middleton January 2018

Several view of martyrdom co-existed in the early Church. The orthodox position, generally accepted by scholars, was that a Christian should choose martyrdom rather than deny the Faith, but should not, on any account, court death. Although it has been recognised that some in the early Church did seek a glorified death, by giving themselves over to arrest, most scholars have dismissed such acts as differing from the accepted attitude to martyrdom in the early Church. Therefore, instances of volitional, or radical martyrdom, have been largely overlooked or sidelined in scholarly investigations into the theology and origins of Christian martyrdom. Paul Middleton argues that, far from being a deviant strand of early Christianity, radical martyrdom was a significant, and widely held idealised form of devotion in the late first to early third centuries. Christian martyrdom is placed within the heritage of Jewish War tradition, with each martyr making an important contribution to the cosmic conflict between Satan and God. Radical Martyrdom re-examines the presentation, theology, and origins of Christian martyrdom up to the beginning of the Decian persecutions in the light of new perspectives on the subject.

It can be said, almost without exaggeration, that martyrdom has become one of the most pressing theological issues facing the contemporary world. Since the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, the world has had to face up to an Islamic manifestation of martyrdom. Martyrdom has a long history; as long as individuals have been dying for their faith or cause, others have been telling and more importantly, interpreting their stories. These martyrologies are essentially conflict stories. Whether a Christian confessing her faith before a bemused Roman governor, or a suicide bomber blowing himself up in a crowed cafe in Jerusalem, the way these stories are recounted - positively or negatively - reflect a wider conflict in which the narrator and his community find themselves. Martyr narratives, whether textual, oral, or even a CNN news report, do more than simply report a death; they also contain the interpretative framework by which that death is understood - again positively or negatively. When the death of a martyr is reported, the way in which that story is told places that death within a larger narrative of conflict, which may be regional, global, or even cosmic. The martyr becomes a symbol of the community's desires and hopes, or for that matter, their terrors and fears, but in either case, the martyr is representative of a larger struggle, and often martyrology contains the vision of how the community envisages final victory over their enemy. This book aims to illuminate the way these conflict stories have been told and function (principally, though not exclusively) within Christian, Jewish, and Islamic communities. Continuum's "Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

This collection of twelve essays will celebrate the distinguished contribution of Professor John Kenneth Riches to biblical interpretation. The international selection of contributors are all either former students or colleagues of Professor Riches and the focus of the essays all reflect (and extend) Professor Riches' particular research interests and contribution to biblical and theological studies. The essays in this volume are clustered around two closely related topics: historical and theological contributions to understanding the nature of Christian freedom and agency, and studies which investigate how Paul's thought has been interpreted in diverse settings. All the contributors have been asked to centre their thinking around the following issues: how does the grace of being 'in Christ' transform and restore those who receive it in faith; how far they are, as it were, responsible for that transformation; how far their is identity changed by their union with Christ; and how are they to make ethical decisions, are they to be guided (and goaded?) by the law, or are to be led by the Spirit and called to discern what is right and good in the law?There are four parts to this book. Part I explores grace and human agency by looking at texts both within and outside of the New Testament, highlighting the themes of ethical responsibility and freedom. Part II turns to look at how Pauline themes of grace and the Christian life have been interpreted at various points of Christian history. Part III reflects John Riches' substantial interest in and contribution to African biblical interpretation and includes essays that investigate how Paul is appropriated in African contexts. Part IV reflects John Riches' interest in the mutual engagement between theology and Scripture and includes contributions investigating the theological aspects of the Law and the Spirit, and transformation in Christ in the theology and ethics of P.T. Forsyth.

The ten years since the First Edition of this book have witnessed revolutionary changes in GP training: appraisal, the new MRCGP exam and competence-based assessments to name but three. Greater availability of information has also transformed the social context of General Practice as a profession. Despite this, the one-to-one relationship between trainer and trainee remains the lynchpin of GP education, and this manual's key principle - that GP trainers are the key source of expertise in this field, and that their experiences and ideas are a vital and still-underused resource - is as important as ever. This new edition, fully revised and updated to reflect the latest changes in both GP training and the profession, remains an essential, comprehensive manual of useful advice for GP trainers written by their peers. Outlining educational methods, training philosophies and reflections from practitioners experienced in the entire spectrum of GP education, it provides a tool box of resources to cover the practicalities of training, including e-portfolios, teaching consultation skills, and numerous tips and tricks. It is now augmented with an array of supporting material that includes checklists, forms and evaluation tools, accessed electronically via a code supplied with the book. This book is vital reading for GP tutors and GP trainers as well as those considering such roles, and for all those who manage and oversee the training of GP registrars. 'The next generation of GPs will face even more changes in the landscape of primary care and it has become even more imperative that we provide high-quality training. This manual will support this process.' - from the Foreword by Steve Field

The act of martyrdom in the worldview of the Apocalypse has been considered to be an exemplification of non-violent resistance. Paul Middleton argues here, however, that it is in fact a representation of direct participation by Christians, through their martyrdom, in divine violence against those the author of Revelation portrays as God's enemies. Middleton shows that acceptance of martyrdom is to grasp the invitation to participate in the Revelation's divine violence. Martyrs follow the model laid down by the Lamb, who was not only slain, but resurrected, glorified, and who executes judgement. The world created by the Apocalypse encourages readers to conquer the Beast through martyrdom, but also through the experience of resurrection and being appointed judges. In this role, martyrs participate in the judgement of the wicked by sharing the Lamb's power to judge. Different from eschewing violence, the conceptual world of the Apocalypse portrays God, the Lamb, and the martyrs as possessing more power, might, and violent potential than the Emperor and his armies. Middleton believes that martyrdom and violence are necessary components of the worldview of Revelation.

This volume presents a batch of incisive new essays on the relationship between Roman imperial power and ideology and Christian and Jewish life and thought within the empire. Employing diverse methodologies that include historical criticism, rhetorical criticism, postcolonial criticism, and social historical studies, the contributors offer fresh perspectives on a question that is crucial for our understanding not only of the late Roman Empire, but also of the growth and change of Christianity and Judaism in the imperial period.

Three hundred years after his death, Matthew Henry (1662-1714) remains arguably the best known expositor of the Bible in English, due largely to his massive six-volume Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. However, Henry's famous commentary is by no means the only expression of his engagement with the Scriptures. His many sermons and works on Christian piety - including the still popular Method for Prayer - are saturated with his peculiarly practical approach to the Bible. To mark the tercentenary of Henry's death, Matthew A. Collins and Paul Middleton have brought together notable historians, theologians, and biblical scholars to celebrate his life and legacy. Representing the first serious examination of Henry's body of work and approach to the Bible, Matthew Henry: The Bible, Prayer, and Piety opens a scholarly conversation about the place of Matthew Henry in the eighteenth-century nonconformist movement, his contribution to the interpretation of the Bible, and his continued legacy in evangelical piety.

This collection of twelve essays will celebrate the distinguished contribution of Professor John Kenneth Riches to biblical interpretation. The international selection of contributors are all either former students or colleagues of Professor Riches and the focus of the essays all reflect (and extend) Professor Riches' particular research interests and contribution to biblical and theological studies. The essays in this volume are clustered around two closely related topics: historical and theological contributions to understanding the nature of Christian freedom and agency, and studies which investigate how Paul's thought has been interpreted in diverse settings. All the contributors have been asked to centre their thinking around the following issues: how does the grace of being 'in Christ' transform and restore those who receive it in faith; how far they are, as it were, responsible for that transformation; how far their is identity changed by their union with Christ; and how are they to make ethical decisions, are they to be guided (and goaded?) by the law, or are to be led by the Spirit and called to discern what is right and good in the law?There are four parts to this book. Part I explores grace and human agency by looking at texts both within and outside of the New Testament, highlighting the themes of ethical responsibility and freedom. Part II turns to look at how Pauline themes of grace and the Christian life have been interpreted at various points of Christian history. Part III reflects John Riches' substantial interest in and contribution to African biblical interpretation and includes essays that investigate how Paul is appropriated in African contexts. Part IV reflects John Riches' interest in the mutual engagement between theology and Scripture and includes contributions investigating the theological aspects of the Law and the Spirit, and transformation in Christ in the theology and ethics of P.T. Forsyth.

The act of martyrdom in the worldview of the Apocalypse has been considered to be an exemplification of non-violent resistance. Paul Middleton argues here, however, that it is in fact a representation of direct participation by Christians, through their martyrdom, in divine violence against those the author of Revelation portrays as God's enemies. Middleton shows that acceptance of martyrdom is to grasp the invitation to participate in the Revelation's divine violence. Martyrs follow the model laid down by the Lamb, who was not only slain, but resurrected, glorified, and who executes judgement. The world created by the Apocalypse encourages readers to conquer the Beast through martyrdom, but also through the experience of resurrection and being appointed judges. In this role, martyrs participate in the judgement of the wicked by sharing the Lamb's power to judge. Different from eschewing violence, the conceptual world of the Apocalypse portrays God, the Lamb, and the martyrs as possessing more power, might, and violent potential than the Emperor and his armies. Middleton believes that martyrdom and violence are necessary components of the worldview of Revelation.