The absolutely poor, who are mostly rural people, are a large part of the developing world's population and their numbers are growing. Government development programmes, aided by the big donors, have made the poor poorer and have rendered them more powerless in relation to the rest of society. They have done this by sustaining and reinforcing existing exploitative economic, social and political structures. Yet people's movements. religious organizations, voluntary groups, universities and so on have often devised 'alternative' development strategies whose programmes are specifically intended to empower the powerless and selectively enrich the poorest. These groups lack the funds and the political punch to make much more than a dent in the situation. This book brings together some of these workers from the South who describe the problems and provide the answers. They are a challenge to the received 'wisdom' of the North. Originally published in 1989

For curious readers young and old, a rich and colorful history of religion from humanity's earliest days to our own contentious times In an era of hardening religious attitudes and explosive religious violence, this book offers a welcome antidote. Richard Holloway retells the entire history of religion-from the dawn of religious belief to the twenty-first century-with deepest respect and a keen commitment to accuracy. Writing for those with faith and those without, and especially for young readers, he encourages curiosity and tolerance, accentuates nuance and mystery, and calmly restores a sense of the value of faith. Ranging far beyond the major world religions of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism, Holloway also examines where religious belief comes from, the search for meaning throughout history, today's fascinations with Scientology and creationism, religiously motivated violence, hostilities between religious people and secularists, and more. Holloway proves an empathic yet discerning guide to the enduring significance of faith and its power from ancient times to our own.

Richard Holloway is one of our most beloved public thinkers. Throughout his life he has turned to poets and writers to help answer the big questions, and for solace and guidance in the face of life's challenges. Now he shares those poems and words which have been his own guide, offered in the hope they will help us too. This is a book to turn to for inspiration, guidance and comfort. It offers lessons from those who, in Richard's words, 'know best how to listen and teach us to listen', all united by 'the sensual appeal of words, the pain and pleasure they impart'. It is a book to treasure.

The absolutely poor, who are mostly rural people, are a large part of the developing world's population and their numbers are growing. Government development programmes, aided by the big donors, have made the poor poorer and have rendered them more powerless in relation to the rest of society. They have done this by sustaining and reinforcing existing exploitative economic, social and political structures. Yet people's movements. religious organizations, voluntary groups, universities and so on have often devised 'alternative' development strategies whose programmes are specifically intended to empower the powerless and selectively enrich the poorest. These groups lack the funds and the political punch to make much more than a dent in the situation. This book brings together some of these workers from the South who describe the problems and provide the answers. They are a challenge to the received 'wisdom' of the North. Originally published in 1989

* Invaluable handbook for all voluntary and charitable organizations on raising money* Sets out the strategies and tactics for mobilizing resources from available sources* Published with the Aga Khan FoundationA clear and practical guide aimed at the managers of non-governmental and civil society organizations, primarily in developing countries, on how to raise funds for themselves and become financially self-reliant. The author examines all the options - accessing existing wealth, generating new wealth, and mobilizing non-financial resources - and shows how to identify funding opportunities and how to maximize results. He covers earned income, local foundations, governmental sources, foreign agencies, the corporate sector, micro-credit, the internet and social investments. He sets these within a strategic overview of planning and management effectiveness.

Provides an excellent conceptual framework for the various approaches to resource mobilization.' Paiboon Wattanasiritham, Director General, Chief Executive Officer, Government Savings Bank, Thailand A clear and practical guide aimed at the managers of civil society organizations, including non-governmental organizations, citizens' movements, co-operatives, trade unions and other grass-roots organizations primarily in developing countries, on how to mobilize funds and other resources and in doing so become financially self-reliant. The author examines numerous and varied options, covering earned income, local foundations, governmental sources, foreign agencies, the corporate sector, microcredit, the internet and social investments, setting these within a strategic overview of planning and management effectiveness.

Throughout history we have told ourselves stories to try and make sense of what it all means: our place in a small corner of one of billions of galaxies, at the end of billions of years of existence. In this new book Richard Holloway takes us on a personal, scientific and philosophical journey to explore what he believes the answers to the biggest of questions are. He examines what we know about the universe into which - without any choice in the matter - we are propelled at birth and from which we are expelled at death, the stories we have told about where we come from, and the stories we tell to get through this muddling experience of life. Thought-provoking, revelatory, compassionate and playful, Stories We Tell Ourselves is a personal reckoning with life's mysteries by one of the most important and beloved thinkers of our time.

Sacred to millions across the world, translated into countless languages and with estimated annual sales of 25 million, The Bible is one of the most influential books of all time. But how, in the 21st century, should believers and non-believers alike approach the Book of Books? Here, acclaimed writer, respected thinker and former bishop Richard Holloway takes us from 'Genesis' to 'Revelation', illuminating key passages and helping us to achieve a deeper understanding of the Bible's message.

Adventures in the Aid Trade takes us on a fascinating journey through 40 years of work at the coalface of international development. Drawing on his experiences from long periods in the field, the author reflects on what has worked, what has not and why, and considers how these experiences relate to students and practitioners today. Looking beyond high-level policy matters and international relations, this book focuses instead on the author's actual experiences in the field and the inspired local people he encountered. The narrative traces how these people, working through their own organisations, make a difference to the lives of their contemporaries, and learn how to generate the income to do it. Chapters draw on the author's experiences of working with local practitioners from 40 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, South, South East and Central Asia, and the South Pacific. Peppered with lively stories and anecdotes, Adventures in the Aid Trade provides valuable lessons from the shifting aid landscape and reflects on where the industry is likely to go next. Whether you are a current development practitioner or a student just starting out in your understanding of the development and humanitarian sectors, this book provides an invaluable snapshot of the world of civil society organisations, governance and the voluntary sector, and the lived lives of ordinary people in extraordinary times.

Adventures in the Aid Trade takes us on a fascinating journey through 40 years of work at the coalface of international development. Drawing on his experiences from long periods in the field, the author reflects on what has worked, what has not and why, and considers how these experiences relate to students and practitioners today. Looking beyond high-level policy matters and international relations, this book focuses instead on the author's actual experiences in the field and the inspired local people he encountered. The narrative traces how these people, working through their own organisations, make a difference to the lives of their contemporaries, and learn how to generate the income to do it. Chapters draw on the author's experiences of working with local practitioners from 40 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, South, South East and Central Asia, and the South Pacific. Peppered with lively stories and anecdotes, Adventures in the Aid Trade provides valuable lessons from the shifting aid landscape and reflects on where the industry is likely to go next. Whether you are a current development practitioner or a student just starting out in your understanding of the development and humanitarian sectors, this book provides an invaluable snapshot of the world of civil society organisations, governance and the voluntary sector, and the lived lives of ordinary people in extraordinary times.

Winner of the PEN/Ackerley Prize 2013. At the tender age of fourteen, Richard Holloway left his home town of Alexandria, north of Glasgow, and travelled hundreds of miles to be educated and trained for the priesthood at an English monastery. By the age of twenty-five he had been ordained and was working in the slums of Glasgow. Through the forty years that followed, Richard touched the lives of many people as he rose to one of the highest positions in the Anglican Church. But behind his confident public faith lay a restless heart and an inquisitive mind. Poignant, wise and fiercely honest, Leaving Alexandria is a remarkable memoir of a life defined by faith but plagued by doubt.

Throughout history we have told ourselves stories to try and make sense of our place in the universe. Richard Holloway takes us on a personal, scientific and philosophical journey to explore what he believes the answers to the biggest of questions are. He examines what we know about the universe into which we are propelled at birth and from which we are expelled at death, the stories we have told about where we come from, and the stories we tell to get through this muddling experience of life. Thought-provoking, revelatory, compassionate and playful, Stories We Tell Ourselves is a personal reckoning with life's mysteries by one of the most important and beloved thinkers of our time.

Now in his ninth decade, former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway has spent a lifetime at the bedsides of the dying, guiding countless men and women towards peaceful deaths. A positive and profound exploration of the many important lessons we can learn, this is also a stirring plea to reacquaint ourselves with death. Doing so gives us the chance to think about the meaning of life itself; and can mean the difference between ordinary sorrow and unbearable regret at the end. Radical, joyful and moving, Waiting for the Last Bus is an invitation to reconsider life's greatest mystery by one of the most important and beloved religious leaders of our time.

If the use of God in a moral debate raises more problems than it solves, is it better to leave God out of the argument altogether and find strong human reasons for the rules we live by? Godless Morality is a refreshing, courageous and human-centred justification for contemporary morality.

Richard Holloway is one of our most beloved public thinkers. As Bishop of Edinburgh and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church he put principle over Church policy to advocate for gay rights and women in the priesthood. He never shied away from confronting his own doubts and fears, whether questioning his own faith, or facing the inevitability of death. Across numerous bestselling books he has been a radical voice of compassion and realism, helping us navigate the hectic modern world. Throughout his life Richard has turned to poets and writers to help answer the big questions, and for solace and guidance in the face of life's challenges. Now in The Heart of Things he shares those poems and words which have been his own guide, offered in the hope they will help us too. Here then are some lights along life's path, with thoughts and reflections on living well, death, sadness, regret, sin, conflict and forgiveness. All interwoven with Richard's philosophical consideration of what they have meant to him. This is a book to turn to for inspiration, guidance and comfort. It offers lessons from those who, in Richard's words, 'know best how to listen and teach us to listen', all united by 'the sensual appeal of words, the pain and pleasure they impart'. It is a book to treasure.

In this passionate and heartfelt book, Richard Holloway interrogates the traditional ways of understanding the Bible. In doing so he demonstrates the power of the great Christian stories as they apply today, away from their sometimes antiquated settings, providing a blueprint which takes the core teachings of the Christian past and invigorates them with renewed power for today's world.

Spirituality, like morality, has historically been tied to religion - and yet it is possible for one to exist without the other. In this meditative and highly personal account, Richard Holloway considers the nature of the spiritual, and what it means to live with the inevitability of death. Both celebration of the possibilities that life affords and an examination of how doubts and fears too often paralyse, especially as we age, Looking in the Distance is an inspiration, told with the compassion and good humour characteristic of its author.