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For all that has been, Thanks
by Rowan Williams and Joan Chittister.  The title of the book comes from a prayer written by Dag Hammarksjold, second General Secretary of the United Nations who died in a plane crash in 1961: For all that has been, thanks. To all that will be, yes.
As the title suggests, this book is about being thankful, or in the words of the authors, being able to say ‘alleluia’. Reasons for thankfulness are many and varied, and include some surprises. Despite the Archbishop’s reputation for obscure prose, his chapters in this book are written in clear and simple English and give us a new way to think about sin and sinners as well as saints. We are encouraged by both authors to find causes of praise and thankfulness in every area of our lives. A book to dip into, or to read from cover to cover.
Published in paperback by Canterbury Press ISBN: 9781848250178
Susan Cooper |
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An Altar in the World
by Barbara Brown Taylor  As the title suggests this book is about finding the divine in the everyday things of the world, the encounters, accidents and particularly the activities of daily life. The author who is an Anglican priest teaching spirituality in the United States leads us to see how such mundane things as hanging out the washing, doing the supermarket shopping or losing our way can lead us closer to God. She shares her own difficulties with prayer, and helps us to see how we should broaden our understanding of what prayer is, but this is not a book of answers but rather of exploration. Written without jargon and in a simple and straightforward way, this is ideal for all who fight shy of books on theology or spirituality. However, even the most learned of us may well benefit from the author’s gentle guiding so that our understanding of ourselves and the world we live in is transformed, and our sense of wonder at the extraordinary gift of life is renewed.
Published in paperback by Canterbury press ISBN 978-1-85311-9990-3 Susan Cooper
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St Benedict's Toolbox
by Jane Tomaine  On 11th July, Susan Cooper, our Rector, made reference to the fact that it was St Benedict’s day and told us something about St Benedict’s life and his Rule.
If you would like to know more, I would recommend St Benedict’s Toolbox by Jane Tomaine, ISBN 978-0-8192-2152-0. In this book she unpacks the Rule and shows how it is relevant and helpful to a lay person trying to follow Christ in the 21st century. The book started life in her parish as a seven-week programme, introducing the teaching of the Rule, and offering ways to apply it to daily life, to her parishioners.
She explains the word rule comes from the Greek term canon, which originally meant “trellis”. This means that Benedict’s Rule is not a list of instructions or a “to-do” list, rather something that helps to support us. Each of her chapters presents an aspect of the Rule and ends with a Toolbox, which contains various tools to help the reader apply what they have learnt to their daily life e.g. in the chapter which considers the Benedictine vow of stability, she offers tools related to stability and community, and inner stability.
This book is not designed to be read from end to end in one sitting. Rather it is a book to read slowly, one chapter at a time, and like, a cookery book or car manual, to try out the tools that seem relevant and appropriate to you as you proceed.
Shirley Dudeney |
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Book Reviews
