Book of the Month

 William Wilberforce: a Biography. Stephen Tomkins. 238pp. Lion, UK. $29.99

In 1807, after a 20 year campaign, Wilberforce succeeded in having the British Parliament outlaw slavery. During the 1780s he had a profound Christian conversion and henceforth set out on a path of service to humanity. Tomkins charts his battle to end slavery and the slave trade, portraying a man of contradictions and extraordinary determination. A lively, learned book that brings Wilberforce and an extensive cast of colourful characters vividly to life.

Also by Tomkins: John Wesley: a biography. 208pp. Lion, UK (2003) $29.99

Other books on Slavery & Wilberforce

Real Christianity by William Wilberforce. Revised and updated by Bob Beltz. 201pp Regal, US. $27.99

Wilberforce believed that slavery was wrong; and with this classic book  he set out to describe for people an authentic expression of the Christian faith. In doing so, he changed the course of a nation and the world. In this modern paraphrase, Beltz introduces you to a set of principles critical in living an authentic Christian life. Although written more than 200 years ago, the timeless truths in this book will speak to you in fresh ways.

Abolition: The struggle to abolish slavery in the British colonies. Richard Reddie. 254pp Lion, UK. $29.99

The Anti-Slave Trade Act, which became law on 25 March 1807, made the capture and transport of slaves by British subjects illegal. Slavery as such in the British Empire wasn't abolished until 1833. This book tells the story of the slave trade in the British Empire and examines the movement to bring it to an end. 

Subjects covered include:

·         the history of slavery and brutality of the slave trade

·         the roots of the anti-slave trade society

·         the strategies of the movement, the push for abolition and the legacies of the slave trade.

This Immoral Trade: Slavery in the 21st Century. Baroness Cox. 256pp Monarch, UK. $29.99

Slavery remains rampant worldwide, despite the celebrations surrounding the bicentenary of its abolition in Britain. At least 27m men, women and children are enslaved today, ranging from prostitutes in London to indentured workers in Burma. This popularly written but carefully researched volume includes a chapter on different forms of contemporary slavery, a chapter on the Christian roots of the anti-slavery movement, and three detailed case studies, on Sudan, Burma and Indonesia. It will conclude with a important chapter on action readers can take.

Baroness Cox was until recently Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, and a notable advocate of human rights around the world.

Amazing Grace: John Newton, slavery & the world's most enduring song. Steve Turner. Lion, UK (2003) $24.95

Acclaimed music writer, Steve Turner, traces the life of Amazing Grace and the man behind it. The song has been recorded by artists as varied as Elvis Presley, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Johnny Cash, Rod Stewart, Judy Collins and Destiny’s Child.

The book begins with the dramatic story of John Newton, from his childhood, his life at sea, his participation in the African slave trade through to his writing of ‘Amazing Grace’ and his campaigning against slavery. The second part of the book - picking up the thread in the years immediately following Newton’s death - tells the story of the song itself as it has spread and developed over the past two centuries and its recordings by many famous artists from a wide variety of musical backgrounds.

William Wilberforce: The Freedom Fighter. (Children’s) Derick Bingham. 123pp Christian Focus. $9.99

'No! No! cried the little boy, 'Please no! I want to stay with my Mother!' 'Be quiet!' shouted the man who roughly pulled his mother from him. She was taken to a raised platform and offered for sale, immediately. The heart-broken mother was to be separated from her little boy for the rest of her life. This was the fate of thousands of women and children in the days before slavery was abolished. One man fought to bring freedom and relief from the terrors of the slave trade; it took him forty-five years. His name was William Wilberforce.

This is his exciting story that shows the amazing effect his faith in Christ and his love for people had on transforming a nation.

Amazing Grace: Official Film Version Eric Metaxas Monarch, UK. $39.99

William Wilberforce was a world-class statesman, a politician whose profound Christian convictions not only led to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire but also paved the way for the development of the Welfare State.

The forthcoming film, starring Ioan Gruffud, Albert Finney, Michael Gambon and Rufus Sewell, is directed by Michael Apted and is due for NZ release in July 2007.

This book is inspired by the major motion picture Amazing Grace and contains over 48 colour stills from the film. This entirely new biography is meticulously researched and vividly readable.

The Wilberforce Connection. Clifford Hill. 384pp. Monarch, UK. (2004) $33.99

William Wilberforce and the Clapham group were born into a godless, repressive, cynical and violent world. Members of Parliament purchased their seats, and ignored arguments about slavery and child labour. Wilberforce and his friends set about transforming society. By personal example, dedicated argument, generous giving and careful research they changed the character of Britain.

After examining the values and strategies of Wilberforce and the Clapham Group, Dr Hill considers the Western world's faltering culture. There is still time, he insists, for Christians to learn from Wilberforce's example: to offer our society fresh hope.

Other featured titles

Invisible We See You: Tracing Celtic threads through Christian community. Nancy Cocks. 276pp Wild Goose, UK. $39.99

Cocks, a former Deputy Warden of Iona Abbey, explores the evocative and memorable approach to worship that has been developed by the Iona Community. She blends liturgies she has created with explanations and interpretations of their meaning as she challenges her readers to ‘look’ for God in the world.

Also by Cocks: Growing Up With God: Using Stories to Explore Child's Faith, Wild Goose, UK. $33.75

Harvest: Food, Farming and the Churches. Timothy Gorringe. 145pp SPCK, UK. $38.99

What is the relevance of Harvest Festival to the world’s harvests of food, the water of life and the harvest of the sea? The study resources in this book will enrich and broaden the way parishes celebrate harvest.

Small Prayers for Quiet Moments. Rhonda Gibbison. 63pp Septimus, NZ. $12.50

Kiwi Gibbison provides short prayers for general use and for particular seasons in the church year. They are suitable for worship, small groups or personal use. Maori translations, by Rev Morehu Te Whare and Moheka Williams, are provided for all the prayers.

“The images used in this collection linger in the mind and heart long after they have been read. …a thoughtful, relevant and inspiring resource.” Rev Susan Thompson, Hamilton Methodist Parish

Doubt in Perspective: God is bigger than you think. Alister McGrath. 142pp IVP, US. $19.99

Is God really there? Have Christians got Jesus wrong? Can I trust the gospel? Does God really love me?

Arguing that doubt can be seen positively, as an invitation to grow in faith and understanding, McGrath moves on to deal with common doubts, including doubts about the gospel, God and Jesus Christ. In each case he offers helpful and persuasive responses, from both a pastoral and theological perspective.

Also by McGrath:

Christian Theology: An Introduction – 4th edition. 528pp Blackwell. $79.00 (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery)

Fully revised and featuring lots of new material, this fourth edition provides an unparalleled introduction to 2,000 years of Christian thought. Key features of this new edition include:

·         New sections on monastic schools of theology, the English Reformation, and Radical Orthodoxy

·         Increased discussion of women in the early Church, feminist theology, Eastern Orthodox theology and history, and Catholic teachings on the Doctrine of the Church

·         User-friendly key terms sections and study questions.

These changes will ensure that Christian Theology remains the essential textbook, providing an even-handed, comprehensive and lively introduction to the field.

Funk on Parables: Collected Essays. Robert W Funk. Bernard Brandon Scott ed. 220pp Polebridge, US. $43.99

Robert Funk was a major influence on parable scholarship in the last half of the 20th century. His work on parable as metaphor led to the understanding of Jesus' parables as world-shattering. Funk redefined the form of the parable, made a substantial contribution to the argument that Jesus' parables originated in Greek, worked out a scale for evaluating parables as compositions, and proposed a model for how parables gave birth to resurrection faith.

Radical Theology. Don Cupitt. 145pp Polebridge, US. $38.99

These 18 unpublished or little-known essays document Cupitt's gradual radicalisation over the last 30 years. They open a window onto the progression of his thought and demonstrate his long-held desire to come up with a message that can reach and influence ordinary people.

Also by Cupitt: Great Questions Of Life. Polebridge, US (2005) $42.95

The God Problem: Alternatives to Fundamentalism. Nigel Leaves. 98pp Polebridge, US. $38.99.

The 21st century has witnessed a dangerous shift in focus about belief (or non-belief) in God. God is not to be debated but defended at all costs. God has become a problem. Leaves evaluates four ways of addressing this: panentheism, non-realism, grassroots spirituality, and religious naturalism.

Also by Leaves:

·         Odyssey on the Sea of Faith: The Life & Writings of Don Cupitt. Polebridge, US. $34.95

·         Surfing On The Sea Of Faith: The Ethics and Religion Of Don Cupitt. Polebridge, US. $36.95

Angels. Jane Williams. Colour paintings by Linda Baker Smith.  128pp hbk. Lion, UK. $29.99

Williams traces the story of angels in the Jewish and Christian scriptures and traditions. She shows how angels interact with people at key moments in history, but are only seen when they have a particular job to do. Enchanting & intriguing.

Solving the Romans Debate. Andrew Das. 320pp Fortress, US. $49.99

Scholars have long debated the “double character” of Romans. Why did Paul address a long discussion of Jewish themes to a Gentile audience? Das provides a fresh understanding of the identity and attitudes of the Gentile Christians in Rome and of the expulsion of Jews from Rome under the emperor Claudius. His reading offers new insight into Paul’s concern for the Jewish roots of the Christian movement.

Also by Das (please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery):

·         Paul and the Jews. Hendrickson, US (2003). $49.99

·         Paul, the Law, and the Covenant . Hendrickson, US (2001). $49.99

Transformation of Desire. Diarmuid O’Murchu. 208pp DLT, UK. $45.00

“Desire, so alluring and confusing! This book shows how desire has been thoroughly corrupted and must be re-appropriated in its cosmic, planetary and transpersonal dimensions. Drawing on seminal ideas from science, religion and spirituality, O’Murchu reveals how the rich webs of life are calling forth new birthing, new thinking and new visions of creative transformation for us to become truly at home on earth…” Ursula King, University of Bristol.   

Also by O’Murchu:

·         Catching up with Jesus Crossroad (2005) $45.00

·         Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics (Revised 2004) Crossroad, US. $39.95

·         Our World in Transition: Making sense of a changing world. Crossroad, US (1995). $39.95

·         Reclaiming Spirituality. Crossroad, US (1997). $37.50

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