PRAYERS TO SEE YOU THROUGH EACH DAY

Written by: Various

Publ0069shed by: Watkins

Price: £9.99

This pocket sized hardback gathers together 40 reflections from one of BBC Radio 4’s best-loved shows, Prayer for the Day.

The book comprises over 40 reflections, drawn from a range of Christian contributors and also draws on the UK’s multi-faith heritage, with contributions from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist faiths.

Divided into four chapters: ‘The Adventure of Each Day; ‘Let Nothing Dismay Thee’; ‘A World of Wonder’ and ‘In Search of God’, the book offers a mix of traditional and modern – and all have been broadcast on the early morning spiritual slot on Radio 4.

The Very Rev Dr Ian Bradley, Principal of St Mary’s College in St Andrews and the journalist and broadcaster Anna Magnusson are among those to offer a Scottish flavour to the book, which offers an introduction by Sister Catherine Wybourne, the Benedictine Prioress of Holy Trinity Monastery in Howton Grove, with an online handle of ‘Digitalnun’. She reaches out to thousands of people through social media each day and her foreword offers insights in the power of daily prayer in the internet age of the 21st century.

This delightful book – beautifully packaged as a green and gold hardback – would make a thoughtful Christmas gift for anyone interested in prayer and reflection. Equally it would make a welcome addition to the bookshelves of those seeking a quick prayer reference or reflection.

BOUND TO BE FREE

The Paradox of Freedom

Written by: Graham Tomlin

Published by: Bloomsbury

Price: £12.99

Written by the Bishop of Kensington, who is also President of St Melitus College, this fascinating book considers the concept of freedom and its importance in secular western society, identifying a fatal flaw within that vision – namely that personal freedom does not fit with a greater social cohesion.

Motivated by the killing of ten journalists at the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in the wake of a cartoon which caused offence to their jihadists killers and resulted in a mass march in favour of freedom, this is a thoughtful look at freedom with an initial exploration of what it means today and an examination of how society has reached where it is today.

The author then moves on to consider how Christian theology can offer a different view of freedom, drawing on the writing of St Paul, St Augustine, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther.

In drawing together the threads of debate, Tomlin believes that faith holds the key to true liberation. He writes: ‘Rather than trying to free ourselves from God to determine our own identities and selves, the path to true freedom begins and ends in relationship. It begins in cultivating relationship with the God who is self-giving, mutually enriching love in his very being.’

His final conclusion neatly summaries the premise of the book: ‘Jesus taught that the secret of living well is to learn to love God and to love your neighbour, not to find ways of being liberated from them. The paradox of freedom is that it is not in being free from God and neighbour that we find true liberty, but that we find it growing through welcome and strengthening the very ties that bind us to our Creator and those he gives us to love.’

TIDINGS OF COMFORT & JOY

A Christmas Feast of Faith & Fun

Written by: Pam Rhodes

Published by: Hodder Faith

Price: £9.99

This charming paperback, written by one of the well-known faces and presenters of the BBC’s Songs of Praise, pulls together the serious messages of Christmas with memory and charming stories of faith and love.

First published in 2015, it has been reprinted in time for the festive marketplace and offers a charming, easy to read, gift for anyone seeking to combine the light-hearted with the more serious messages of the season or simply to get in the mood with focuses on Christmas card writing and carols.

Rhodes draws on the many tales and people she has encountered as she seeks to unravel the mystery behind seasonal tasks and traditions such as Christmas pudding and the sending of festive greetings and the inspiration behind some of the bestloved Christmas carols and poems.

Lynne McNeil