For the lives of those we give the title Saint, and other historically noteworthy Christian men and women, written by their contemporaries, their own writings and stories about them painstakingly put together by modern day writers.

Archive - Book Titles reviewed - A

A Blueprint for Revival

- Lessons from the life of John Wesley

by Mark Williamson

This is a new biography of John Wesley, subtitled Lessons from the life of John Wesley. He claims that Wesley changed the face of a nation and had a strong impact on the life of the Church. He describes Wesley's upbringing in a family of dissenters, his life at boarding school, his lecturing at Oxford, his founding of Methodism and his missionary work among the native Americans of Georgia. He was the innovator of open-air preaching and travelled extensively throughout Great Britain, developing Methodism into a national movement. He had turbulent relationships with two women who were subservient to his overpowering zeal to travel and preach. He died at the age of eighty-eight, having spent fifty-three years travelling to preach and teach the word of God. If only one book on John Wesley will be read, this is the one. In it Williamson identifies and expatiates on the key themes of the life of this remarkable man together with extensive excerpts from his letters and journals.

Review by John Irvine (21/11/12)

Paperback
Price: £7.99
Publisher: Authentic Media
Published: August 2011
ISBN: 978-1-850-78962-8

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A conservative at heart?

- The Political and Social Thought of John Henry Newman

by Stephen Kelly

Blessed John Henry Newman's literary output was enormous. As the author explains, Newman published over forty books, his 20,000 letters and diaries have been gathered into thirty-two published volumes, and there remain some 2,400+ unpublished items from his time in Dublin. Ample material the observer might think, to compile a definitive view of every aspect of Newman's thought. Not so, it seems, in regard to his political and social ideas and allegiances. Kelly has done Newman scholarship a good service in trying to reduce this material to some sort of order, and his chapters on some of the great issues of the day: Irish nationalism, church-state relations, the constitution for example, help to put Newman's thought into context. But the man himself, in these areas in particular, still seems to elude us.

Review by Ian Gibbs (17/12/12)

Hardback
Price: £16.99
Publisher: Columba Press
Published: July 2012
ISBN: 978-1-856-07785-9

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A Cornish Revival

- Life and Times of Samuel Walker

by Tim Shenton

I was too enthralled by the story of this man to stop reading when I realised the price of this book. Although a scholarly work, I was swept along to the end, no doubt helped by the excellent type and presentation which made it such a pleasure. The quotations from Samuel Walker’s many letters and those of his correspondents brought alive a period of Cornish history that had a significant influence on the rest of the country. I had no previous knowledge of the band of evangelical clergymen within the Church of England, who were battling away against the wishes of many of their fellow clergy, to teach their flocks and lead them as they believed they had been called to do by Jesus Christ. All this as itinerant preachers known as Methodists were also working in the area. Walker’s exchanges with John Wesley do much to shed light on the times.

Review by Mary Bartholomew (21/08/03)

Paperback
Price: £16.95
Publisher: EP (Evangelical Press)
Published: Summer 2003
ISBN: 0-852-34522-4

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A Desert In The Ocean

by David Adam

“In a series of meditations and exercises based on the poem attributed to St. Brendan the navigator, David Adam invites us to consider whether God is calling us to live more adventurously, to extend ourselves, to seek new horizons.” Each chapter ends with the author’s favourite ‘5P’ exercises which I find so helpful, and time given to these, mean you get so much more from the book. David Adam weaves into this book, all that is known of St. Brendan, and includes stories and writings of other celtic saints. We are taught that the desert is a place of renunciation of the trivial things in life, not a hiding place but a place where all things are revealed in a constant relationship with the ever present God.

Review by Mary Bartholomew (11/03/01)

Paperback
Price: £5.99
Publisher: Triangle imprint of SPCK
ISBN: 0-281-05035-X

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A Heart Set Free

- The Life, Ministry and Lyrics of Charles Wesley

by Christian History Institute – Samford Media Group

The ISBN here is purely for the use of our data base. The code number for ordering is 8501243
Because of the close tie between Charles and his even better known brother John - their lives were interwoven for more than fifty years - this film tells about them both, but concentrates on the poetic, hymn writing gift of Charles. I found it well worth watching, and felt by the end that I had a closer understanding of this remarkable man, who wrote so many of the hymns we sing today and through his hymns is still teaching us so much. Excellent.

Review by Mary Bartholomew (30/04/09)

DVD
Price: £7.82 (excl VAT)
Publisher: Authentic Media
Published: Spring 2009
ISBN: 9-990-00023-9

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A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life

- Includes Audio Excerpts CD

by William Law

William Law lived 1686-1761 and the title of his book is spot on. It is a Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.
Although the Bible teaches us that we are saved by grace, the Bible also teaches us that the evidence that we are saved is the life we then live. As the apostle James says “faith without works is dead”. The book concentrates exclusively on this. First published in 1728 this edition has been carefully updated into modern English.
The author places a great deal of emphasis on our duties and responsibilities. He looks in detail at how we spend our time and money. There are specific chapters for the rich (which by his definition includes most of us), fathers, mothers, and on private devotions. One unusual feature is that he uses fictional people to illustrate what he is saying. This helps to apply his teaching to our own situations.
The book would be more rounded if there was more emphasis on the helps God gives us in our Christian walk such as the part the Holy Spirit plays in our sanctification.
John Wesley, George Whitefield and William Wilberforce all said that reading this book was a major turning point in their lives. That is quite a recommendation! Having read the book I can understand why. A classic.

Review by Alan Hill (20/07/10)

Paperback
Price: £8.50
Publisher: Bridge-Logos from Trust Media Distribution
Published: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-882-70453-1

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A Taste of Hildegard by Elizabeth Ruth Obbard
ISBN: 978-1-905-03917-3 Price: £5.95	Published: 13 December 2012
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A Universal heart - The Life and Vision of Brother Roger of Taizé by Kathryn Spink
ISBN: 0-281-05799-0 Price: £10.99	Published: 18 November 2005
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A View from the Edge - The Autobiography of Leslie Griffiths by Leslie Griffiths
ISBN: 978-1-441-19429-9 Price: £18.99	Published: 30 September 2010
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A.W.Tozer: In Pursuit of God by James L.Snyder
ISBN: 978-1-854-24910-4 Price: £8.99	Published: Autumn 2009
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Abhishiktananda - A memoir of Dom Henri Le Saux by Murray Rogers & David Barton
ISBN: 0-728-30160-1 Price: £2.50	Published: September 2003
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Adventure of Faith - Reflections on fifty years of Christian service by Michael Green
ISBN: 0-007-10542-8 Price: £7.99	Published: November 2002
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Against the Tide - The Story of Adomnán of Iona by Warren Bardsley
ISBN: 1-905-01024-9 Price: £8.99	Published: Summer 2006
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Aidan, Bede, Cuthbert - Three Inspirational Saints by David Adam
ISBN: 0-281-05773-7 Price: £7.99	Published: Summer 2006
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Alfred Hope Patten and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham by Michael Yelton
ISBN: 1-853-11753-6 Price: £20.00	Published: 27 September 2006
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All is Grace - A Biography of Dorothy Day by Jim Forest
ISBN: 978-1-570-75921-5 Price: £16.99	Published: May 2011
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Always Believe in Love - Elizabeth of the Trinity Edited by Marian T. Murphy O.C.D.
ISBN: 978-1-565-48313-2 Price: £9.95	Published: 2009
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Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce by John Piper
ISBN: 978-1-844-74185-4 Price: £4.99	Published: April 2007
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Anne Bradstreet: Pilgrim and Poet by Faith Cook
ISBN: 978-0-852-34714-0 Price: £7.99	Published: 2010
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Anselm of Canterbury - His Life and Legacy by Benedicta Ward SLG
ISBN: 978-0-281-06104-4 Price: £12.99	Published: 23 April 2009
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Apostolic Fathers by Simon Tugwell
ISBN: 0-826-45771-1 Price: £14.99	Published: June 2002
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Archibald G. Brown - Spurgeon's Successor by Iain H Murray
ISBN: 978-1-848-71139-6 Price: £16.00	Published: October 2011
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Arrivals and Departures - The Restless World of Henri Nouwen Edited by Michael Ford
ISBN: 978-0-232-52710-0 Price: £9.95	Published: 24 September 2007
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At the Heart of the World by Cormac Murphy-O’Connor
ISBN: 0-232-52481-5 Price: £8.95	Published: 15 March 2004
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Augustine For Armchair Theologians by Stephen A. Cooper
ISBN: 0-664-22372-9 Price: £9.99	Published: 2002
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Augustine of Hippo - A Life by Henry Chadwick
ISBN: 978-0-199-56830-7 Price: £12.99	Published: 27 August 2009
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Autobiography of George Müller - A Million and a Half in Answer to Prayer by George Müller
ISBN: 978-0-883-68159-6 Price: £19.95	Published: 2003
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Awakening - The Life & Ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne by David Robertson
ISBN: 1-842-27173-3 Price: £8.99	Published: 23 July 2004
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Awakening - The Life and Ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne by David Robertson
ISBN: 978-1-845-50542-4 Price: £9.99	Published: 2009
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The Apostle - A Life of Paul by John Pollock
ISBN: 978-0-781-40573-7 Price: £11.99	Published: January 2012
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The Art of Saints - A Celebration of Holy Men and Women by Sr Wendy Beckett
ISBN: 978-0-852-31385-5 Price: £9.95	Published: Spring 2011
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All books reviewed in this section, indexed by title:-
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