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 - C

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his 20,000 letters and diaries have been gathered into thirty-two published volumes, and there remain some 2,400+ unpublished items from his time in Dublin.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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C S Lewis: A Life

by Alister McGrath

McGrath's account of Lewis offers much that is fresh and new. It captures him in his eccentricities, abilities, strengths and perplexities! Fifty years after his death there is meaning and helpfulness in this great new biography.

A communicant in the Church of England, Lewis was playfully orthodox but not specifically evangelical in theological or spiritual emphasis. His closest lifelong friends were a homosexual Unitarian, Greeves and a traditionalist Roman Catholic, Tolkien. His formation, thought-life and legacy were accompanied by many a tankard of beer and prolific smoking. So for some legalists, Lewis is regrettably considered a heretic.

His undeniable Christological apologetic and literary imagination rooted in humanity's struggles and brilliance, are wonderfully described here. The detail, drama, depth and discretion of Lewis' marriage to Joy Davidman are some of my many unexpectedly favourite parts of this work. Edgy perspectives about Irish nuns, alcohol consumption and unresolved thinking previously undeclared, all get airtime here.

There is meaning, wisdom, beauty and much understanding made possible throughout. There is a wholeness, complexity and delight to the Lewis that we meet in this majestic work. Maverick, gutsy talent oozes from this title.

Whatever you may think of C S Lewis as a children's author or a scholar, his importance to contemporary Christianity is undeniable. The wisdom of Lewis is clear, his apologetics are searing and his fiction a powerful glimpse of another world. The thread of Jesus is clear, the talents of Lewis undeniable and an invitation to live distinctively is winsomely understated throughout.

Alistair McGrath's biography of C S Lewis is one of the most beautiful volumes ever held. Photos, research, insight and challenge are all powerfully combined. You will feel yourself to be all the more in the company of the legend. This is a memorable 400 page masterpiece.

Review by Johnny Douglas (23/04/13)

Hardback
Price: £20.00
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Published: April 2013
ISBN: 978-1-444-74552-8

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C. S. Lewis

- The Authentic Voice

by William Griffin

Another CS Lewis book to commemorate the latest film epic, this book was originally aimed at the American audience, an audience captivated by the life that Lewis led and the writings that enchanted generations of readers. This biography covers Lewis’s life in full, from his birth is 1898 to his death in 1963, with a collection of “what happened next” in the form of a diary entry in chronological order. This may seem strange at first, but the order does lead us forward and explains some of the angst that Lewis experienced in his life. To start with it is a strange way of looking at his life, but as you get used to it the life and thoughts of Lewis come to life and mean more. Griffin uses many primary sources for his information, so this is not a first hand experience of the man like some other of the Lewis biographies, but by being so also gives us a wider understanding of the man’s life and works, warts and all.

Review by Ian Gibson (19/01/06)

Paperback
Price: £9.99
Publisher: Lion
Published: 01 September 2005
ISBN: 0-745-95208-9

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C.H.Spurgeon's Forgotten Prayer Meeting Addresses

- .....And Other Forgotten Metropolitan Tabernacle Sermons

by Terence Peter Crosby

This is an excellent introduction to the writing of C H Spurgeon. Here are thirty-eight addresses by the prince of preachers which have been largely forgotten as they have been out of print for over 100 years.
Nearly half of the addresses were given at the Monday prayer meeting of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. These addresses are short – no more than four pages in length. Not surprisingly the main theme is prayer but many other subjects are covered. For instance there is a very helpful talk on the Trinity and a stirring gospel challenge called ‘Are You Saved?’
The rest of the addresses are a collection of sermons which were preached in various locations. These give good examples of Spurgeon’s wonderful ability to interest, educate and challenge. A highlight for me was his message on John 6:37 in which he reconciles the doctrine of election with the universal gospel invitation. Both are taught in the Scriptures, says Spurgeon, so both should be believed and preached!
If you have never read any C H Spurgeon then this is a good place to start. You will see, in microcosm, his deep theological and pastoral style. You will enjoy his illustrations and anecdotes and above all you will be challenged by his searching application of God’s word.

Review by Alan Hill (03/03/12)

Hardback
Price: £15.00
Publisher: Day One Publications
Published: Autumn 2011
ISBN: 978-1-846-25238-9

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C.H.Spurgeon: The People’s Preacher

by Peter Morden

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was known as “The boy preacher of the Fens,” “The People’s Preacher” and, at his funeral, “The Prince of Preachers.” He was the outstanding preacher of the nineteenth century, but he was much more than just a preacher.
Born in Kelvedon in 1834, converted at fifteen in a Primitive Methodist Chapel in Colchester and baptised at Isleham Ferry, Spurgeon was soon teaching in Sunday School at Newmarket and preaching in the local chapels. A year after his conversion he was called to pastor the chapel at Waterbeach where, within two years, the regular congregation grew from 40 to 400 - a sign of what was to come in his outstanding London ministry.
Morden covers those London years in a way that enables us to visualise what it was like to join the huge crowds that gathered every Sunday to hear Spurgeon preach. He also takes us into other areas of Spurgeon’s ministry: his pastoral care, his initiation of relief for the poor, the Pastors’ College and the Stockwell Orphanage (later to become respectively Spurgeon’s College and Spurgeons).
In this well-written and easy to read book the author helps us understand Spurgeon the man and what drove him ,and his wife Susannah’s unreserved support.
He enables us to feel what it was like to be one of his theological students and what life was like for the children at his orphanage.
This book is to be thoroughly recommended to anyone wanting to know more about this great nineteenth century preacher, and will be an inspiration to everyone seeking to serve God through the life of their church.
A proportion of the royalties from the sales of the book will be donated to Spurgeons for children and young people.

The order code for the DVD of this book is 5027957001220, price 15.99

Review by Graham Wise (27/07/10)

Paperback
Price: £9.99
Publisher: CWR (Crusade for World Revival)
Published: February 2010
ISBN: 978-1-853-45497-4

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C.T.Studd Cricketer and Pioneer by Norman P. Grubb
ISBN: 0-718-83028-8 Price: £8.99	Published: 2003
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Cardinal Manning - From Anglican Archdeacon to Council Father at Vatican 1 by James Pereiro
ISBN: 978-0-852-44405-4 Price: £17.99	Published: 2008
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Cardinal Newman for Today by Thomas J Norris
ISBN: 978-1-856-07680-7 Price: £11.50	Published: 2010
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Catherine of Sienna - A Passionate Life by Don Brophy
ISBN: 978-0-232-52859-6 Price: £16.99	Published: January 2011
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Celtic Wisdom - Treasures From Ireland by Cindy Thomson
ISBN: 978-0-745-95325-0 Price: £7.99	Published: 21 November 2008
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Charles Simeon: An ordinary Pastor of Extraordinary Influence - History Today by Derek Prime
ISBN: 978-1-846-25313-3 Price: £10.00	Published: 2011
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Charles Wesley - Life, Literature and Legacy Edited by Kenneth Newport and Ted Campbell
ISBN: 978-0-716-20607-1 Price: £25.00	Published: 29 March 2007
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Chinese Whispers - The Gladys Aylward Story by Carol Purves
ISBN: 1-903-08757-0 Price: £6.00	Published: 2005
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Christ Alive and at Large - Unpublished Writings of C.F.D.Moule Edited and introduced by Ruth Morgan &Patrick Moule
ISBN: 978-1-848-25018-5 Price: £19.99	Published: 30 September 2010
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Christ in His Saints by Patrick Henry Reardon
ISBN: 1-888-21268-3 Price: £11.99	Published: 2004
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Christ Set Forth and The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth by Thomas Goodwin
ISBN: 978-1-845-50753-4 Price: £12.99	Published: 2011
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Christmas Evans – No Ordinary Preacher - The story of the ‘John Bunyan’ of Wales by Tim Shenton
ISBN: 978-1-846-25130-6 Price: £8.00	Published: 2008
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Clare of Assisi; The Lady - Early Documents by Regis J. Armstrong O.F.M. Cap.
ISBN: 1-565-48221-2 Price: £19.00	Published: 2006
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Columbanus - The Earliest Christian Voice of Christian Ireland by Kate Tristram
ISBN: 978-1-856-07686-9 Price: £12.99	Published: Spring 2010
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Compelled by Joy - A Lifelong Passion for Evangelism by Michael Green
ISBN: 978-1-844-74542-5 Price: £9.99	Published: June 2011
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Complete Surrender: A Biography of Eric Liddell - Olympic Gold Medallist and Missionary by Julian Wilson
ISBN: 978-1-860-24841-2 Price: £7.99	Published: 02 February 2012
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Confessions by Saint Augustine
ISBN: 978-1-598-56639-0 Price: £10.99	Published: November 2011
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Confessions of a Lapsed Catholic by Sheila Cassidy
ISBN: 978-0-232-52840-4 Price: £14.99	Published: September 2010
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Consecrated Spirits - A Thousand Years of Spiritual Writings by Women Religious Compiled by Felicity Leng
ISBN: 978-1-853-11952-1 Price: £14.99	Published: 31 August 2011
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Covenant and Communion - The Biblical Theology of Pope Benedict XVI by Scott W Hahn
ISBN: 978-0-232-52775-9 Price: £14.95	Published: 27 October 2009
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Cox’s Book of Modern Saints and Martyrs by Caroline Fox, the Baroness Cox
ISBN: 0-826-48788-2 Price: £9.99	Published: 2006
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Created for Greater Things - Mother Teresa’s Life and Witness With a commentary by Gloria Hutchinson
ISBN: 978-1-565-48285-2 Price: £7.95	Published: October 2008
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The C. S. Lewis Chronicles by Colin Duriez
ISBN: 0-232-52646-X Price: £9.95	Published: October 2005
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The C.S.Lewis Encyclopedia - A Comprehensive guide his life, thought and writings by Colin Duriez
ISBN: 1-902-69426-0 Price: £14.99	Published: 22 June 2002
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The Cave of the Heart - The Life of Swami Abhishiktananda by Shirley du Boulay
ISBN: 1-570-75610-4 Price: £12.99	Published: 2005
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The Challenge of Bernadette by The Challenge of Bernadette
ISBN: 0-852-44649-7 Price: £7.99	Published: 2006
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The Clapham Sect - How Wilberforce’s Circle Transformed Britain by Stephen Tomkins
ISBN: 978-0-745-95306-9 Price: £10.99	Published: August 2010
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The Collected Sermons of Walter Brueggemann Foreword by Samuel Wells
ISBN: 978-0-664-23445-4 Price: £19.99	Published: 16 September 2011
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All books reviewed in this section, indexed by title:-
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