'Stephen Cottrell writes about Christ as if he were here now. As if redemption were possible for all of us, as if the void that threatens to engulf us all could be filled by a personal relationship with Christ in the present. He is a compelling writer.' - Russell Brand
Inspired by a conversation with a barista who asked him why he became a priest, this is the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell's extended answer to that question - as well as the letter he'd like to write to a divided country that no longer sees the relevance or value of the Christian narrative.
Archbishop Stephen is a much-admired voice within the church, but in this book he writes for a more general audience, and those who might call themselves spiritual seekers - as well as anyone who is concerned about the life and unity of the UK. A short, beautiful book, this is at once both contemplative and deeply practical, which will speak to both Christians and those on the edges of faith.
'A deeply thoughtful exposition of faith's transformative power, Dear England gave me hope, not only for the future of Christianity, but for a changed world too.' - David Lammy MP
Here's a refreshing, candid, unabashed and, mercifully, jargon-free letter to all of us. The faith that Stephen Cottrell shares in this book is not shrink-wrapped in the usual churchy clingfilm, but unwrapped and open, exposed to current events, to politics, to the 'thousand natural shocks' we all feel in our daily living, and the faith he commends here is all the more robust, and all the more approachable for that exposure.
Dear England will be helpful not only to the half-attracted, half-repelled enquirers to whom it is addressed, but also to all those believers who would like help in giving an account of the hope that is in them.