Great Big Book Giveaway (2)

Yes I really am giving books away. To see the rationale for this, look here. Those books went in 24 hours so I'm putting 20 up this time. This one's the last on the list, see below. Plse don't post requests as comments, email them to me at ruth.gledhill@thetimes.co.uk. And if you have the time, please do post a comment about the book on the blog when you've read it. Ruth.

1. An Annotated Anthology of Hymns by JR Watson. Wonderful, in-depth study and analysis of the English hymn. (gone)

2. Sing Glory. Large collection of hymns, psalms and songs from Kevin Mayhew (gone)

3. The Prodigal Project: Book 1, Genesis, by Abraham and Hart. A bit like Left Behind. Certainly left me far behind.

4. Recovering the Scandal of the Cross. Green and Baker. Atonement in NT. (gone)

5. Essential Youth, why the church needs young people. Andy Hickford. Ideas for thoughtful youth work. comes with Growing Community, ideas for group work with young people. (gone)

6. I Thirst by Stephen Cottrell. ABC's 2004 Lent book - recommendation in itself. (gone)

7. Music to move the soul. Steve and Ruth Adams. Like bible studies, only with music instead of verse. (gone)

8. New Age: A Guide. Daren Kemp Already this book seems a little dated. Now we call it 'folk religion'. Still worth a read though, especially if you're a 'christaquarian'.

9. Two weighty CofE reports, Youth Emmaus 2 plus free CD Rom, and The Way Ahead, CofE schools in the new millennium. Plus two booklets on science and religion in primary and secondary schools. As it's half term, there might be a teacher or two out there having a break and reading this blog who fancies these. (gone)

10. God's politics by Jim Wallis. proof copy. An explanation of 'why the American right gets it wrong and the left doesn't get it.' (Are you reading this, John Gladwin?) (cld whoever requested this plse email me again because I've lost your details, sorry)

11. Decoding Da Vinci. Excellent pamphlet by Tom Wright, all you need to know about DVC, if you can take any more on it. Plus two others on worship and ethics. (gone)

12.The Call to Conversion, Jim Wallis. 'Christianity's radical manifesto'. (gone)

13. Edward de Bono: A New Religion. Do we really need another one? You decide. (gone)

14. Cordon Bleu Christianity by David Shepherd. Book of sermons by Rector of St Mary Magdalene, Dundee. (gone)

15. The Jesus Papers by Michael Baigent. Will someone rid me of this troublesome book? (gone)

16. Learning for Ministry - are you feeling terrified because you're about to start training to be a Christian minister? If you are, you must be, and who could blame you. Will this book calm your fears? I don't know because I haven't read it, but it can't hurt, containing the wisdom of Steven Croft and Roger Walton. (gone)

16. Other voices, other worlds. Global church voices on homosexuality, ed by Terry Brown, proof copy only. (gone)

17. Dinner with a perfect stranger by David Gregory. A man called Nick talks to Jesus over dinner about life, death. (three available, one still left)

18. Mission-shaped children. Church follow up to mission-shaped church, worth having. (gone)

19. It's Your Move. A parent might like this if they have a child moving up to secondary school, short and readable guide. (gone)

20. You're History! Powerful collection of essays which I feel guilty about giving away because sales result in royalties going to charity. Powerful collection of essays and other writing with foreword by 'saint' bob geldof himself. But just giving it away might make a little bit of difference in the world, I suppose.   (gone)

Comments

[Clare Amos]

Well Ruth

I received a copy of New English Praise as the result of last week's book giveaway - many thanks. It arrived today - and since you requested a comment on the book in return (fair enough) here goes.

I am actually quite surprised and in a way disappointed at how traditionalist and uncreative the book felt. It does have some good stuff eg Morning glory, starlit sky and the lovely Vaughan Williams setting of Come my way, my truth , my life - but most of that interesting material has been available in other hymnbooks since at least the mid 1980s. I could well say that the book felt about 20 years out of date - very little Iona stuff, Graham Kendrick, Brian Wren - or the really creative material being written by a number of women in recent years. I used to use English Praise - and that felt much more 'exciting' for its time than New English Praise does for today. I consider myself a moderate catholic but I found myself rather alienated by the book - it seemed to be rather 'party' in a way that I don't feel is particularly appropriate today eg I get weary of too much Kendrick but there is no doubt that a hymn like Shine Jesus shine crosses churchmanship boundaries and I think might well have been included. If this is supposed to accompany Common Worship it doesn't match the vivid imagery and language that is one (for me) of the joys of Common Worship. And very telling - all the signatories to the preface (who I assume are the editorial committee) are men - there is not one woman represented on the editorial group. That frankly seems to me to be bizarre in this day and age. Certainly the book feels it lacks a woman's touch.

But believe it or not I am very glad to have it - it is very helpful to me in various of my roles to be able to keep abreast of what is appearing.