Mandate to Difference: An invitation to the contemporary Church. Walter Brueggemann. Westminster/John Knox, 2007. £10.99. Brueggemann sets out a new vision of the Christian church in today’s world. Based on the conviction that the church must set itself in tension with the rest of the world, these essays call the church to courageously defy political polarization, consumerism, and militarism. “If this is God’s world and if the rule of love s at work,” he writes, “then our mandate is not to draw into a cocoon of safety; rather, it is to be out and alive in the world in concrete acts and policies whereby the fearful anxiety among us is dispatched and adversaries can be turned to allies and to friends.”

Learning for ministry: Making the most of study and training. Steven Croft and Roger Walton. Church House Publishing, 2005. £14.99.  This book is intended for those about to start training for ministry, but is also useful for any learner engaged in a course of adult faith development.  Do you feel daunted by the array of new terms, ideas and changes thrown at you?  Here is a user-friendly handbook that reduces the fear factor and helps you make the most of your study and training. Topics include How to learn best, Work-life balance, Knowing God better, Engaging with Scripture, Worship and prayer, Knowing yourself better, What is theological reflection?, Vocations, gifts and ministry.