Peter Stanford

In this fascinating historical and cultural biography, writer and broadcaster Peter Stanford deconstructs that most vilified of Bible characters: Judas Iscariot, who famously betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Beginning with the gospel accounts, Peter explores two thousand years of cultural and theological history to investigate how the very name Judas came to be synonymous with betrayal and, ultimately, human evil. But as Peter points out, there has long been a counter-current of thought that suggests that Judas might in fact have been victim of a terrible injustice: central to Jesus' mission was his death and resurrection, and for there to have been a death, there had to be a betrayal. This thankless role fell to Judas; should we in fact be grateful to him for his role in the divine drama of salvation? 'You'll have to decide,' as Bob Dylan sang in the sixties, 'Whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side'. An essential but doomed character in the Passion narrative, and thus the entire story of Christianity, Judas and the betrayal he symbolises continue to play out in much larger cultural histories, speaking as he does to our deepest fears about friendship, betrayal and the problem of evil. Judas: the ultimate traitor, or the ultimate scapegoat? This is a compelling portrait of Christianity's most troubling and mysterious character.

The troubling history of the renegade apostle

Judas

A Visible and Invisible History

Angels

'A heavenly book, elegant and thoughtful. Get one for yourself and one for the church-crawler in your life!' Lucy Worsley Christianity has been central to the lives of the people of Britain and Ireland for almost 2,000 years. It has given us laws, customs, traditions and our national character. From a persecuted minority in Roman Britannia through the 'golden age' of Anglo-Saxon monasticism, the devastating impact of the Vikings, the alliance of church and state after the Norman Conquest to the turmoil of the Reformation that saw the English monarch replace the Pope and the Puritan Commonwealth that replaced the king, it is a tangled, tumultuous story of faith and achievement, division and bloodshed. In If These Stones Could Talk Peter Stanford journeys through England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to churches, abbeys, chapels and cathedrals, grand and humble, ruined and thriving, ancient and modern, to chronicle how a religion that began in the Middle East came to define our past and shape our present. In exploring the stories of these buildings that are still so much a part of the landscape, the details of their design, the treasured objects that are housed within them, the people who once stood in their pulpits and those who sat in their pews, he builds century by century the narrative of what Christianity has meant to the nations of the British Isles, how it is reflected in the relationship between rulers and ruled, and the sense it gives about who we are and how we live with each other. 'There is no better navigator through the space in which art, culture and spirituality meet than Peter Stanford' Cole Moreton, Independent on Sunday

The History of Christianity in Britain and Ireland through Twenty Buildings

If These Stones Could Talk

Looks at graveyards and burial practices and the ways that they can help us understand how people have understood and dealt with death.

Journeys in the Company of the Dead

How to Read a Graveyard

'A compelling biography of one of the greatest men of the modern age. Stanford is particularly brilliant on the tensions inside Luther's private and spiritual life. This is a very fine book, written with a flourish.' Melvyn Bragg The 31st of October 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther pinning his 95 'Theses' - or reform proposals - to the door of his local university church in Wittenberg. Most scholars now agree that the details of this eye-catching gesture are more legend than hammer and nails, but what is certainly true is that on this day (probably in a letter to his local Archbishop in Mainz), the Augustinian Friar and theologian issued an outspokenly blunt challenge to his own Catholic Church to reform itself from within - especially over the sale of 'indulgences' - which ultimately precipitated a huge religious and political upheaval right across Europe and divided mainstream Christianity ever after. A new, popular biography from journalist Peter Stanford, looking at Martin Luther from within his Catholic context, examining his actual aims for Catholicism as well as his enduring legacy - and where he might fit within the church today. 'Peter Stanford makes the life of Luther into a thrilling narrative, told from a modern Catholic perspective' Antonia Fraser

Catholic Dissident

Martin Luther

A sparkling collection of journalism from the critically acclaimed author of Bad Blood and Moments Of Truth.

A Traveller's Guide to the Undiscovered Country

Heaven

Our sceptical age has pensioned off Satan, for centuries the face and name put to the abstract reality of evil, but the creation of popes, archbishops and priests will not so easily accept his fate. Satan continues to serve as a metaphor for evil throughout society, and his scaly black skin, horns, cloven hooves and red eyes have become embedded in popular psyche.

A Biography

The Devil

50 Ideas You Really Need to Know, Religion

Religion

In this fascinating historical and cultural biography, Peter Stanford deconstructs that most vilified of Bible characters: Judas Iscariot, who famously betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Beginning with the gospel accounts, Stanford explores two thousand years of cultural and theological history to investigate how the very name Judas came to be synonymous with betrayal and, ultimately, human evil. But as Stanford points out, there has long been a counter–current of thought that suggests that Judas might in fact have been victim of a terrible injustice: central to Jesus' mission was his death and resurrection, and for there to have been a death, there had to be a betrayal. This thankless role fell to Judas; should we in fact be grateful to him for his role in the divine drama of salvation? "You'll have to decide," as Bob Dylan sang in the sixties, "Whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side." An essential but doomed character in the Passion narrative, and thus the entire story of Christianity, Judas and the betrayal he symbolizes continue to play out in much larger cultural histories, speaking to our deepest fears about friendship, betrayal, and the problem of evil.

The Most Hated Name in History

The Death of a Child is a collection of a dozen essays in which parents and siblings tell their own stories of losing a child, brother or sister, and of how they have coped with bereavement and grief. Their experiences range from the earliest losses - actress and author Carol Drinkwater's miscarriages, Irish writer Catherine Dunne's still-birth and the death of Sarah Brown's daughter Jennifer at ten days old - right up to campaigner Augusto Odone losing his severely disabled son, Lorenzo, the day after his 30th birthday, or novelist Wendy Perriam coping with the death of her daughter, Pauline, when she was 43. The essays reflect the different causes of bereavement - illness (brief and long-term), accident, and malice. The collection ends with a reflection by the celebrated psychotherapist, Dorothy Rowe, on surviving the loss of a child, and a glossary of useful organisations.

The Death of a Child

A Life

Lord Longford

Poet, translator of classical texts , novelist, detective writer (under the pen-name Nicholas Blake), performer and, at that time , Professor of Poetry at Oxford, C Day-Lewis had many careers all at once. This first authorized biography tells the private story behind the many headlines that this handsome Anglo-Irish Poet Laureate generated in his lifetime. Day-Lewis made his name as one of the 'poets of the 1930s', launching a communist-influenced poetic revolution alongside W. H. Auden and Stephen Spender that aspired to spark wholesale political change to face down fascism. In the 1940s, 'Red Cecil', as he had become known, broke with communism, and with Auden. He went on to produce some of his most popular and enduring verse, reflecting both on the course of the Second World War and on the breakdown of his first marriage. Day-Lewis was always pulled between a fulfilling domestic life and a restless desire to explore. His travels, his infidelities and his reflections on his Irish roots are all part of the rich and many-faceted life that Peter Stanford describes. It is, however, as a poet that he is best remembered, and the poetry itself, often autobiographical, forms an integral part of this biography.

C Day-Lewis

A stimulating inquiry into one of the great religious mysteries – and what theologians, artists, writers, psychologists, priests, historians and people from all religions and walks of life have thought of heaven, where many of us still hope to go one day.

Heaven: A Traveller’s Guide to the Undiscovered Country (Text Only)

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CATHOLICISM, ALL IN ONE PLACE This is your go-to guide to the Catholic faith. It covers the basics and history of Catholicism, the Catholic Church today and teachings and traditions. It is your comprehensive and essential account of Catholic doctrine, faith and history. 'Informative and interesting' Cherie Booth, QC On the world stage, Catholicism is the largest of the branches of Christianity with over 1.2 billion followers. How has the Catholic Church's message reached into every corner of the globe, and what challenges does it face now and in the future? Catholicism: A Complete Introduction is a thorough and structured overview of the subject, covering the basics of the faith, the history of Catholicism, the role of the papacy, and teachings and traditions within the Church. It includes topics as diverse as the role of women in the Catholic Church, the celebrity of the Pope, and how 2000-year-old traditions still shape what it is to be a Catholic in the 21st century. Broken down into easy-to read parts, it includes insights, topic summaries and case studies to encourage further study and reflection. This edition also examines the 'Francis effect', the extraordinary global impact of the election of Pope Francis in 2013, and the shift his arrival has caused within and outside of the Church. Whether you simply want to expand your knowledge of the Catholic faith, or you're studying for an exam or essay, Catholicism: A Complete Introduction is your essential guide. 'A readable and important book of reference' Rachel Billington, Novelist 'Packed with information... it is a most engaging read' Edward Stourton, Broadcaster ABOUT THE SERIES The Complete Introduction series is the ultimate one-stop guide for anyone wanting a comprehensive and accessible entry point into subjects as diverse as philosophy, mathematics, psychology and practical electronics. Loved by students and perfect for general readers who simply want to learn more about the world around them, these books are your first choice for discovering something new.

Catholicism: A Complete Introduction

A thought-provoking reflection on the practice and history of pilgrimage, and a compelling exploration of its relevance today. Pilgrimage, a global ritual embraced by nearly all faiths, is one of civilization’s most enduring traditions. In this compelling book, author and journalist Peter Stanford reflects on the reasons people have walked along the same sacred paths through the ages. Through this history, Stanford explores how the experiences of the first pilgrims to Jerusalem, Mecca, and Santiago de Compostela compare to the millions of people who embark on life-changing physical and spiritual journeys today. Pilgrimage traverses sacred landscapes around the world, from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City to the monolithic rock-cut churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia and the riverbanks of the Kumbh Mela in India. Stanford explores the historical and spiritual significance of these places of healing and reflection and discusses their roles as crossroads., Although pilgrimage is usually viewed as an individual’s escape from the everyday to refocus the mind and soul, institutional and national struggles for power have always had an impact on the way pilgrims experience their own personal journey. Guiding readers through the global history of pilgrimage, this thought- provoking book educates a new generation that may seek solace, clarity, and wonder by following in the footsteps of travelers from the past.

Pilgrimage

What does it mean to be a Catholic in today's world? What distinguishes the modern Catholic from anyone else? At a time when the Vatican provokes hostility by its opposition to contraception, abortion and the use of condoms in fighting AIDS, how many Catholics share its views? And if they don't, how can they in good conscience stay in the Church? These are among the many questions that writer and broadcaster Peter Stanford is addressing here. There is a whole spectrum of response in this entertaining and enlightening collection. 'Fascinating... a surprisingly uplifting book.' Sunday Telegraph 'A hard-hitting book which criticizes as much as it praises... it should be read by anyone interested in the phenomenon of organized religion.' Spectator

Essays in Faith and Perseverance

Why I Am Still a Catholic

How unfair', wrote one national newspaper in 1951, 'that accomplishments enough to satisfy the pride of six men should be united in Mr Day-Lewis.' Poet, translator of classical texts, novelist, detective writer (under the pen-name Nicholas Blake), performer and, at that time, Professor of Poetry at Oxford, C Day-Lewis had many careers all at once. This first authorised biography tells the private story behind the many headlines that this handsome, charming Anglo-Irish Poet Laureate generated in his lifetime. With unparalleled access to Day-Lewis's archives and the recollections of first-hand witnesses, Peter Stanford traces the link between life and art to reassess the work of a poet lauded in his lifetime but whose literary reputation has latterly become a matter of controversy with Westminster Abbey refusing him the place in Poets' Corner traditionally allotted to Poets Laureate. Day-Lewis first made his name as one of the 'poets of the thirties', launching a communist-influenced poetic revolution alongside WH Auden and Stephen Spender that aspired to spark wholesale political change to face down fascism. In the 1940s, 'Red Cecil', as he had become known, broke with communism and Auden and went on to produce some of his most popular and enduring verse, prompted by his long love affair with the novelist, Rosamond Lehmann. Torn between her and his wife, he reflected on his double life in verse and became for some the supreme poet of the divided heart. Later, with his second wife, the actress Jill Balcon, he promoted poetry with a series of popular recitals and radio and television programmes. Together, they had two children, Tamasin and Daniel, later an Oscar-winning actor. Day-Lewis was always pulled between a fulfilling domestic life and a restless desire to explore. His travels, his exploration of his Irish roots and his infidelities are all part of the rich and many-faceted life that Peter Stanford describes. It is, however, as a poet that he is best remembered, and the poetry itself, often autobiographical, forms an integral part of this intriguing and long-overdue biography.

Peter Stanford

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