Simon Says ...

So I did it:  All six books on the Michael Ramsey Prize shortlist have been read and reviewed.  The reading was fairly constant, the reviewing was a bit rushed towards the end! The reviews are here: Faith and Struggle on Smokey Mountain Healing Forgiveness Children in the Bible Unapologetic Dementia God's Presence I've thoroughly enjoyed it.  They are a set of excellent books, and not necessarily ones I would have read otherwise.  It leaves me in very good heart regarding the health of theology written in English. But on the Sunday of Greenbelt , one and only one of the books will be declared the winner.  So I thought I'd give it a go and pick the single title that I think should win. But first, something I have noticed from previous years shortlists.  For the past two shortlists, I have found bookmarks featuring all the shortlisted titles.  On both occasions, the book in the bottom left-hand place has won. This is 2011: ...

Review of John Swinton, Dementia: Living in the Memories of God (SCM, 2012). I confess that I approached this book with trepidation.   What I feared was a well-meaning but dull account of the symptoms and basic pastoral needs of those with dementia – worthy, but not very interesting.   What I found was quite different.   This book is a mixture of deep theological accounts of what it means to be human, and important reflections on love and living.   All of this is explored and brought to the surface in Swinton’s reflections on dementia.   All has repercussions far beyond caring for those with that illness.   This is another truly excellent book on the Michael Ramsey Prize shortlist. Swinton starts with a question of identity.   He wants to be loved and cared for, just for who he is.   So the question becomes who is he?   This is, of course, compounded by issues around dementia, where people lose memories, a...