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Jane Robinson

When Josephine Butler died in 1906, she was declared by Millicent Fawcett to have been 'the most distinguished Englishwoman of the nineteenth century'. With impassioned speeches and fiery writing, Butler's campaigns for women's rights shook Victorian society to its core and became a force for change that has shaped modern Britain.

As well as campaigning for women's suffrage and for married women's property rights she was a tireless advocate of women's access to higher education and of equality in the workplace. Her greatest achievement was to change social attitudes to women and children forced into prostitution, and to expose the sex-trafficking business - both of which resulted in new, more humane legislation.

But how did the physically frail wife of a schoolmaster become a leading social reformer? In this brief introduction Jane Robinson explores Butler's fascinating life and describes how her progressive politics, her anger at injustice and her passionate Christianity combined to create a vibrant legacy that lasts to this day.

SPCK Publishing

Very Brief Histories

Josephine Butler: A Very Brief History

Alec Ryrie

'Masterly' - Eric Metaxas
'Mould-breaking' - John Guy
'A little gem of a book' - Suzannah Lipscomb

From the Introduction:
‘There is no such thing as “the English Reformation”. A "Reformation" is a composite event which is only made visible by being framed the right way. It is like a “war”: a label we put onto a particular set of events, while we decide that other – equally violent – acts are not part of that or of any "war". Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English people knew that they were living through an age of religious upheaval, but they did not know that it was "the English Reformation", any more than the soldiers at the battle of Agincourt knew that they were fighting in “the Hundred Years’ War”… .

‘Plainly these religious upheavals permanently changed England and, by extension, the many other countries on which English culture has made its mark. There is not, however, a single master narrative of all this turmoil. How could there be? … The way you choose to tell the story is governed by what you think is important and what is trivial, by whether there are heroes or villains you want to celebrate or condemn, and by the legacies and lessons which you think matter. Once you have chosen your frame, it will give you the story you want.

‘So this book does not tell "the story" of “the English Reformation”. It tells the stories of six English Reformations, or rather six stories of religious change in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England. The stories are parallel and overlapping, but each has a somewhat different chronological frame, cast of characters and set of pivotal events, and has left a different legacy. ’

The English Reformation: A Very Brief History

Eamon Duffy

'In another world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.'
From An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (1903)

Canonized by Pope Francis in October 2019, Saint John Henry Newman (1801-90) was one of the most controversial and influential thinkers of his day. He is now recognized as one of the finest prose stylists of modern times, as well as a popular poet and hymn-writer. His spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is a modern classic, and his many theological writings continue to be widely read and highly regarded by Christians of all traditions.

As Eamon Duffy brilliantly demonstrates in this fresh assessment of Newman's life and achievement, other theologians of his time are now largely of historical interest whereas Newman is still very much our contemporary.

'This splendid book... expertly illuminates every aspect of Newman's life [and] work.'
Wall Street Journal

John Henry Newman: A Very Brief History

Anthony Kenny

'Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration. . . the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.'

Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) remains a major influence in philosophy, especially in the areas of epistemology, ethics, theology, political theory and aesthetics. This brief history helpfully explains the development of Kant's thought, and highlights its contemporary relevance, by considering each of his major works in their order of appearance.

The book has a brief chronology at the front plus a glossary of key terms and a list of further reading at the back.

Immanuel Kant

Andrew Gant

His name and his music are internationally known, but with only one verifiably authentic portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach, has history painted him as something that he's not?

In this brief historical introduction, Andrew Gant explores the social, political and religious factors that shaped Bach's life and work, and traces how his legacy went from a composer who nearly faded into obscurity to one of the most central figures of classical music today.

Travel back to the eighteenth century with this Very Brief History and discover the man behind the music.

Johann Sebastian Bach: A Very Brief History

Melvyn Bragg

'An enjoyably pacey read.' Times Literary Supplement

'Eloquent... brilliant and very moving.' Paul Cartledge, Emeritus Professor of Greek culture, University of Cambridge

'On the morning of 6 October 1536, a frail scholar was taken from a dungeon in the castle at Vilvoorde, just north of Brussels. Armed guards kept the crowds at bay as he was led through the streets of the small town. He was to be burned. The funeral pyre, a wigwam stack of planks surmounted by a cross, was ready. Gunpowder would be thrown on the wood to encourage the flames. He was allowed a few moments of prayer. As a priest, prayer had been the keystone of his faith. After the brief pause, he walked up the steps to be tied to the cross. As he waited for the flames, he called out, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes!'

'This was William Tyndale, the man whose translation of the New Testament and much of the Old Testament was to bring about more profound changes to the English-speaking world over the next five centuries than the works of any other man in its history.'
From Chapter 1: Innocence and genius

William Tyndale: A Very Brief History

'If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.'
Voltaire

Montesquieu, Hume, Voltaire, Diderot, Smith, Gibbon, Bentham... These are among the great thinkers who contributed to the dramatic developments in religion, science and philosophy that we now call the Enlightenment. They dominated the second half of the eighteenth century and their writings continue to shape the intellectual and political worlds we now inhabit.

Written by a world authority, this brief history of the Enlightenment concludes with a perceptive assessment of the cultural, religious, ethical and political dimensions of its legacy.

'A remarkable short tour of the Enlightenment that is brisk but never hurried, covering more than seems possible. Kenny is as spirited and opinionated as the age he describes, tempered by a moderation and breadth of knowledge that comes from experience and hindsight.'
Julian Baggini, founder editor of The Philosophers' Magazine

The Enlightenment: A Very Brief History

John M. G. Barclay

‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ’ (Galatians 3.28)

The revolutionary writings of St Paul have had an incalculable impact on Western history, and continue to influence directly the two billion Christians living today.

Written by a world authority, this brief history begins by assessing what we know about Paul’s life and letters, and his impact on the Roman world of the first century. It concludes by highlighting the key elements of Paul’s thought and considering their consequences as they have played out over two millennia.

‘Packed with knowledge and insight, this brilliant little book offers a remarkably rich, nuanced, and readable introduction to the Apostle Paul and his legacy through the ages. ’

David G. Horrell, Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Exeter.

Paul: A Very Brief History

Averil Cameron

'... I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium.'
W. B. Yeats

From the foundation of Constantinople in 330 to its fall in 1453, this brief history explores the key components of Byzantine Christianity, including the development of monasticism, icons and iconoclasm, the role of the emperor in relation to church councils and beliefs, the difficult relationship with the papacy and the impact of the Crusades.

The book also considers Byzantine Christianity as a living force today: the variety and vitality of Orthodox churches, the role of the Church in Russia and the enduring relevance of a spirituality derived from the church fathers.

Byzantine Christianity: A Very Brief History

Lynn McDonald

Florence Nightingale is remembered in history for the part she played in nursing wounded soldiers during the Crimean War and is often credited as the founder of modern nursing.

In this brand new introduction, Lynn McDonald explores the social, political and religious factors that formed the original context of her life and writings such as her faith in a secular world, the Crimean War and the founding of a new profession, before considering how those factors affected the way she was initially received before turning to the intellectual and cultural 'afterlife' of Florence Nightingale.

Part One: The History (What do we know?) This brief historical introduction to Florence Nightingale explores the social, political and religious factors that formed the original context of her life and writings, and considers how those factors affected the way she was initially received. What was her impact on the world at the time and what were the key ideas and values connected with her?

Part Two: The Legacy (Why does it matter?) This second part explores the intellectual and cultural 'afterlife' of Florence Nightingale, and considers the ways in which her impact has lasted and been developed in different contexts by later generations. Why is she still considered important today? In what ways is her legacy contested or resisted? And what aspects of her legacy are likely to continue to influence the world in the future?

The book has a brief chronology at the front plus a list of further reading at the back.

Florence Nightingale: A very brief history

Brian Davies

'The study of philosophy is that we may know not what men have thought, but what the truth of things is.'

Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-74) was one of the most influential philosophers of the Middle Ages, and his works continue to be widely read today. The leading classical proponent of natural theology and the founder of Thomism, he is regarded as one of the greatest Western thinkers of all time.

Written by a world authority, this brief history begins with an engaging account of Aquinas's life and intellectual context. Thomas Aquinas goes on to explain the main contours of his thought for readers who may have no previous knowledge of him, or of academic philosophy and theology. It concludes with an informed assessment of the scale and significance of his legacy.

Thomas Aquinas: A Very Brief History

Helen K. Bond

Part One: The History (What do we know?)

This brief historical introduction to Jesus assesses his impact on the world as it was at the time and outlines the key ideas and values connected with him. It explores the social, political and religious factors that formed the context of his life and teaching, and considers how those factors affected the way he was initially received.

Part Two: The Legacy (Why does it matter?)

This second part surveys the intellectual and cultural ‘afterlife’ of Jesus, exploring the ways in which his impact has lasted. Why does he continue to be so influential, and what aspects of his legacy are likely to endure beyond today and into the future? 

The book has a brief chronology at the front plus a glossary of key terms and a list of further reading at the back.

Contents:

Part 1: Jesus of Nazareth

Did Jesus Exist?

The Political Context: Dreams, Prophets and Messiahs

Jesus’ Message

Jesus as Miracle Worker – Healings and Exorcisms

Friends, Family – and a Wife?

Jerusalem, Betrayal and Execution

Part 2: Jesus’ Legacy

Resurrection - and the Earliest Portrayals of Jesus

Jesus the God and the Centre of Time

Jesus in the Middle Ages: Art, Relics and Passion Plays

Jesus in Contemporary Religion

Jesus Today

Glossary

Jesus: A very brief history

John Guy

'If the English people were to be set a test to justify their history and civilization by the example of one man, then it is Sir Thomas More whom they would perhaps choose.' So commented The Times in 1978 on the 500th anniversary of More's birth.

Twenty-two years later, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Thomas More the patron saint of politicians and people in public life, on the basis of his 'constant fidelity to legitimate authority and ... his intention to serve not power but the supreme ideal of justice'.

In this fresh assessment of More's life and legacy, John Guy considers the factors that have given rise to such claims concerning More's significance. Who was the real Thomas More? Was he the saintly, self-possessed hero of conscience of Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons or was he the fanatical, heretic-hunting torturer of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall? Which of these images of More has the greater historical veracity? And why does this man continue to fascinate, inspire and provoke us today?

Thomas More

Janina Ramirez

Over six hundred years ago a woman known as Julian of Norwich wrote what is now regarded as one of the greatest works of literature in English. Based on a sequence of mystical visions she received in 1373, her book is called Revelations of Divine Love.

Julian lived through an age of political and religious turmoil, as well as through the misery of the Black Death, and her writing engages with timeless questions about life, love and the meaning of suffering. But who was Julian of Norwich? And what can she teach us today?

Medievalist and TV historian Janina Ramirez invites you to join her in exploring Julian’s remarkable life and times, offering insights into how and why her writing has survived, and what we can learn from this fourteenth-century mystic whose work lay hidden in the shadows of her male contemporaries for far too long.

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