Too many people have been involved in this book to thank them all. To start with there are those who took part in seminars early in 2021 and while I was at Trinity College Cambridge, in the summer of 2021, where the research and first writing was done. Professor Anthony Reddie, The Very Reverend Dr Mandy Ford, Dr Gary Bell, The Baroness Reverend Maeve Sherlock OBE, Bill Marsh, The Reverend Canon Stephanie Speller, Alex Evans, Professor Miroslav Volf, Professor (or Father) Emmanuel Katongole, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Mariam Tadros Lord John Alderdice, General Sir Adrian Bradshaw KCB OBE, Roxaneh Bazergan, Irenée Herbert, Dame Karen Pierce, Professor Alasdair Coles, Professor Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Professor Simone Schnall, Professor Manos Tsakiris, Professor Miles Hewstone, Sofia Carozza (PhD student and Marshall Scholar Cambridge University), Revd Dr Tim Jenkins; Revd Catherine Matlock, Onjali Rauf, Canon Sarah Snyder, Dr Zaza Elsheikh, Dr Mukulika Banerjee, Dr Fenella Cannel, Dr Carlton Turner, Dr Ibram X. Kendi, Ebonee Davis (PhD student at Howard University), The Most Revd Michael B. Curry, Dr Catherine Meek, The Reverend Canon Cornelia Eaton, The Reverend Canon Stephanie Spellers, Dr Kristopher Norris, The Revd Dr Katherine Grieb, Dr Nalini M. Nadkarni, The Reverend Canon Peter G. Kreitler, Martha C. Franks, The Reverend Gwynn Crichton, The Reverend Melanie Mullen, Dr Robert P. Jones, The Reverend Dr Molly F. James, The Reverend Gregory O. Brewer, The Right Reverend Martyn Minns, The Reverend Dr Canon C. K. Robertson, The Reverend Valerie Mayo, The Right Reverend Dr George Sumner, Amber D. Noel.
I am especially grateful to Professor Emeritus David Ford, for wise advice and wonderful encouragement over many years, and to his wife Deborah, similarly. Also to Dr Robert Heaney, whose book on post-colonial theology is so inspiring, and to the Reverend Professor Michael Banner and his wife Sally for yet more hospitality and for organizing the sabbatical term.
I thank Trinity College Cambridge, Master, Senior Tutor and others (especially the Fellows’ Eight that kept me exercised) for their gracious and generous provision of space to study.
The first readers whose comments were invaluable were Katherine Richards, Joanna Alstott, Amelia Sutcliffe, Revd Dr Flora Winfield, Martha Jarvis, Kiera Phyo, Revd Dr Isabelle Hamley, Peter Welby, Chris Cox, Keziah Stephenson and Christopher Long.
Over the years I have learned from so many people. The reconciliation team at Lambeth Palace and Coventry Cathedral have taught me greatly, so I thank them especially.
The number of people I encountered who inspired me is huge. I owe especial thanks to Anglican archbishop Josiah Fearon and to Roman Catholic bishop Matthew Kukah. I add also Pastor James Wuye and Imam Ashafa (the Pastor and the Imam) in Kaduna, Archbishop Emmanuel Egbunu, Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi, Claudeline Mukanirwa and so many more that I cannot count them. Above all have been the huge numbers of women who have sought peace and pursued it, whose names, in the old expression from the First World War, are known only to God, but whose courage has transformed those around them.
My colleagues in the office have done a huge amount, especially David Porter, Emma Ineson, Tim Thornton. The hard work of organizing, sorting and making diaries work was through Joanna Alstott and Katherine Richards, as well as Amelia Sutcliffe.
I am very grateful to Robin Baird-Smith, a kind and thoughtful editor, and to Bloomsbury for patience, support and probing questions. Also to Nick Fawcett for his careful copyediting of the manuscript.
The cover is a production of the very remarkable artist, Timur d’Vatz.1 His pictures are influenced by iconography and medieval art. I find them profoundly moving and his creation of such depth of art on the cover is a treasure.
And, of course, most of all, the family! In every way they educate, train and support, especially Caroline, my wife, whose own ministry of reconciliation with women leaders is so inspiring.