First published in Great Britain in 2017

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

36 Causton Street

London SW1P 4ST

www.spck.org.uk

Copyright © Alan Hargrave 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

SPCK does not necessarily endorse the individual views contained in its publications.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved The quotation marked niv is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicized edition). Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved.

niv’ is a registered trademark of Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). UK ­trademark number 1448790.

Photograph of the Octagon (page 77) supplied by Ely Cathedral.

Extract from ‘An Arundel Tomb’ (page 24) from Collected Poems by Philip Larkin is reproduced by permission of Faber and Faber.

Taizé chant (page 39) copyright © Atelier et Presses de Taizé. Reprinted with permission.

Extract from film Shadowlands (page 62) is reproduced by permission of The Agency (London) Ltd copyright © William Nicholson. First published by Samuel French, 1989. All rights reserved and enquiries to The Agency (London) Ltd, 24 Pottery Lane, London W11 4LZ (info@theagency.co.uk).

Unpublished poem by Alan Boyd (page 67) is reproduced by kind permission of the author.

Extract from ‘Folk Tale’ (page 81) from Collected Poems by R. S. Thomas is reproduced by kind permission of his family.

Every effort has been made to seek permission to use copyright material reproduced in this book. The publisher apologizes for those cases where permission might not have been sought and, if notified, will formally seek permission at the earliest opportunity.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978–0–281–07819–6

eBook ISBN 978–0–281–07820–2

Typeset by Manila Typesetting Company

First printed in Great Britain by Ashford Colour Press

Subsequently digitally printed in Great Britain

eBook by Manila Typesetting Company

Produced on paper from sustainable forests