Church of England Newspaper, July 2019. Review by Carol Turner

As Christians, Tony Horsfall says, we should fix our eyes on Jesus and keep going. Resilience is what this short paperback is all about and I was amazed at how much is contained in it. In today’s world where so much is ‘instant’ and it is easy to give up and move onto the next thing, resilience seems to be in short supply.

The two authors have collaborated well and the chapters really flow together to form one whole. The combination of the authors’ experience in pastoral work, psychology and mission serve to give the book’s content a real depth.

The book focuses on the spiritual, physical, emotional, cognitive & creative and social & systemic aspects of resilience. Of them, all as is stated (p167) spiritual resilience is the key and all aspects return to that; the spiritual is not able to be divorced from the rest of our lives.

The format of the book is excellent; the components of resilience are outlined and then applied to the lives of Biblical characters, and for us as Christians today. Practical suggestions are given as to how we can apply the teaching in today’s world. Of further benefit are the questions at the end of each chapter: these are challenging but do not result in readers being ‘put down, there are no wrong answers!

The book is well written and easy to read and understand and will benefit the lay reader and those with more theological knowledge. I fully intend to re-read this book, there is so much to recommend and it gives much food for thought.

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