Theological and sociological insights about childhood provide the framework for this book about the care and teaching of children within the church.Christ of the Everyday seeks to help us discover the true meaning of the way of Jesus. Two convictions permeate the text. The first is that to be converted is, in the end, not so much a matter of seeing different things as of seeing the same things differently; and that ‘having the eyes of faith’, in this sense, is a major component of being a person of faith. The second conviction is that most religious insight is something that happens, if it happens at all, in the midst of the ordinary experiences of life, including our experiences of solitude, suffering, friendship and joy. It is in and from such locations that Christians develop their perspective on Jesus.

‘Whereas many interpretations of Christ seem to embellish and over-complicate the life and message of Jesus, Jeff Astley’s prescient study is to be cherished for its astute simplicity. In Christ of the Everyday, we encounter a Jesus who is refreshingly real and direct, and whose gospel is as deeply troubling as it is also comforting. Astley displays a welcome verve for combining tenacious intellectual reflection with some scintillating spiritual insight. Study groups and individuals alike will appreciate the wisdom of an author who can shed new light on the life and teaching of Jesus, and also capture something of the continually compelling essence of the gospel.’
The Revd Canon Professor Martyn Percy, Principal, Ripon College Cuddesdon

‘ . . . a splendid example of theological writing that is clear, accessible, and almost conversational in style, while drawing on a long and varied experience of study, teaching, pastoral care, and, simply, life.’

The Revd Canon Professor George Pattison, Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, University of Oxford

‘Jeff Astley writes with great warmth and humour, using personal stories from his life, and outlines a spirituality and discipleship for today that many will find quite compelling. [This] is ‘ordinary theology’ at its very best.’

The Revd Dr Peter Sedgwick, Principal and Warden, St Michael’s College, Llandaff, Cardiff