For Christians, the retreat from Jerusalem after the crucifixion and the loss of hope of the two walkers to Emmaus seems to parallel so many aspects of the post-Christendom context, and helps to make sense of what is otherwise baffling for many. But the story connects too with many contemporary humanists who have their own reasons for uncertainty today, and with Muslims who may also be found as companions in dialogue on the Emmaus road.

Each chapter of the book reflects on an aspect of the biblical narrative, and is followed by a ‘Dispatch from Emmaus, in which a writer (eg Albert Camus, Jacques Ellul or Tatiana Goricheva) is allowed to testify concerning the particular topic under discussion. The result is what amounts to a dialogue between faith and unfaith, allowing the expression of both despair and the recovery of hope.