Reconciliation is high on many agendas today. Brian Castle argues convincingly that reconciliation between God and humanity is at the heart of the Christian faith. It must also be sought in the political, social and personal arenas, in the field of ecology and, perhaps most difficult of all, within ourselves. All these areas are interrelated. The Christian understanding of reconciliation makes it God’s gift to the world.

But can reconciliation ever be achieved? When can the search for it effectively begin? Who should initiate the process? Is forgiveness possible without repentance? These are just a few of the questions identified, drawing on examples from personal stories and conflicts around the world, and that are explored through the lenses of remembering, victimhood, forgiveness and reaching out to the other.

Reconciling One and All can be used for individual reading and reflection or for group study. Readers are encouraged to bring their own experiences, in the form of stories and art, to the reflection. There is space for prayer at the end of each chapter.

Brian Castle is Bishop of Tonbridge, and has worked with USPG in Africa, and with the WCC, before being Vice-Principal of Cuddesdon College, Oxford. He is the author of Unofficial God (SPCK).