Conventionally, ``absolutism'' in early-modern Europe has suggested unfettered autocracy and despotism -- the erosion of rights, the centralisation of decision-making, the loss of liberty. Everything, in a word, that was un-British but characteristic of ancien-regime France. Recently historians have questioned such comfortably simplistic views. This lively investigation of ``absolutism'' in action -- continent-wide but centred on a detailed comparison of France and England -- dissolves the...

Cathedrals today face a paradox: on the one hand they represent one of the biggest success stories and mission opportunities of the present-day church; on the other they face seemingly insurmountable financial difficulties, and are largely left by the church and government to fend for themselves.Many—both within and outside the church—argue that cathedrals are an irrelevance. But cathedrals are one area of the church’s life where increasingly the unchurched and the half-believer en...

Dear Nicholas... was originally written in 1988 as a letter by the then Bishop of Liverpool Michael Henshall to his newly-ordained son. Revised and edited for today’s audience, it continues to be a source of encouragement and challenge to reflect upon for all in ministry today, whether newly-ordained or in service for many years.Among the many books on ordained ministry, Dear Nicholas... stands out with its deeply personal and direct approach to the challenges and...