The period 1928-1942 saw some of the greatest political and social upheavals in modern British history. Lang, as Archbishop of Canterbury, led the Church of England through this tumultuous period and was a pivotal influence in political and religious decision-making. In this book, Robert Beaken provides a new perspective on Lang, including his considerable relationship with the royal family. Beaken also shows how Lang proved to be a sensitive leader during wartime, opposing any demonisatio...

It is often said – and it is undoubtedly true – that the heart of the Church of England is to be found beating in the work and witness of its parish churches. In Following Christ we see that Anglican heart at work through a collection of sermons and spiritual addresses given in urban and rural parishes.The sermons draw heavily on Holy Scripture, the Prayer Book, and the classical Anglican spiritual and liturgical tradition. They also reflect the author's wide and varied pa...

'In telling the story of the Church and its people in Colchester, a garrison town, Robert Beaken enlivens our understanding of the First World War - not only as a clash of mighty forces, but also at a personal and communal level.'The Very Rev. Dr John Hall, Dean of WestminsterThe Church of England is popularly believed to have had a bad First World War. This book challenges that tired orthodoxy. It examines the relationship between parish churches and the Army during the war, using...

The fascinating diaries of a perceptive eyewitness to the historic events of the 1930s and 40s - including the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936, the coronation of George VI in 1937, the rise of Hitler and the war with Germany of 1939-45.In May 1931, Alan Don travelled from Dundee to Lambeth Palace to become Chaplain to Archbishop Cosmo Lang. During that journey he began a diary. He kept it faithfully for the next fifteen years, during which he also became Chaplain...