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Twenty-nine friends and admirers of Bishop Kenneth have combined to produce a rich and varied series of essays to mark his long career in Christian-Muslim relations and in furthering understanding between people of different faiths.

Readers of ‘Bible Lands’ will know a number of contributors. Bishop Clive Handforth provides an introduction to the whole collection. As one of the editors, Clare Amos explores the theme of service in the life of Stephen, the Church's first martyr. Bishop Hassan Dehqani- Tafti combines with his daughter Guli Francis-Dehqani to write of the significance of Kenneth to the Anglican Church in Iran, through its travails. Najwa Farah contributes some of her moving poems about her beloved Palestine. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali writes of the themes of love and law in Islam and Christianity and Colin Chapman outlines an extensive agenda for dialogue.

It is not possible to list the many good things in the other essays, but hopefully highlighting a few of the topics covered will provide an appetite for the full collection. Hugh Goddard considers the significance of ‘The Call of the Minaret’ for Christian thinking about Islam, and Christopher Lamb provides an extensive and important exposition of Kenneth Cragg's Understanding of Christian Mission to Islam. Richard Jones, from Virginia Seminary in the States draws on Kenneth's annual Christmas poems to explore the mystery of incarnation. David Marshall, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Chaplain, looks at Mary in the Qur'an. Michael Prior, in characteristically forthright terms, challenges the failure in Jewish-Christian dialogue to address the issue of Palestine. Anthony O'Mahony from Heythrop College, considers the image of Jesus and Christianity in Shi'a Islam and modern Iranian thought.

This is a wide-ranging and richly varied collection of essays, honouring a lifetime's achievement, and is finely produced. Do buy and enjoy it.

John Clark