Peter Stanford

A stimulating inquiry into one of the great religious mysteries and what theologians, artists, writers, psychologists, priests, historians and people from all religions and walks of life have thought of heaven, where many of us still hope to go one day. The author writes: While images of hell are firmly fixed in the human psyche, no parallel standard vision exists for heaven either within the Christian Church or more widely in the worlds various religious traditionsit has somehow been judged indecent or presumptuous to contemplate the better end of the post-mortem destination market. This book will break that taboo. Heavens mysteriousness has leant it a discreet but powerful allure. There are two basic views: first, the afterlife will involve a vaguely defined spiritual peace eternal solitude with God alone; the second allows for some overlap between heaven and earth, and hence relationships outside the central bond with God. Or is heaven religions biggest con-trick but one that is impossible to debunk?

Talk of the Devil has become distinctly unfashionable. Our sceptical age has pensioned off Satan, for centuries the face and name put to the abstract reality of evil. However, the creation of Popes, archbishops and priests will not so easily accept his fate, and Satan continues to serve as a metaphor for evil throughout society. His scaly black skin, horns, cloven hoof and red eyes have become embedded in popular psyche. In The Devil: A Biography, Peter Stanford traces the development of the character and role of Satan through the ages and examines how we tackle evil today.

The need to understand religion and the role it plays in our world has never been more pressing. The beliefs and actions of the planets 2 billion Christians, 1.2 billion Muslims, 800 million Hindus and 700 million followers of other religions has an impact on every aspect of war and peace, ethics, politics, reproduction, family and social structure across every civilization and continent. 50 Religion Ideas You Really Need to Know aims to lift the clouds of confusion surrounding religion and to address its key issues. What is the Golden Rule and how does it unite religious people? How did the divisions arise between Catholics and Protestants and what do they mean for us today? What are the differences between Anglicanism, Methodism, Baptism and Presbyterianism? What separates Sunni Muslims from Shia Muslims? What does it mean to be Jewish? Award-winning writer Peter Stanford answers these and a myriad other questions in 50 Religion Ideas You Really Need to Know. Both readable and informative, it will appeal to anyone who wants to understand one of the most powerful and enduring forces shaping our world.

An intriguing exploration of the many roles that angels have played in spiritual life. - The Sunday Times: Nick RennisonIn a 2016 poll, one in 10 Britons claimed to have experienced the presence of an angel, while one in three remain convinced that they have a guardian angel. These are huge numbers and mean that, on some counts, angels are doing better than God.In the secular, sceptical, post-Christian world of the West, continuing faith in angels is both anomaly and comfort. But what exactly are angels, and why have so many in different times and contexts around the globe believed in them? What is their history and role in the great faiths and beyond their walls? Are angels something real, a manifestation of divine concern? Or part of the poetry of religion? And can they continue to illuminate a deeper truth about human existence and the cosmos? These are not new questions. They have been asked over millennia, right up to the present day, as writer, journalist and broadcaster Peter Stanford explores in Angels, his latest investigation into the history, theology and cultural significance of religious ideas.There is no better navigator through the space in which art, culture and spirituality meet than Peter Stanford Cole Moreton, Independent on Sunday

Interviews with people of faith including: Sara Maitland | Sister Wendy Beckett | Delia Smith | The Revd Richard Coles | Dermot OLeary | Cherie Blair | Archbishop Desmond Tutu | Bronwen Astor | Amos Oz | Nick CavePeter Stanford has been interviewing people of faith during his thirty-five years as a journalist at national papers including the Daily Telegraph, the Independent and The Guardian, as well as for the church press. What fascinates him in such conversations is how creating a space to talk unguardedly about faith unlocks so much more: what shaped and continues to shape the public and private lives of high-profile names; how those values connect with the work they are best known for; and why they believe the search for faith makes them who they are. This collection of the best of his interviews - some with household names, others with those not so immediately familiar, but all people of achievement with a resonant story to tell - aims to lift the lid on a topic that has become increasingly marginalised in the public square of our increasingly secular and sceptical society, where to do God can feel like breaking a taboo. Put together, the 44 subjects collectively demonstrate that, rather than being all about doctrine and dogma, there are as many ways of exploring faith as there are individuals currently doing it. These intriguing interviews with activists, writers and artists, politicians, rebels and those who have taken vows will appeal to committed believers, those on the fringes of faith, and those who look in from the outside with curiosity.

A compelling biography of one of the greatest men of the modern age. Stanford is particularly brilliant on the tensions inside Luthers private and spiritual life. This is a very fine book, written with a flourish. Melvyn BraggThe 31st of October 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther pinning his 95 Theses - or reform proposals - to the door of his local university church in Wittenberg. Most scholars now agree that the details of this eye-catching gesture are more legend than hammer and nails, but what is certainly true is that on this day (probably in a letter to his local Archbishop in Mainz), the Augustinian Friar and theologian issued an outspokenly blunt challenge to his own Catholic Church to reform itself from within - especially over the sale of indulgences - which ultimately precipitated a huge religious and political upheaval right across Europe and divided mainstream Christianity ever after.A new, popular biography from journalist Peter Stanford, looking at Martin Luther from within his Catholic context, examining his actual aims for Catholicism as well as his enduring legacy - and where he might fit within the church today.Peter Stanford makes the life of Luther into a thrilling narrative, told from a modern Catholic perspective Antonia Fraser

In this fascinating historical and cultural biography, writer and broadcaster Peter Stanford deconstructs that most vilified of Bible characters: Judas Iscariot, who famously betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Beginning with the gospel accounts, Peter explores two thousand years of cultural and theological history to investigate how the very name Judas came to be synonymous with betrayal and, ultimately, human evil. But as Peter points out, there has long been a counter-current of thought that suggests that Judas might in fact have been victim of a terrible injustice: central to Jesus mission was his death and resurrection, and for there to have been a death, there had to be a betrayal. This thankless role fell to Judas; should we in fact be grateful to him for his role in the divine drama of salvation? Youll have to decide, as Bob Dylan sang in the sixties, Whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side.An essential but doomed character in the Passion narrative, and thus the entire story of Christianity, Judas and the betrayal he symbolises continue to play out in much larger cultural histories, speaking as he does to our deepest fears about friendship, betrayal and the problem of evil. Judas: the ultimate traitor, or the ultimate scapegoat? This is a compelling portrait of Christianitys most troubling and mysterious character.

A heavenly book, elegant and thoughtful. Get one for yourself and one for the church-crawler in your life! Lucy WorsleyChristianity has been central to the lives of the people of Britain and Ireland for almost 2,000 years. It has given us laws, customs, traditions and our national character. From a persecuted minority in Roman Britannia through the golden age of Anglo-Saxon monasticism, the devastating impact of the Vikings, the alliance of church and state after the Norman Conquest to the turmoil of the Reformation that saw the English monarch replace the Pope and the Puritan Commonwealth that replaced the king, it is a tangled, tumultuous story of faith and achievement, division and bloodshed.In If These Stones Could Talk Peter Stanford journeys through England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to churches, abbeys, chapels and cathedrals, grand and humble, ruined and thriving, ancient and modern, to chronicle how a religion that began in the Middle East came to define our past and shape our present. In exploring the stories of these buildings that are still so much a part of the landscape, the details of their design, the treasured objects that are housed within them, the people who once stood in their pulpits and those who sat in their pews, he builds century by century the narrative of what Christianity has meant to the nations of the British Isles, how it is reflected in the relationship between rulers and ruled, and the sense it gives about who we are and how we live with each other.There is no better navigator through the space in which art, culture and spirituality meet than Peter Stanford Cole Moreton, Independent on Sunday

Judas le mauvais apôtre, le traître, l’instrument de Satan n’est mentionné que vingt-deux fois dans les quatre Évangiles, soit mille deux cents mots qui parfois se contredisent. Et pourtant… son bais

This is a complete guide to the oldest institution in the Western world - the Catholic Church. Explore the essential beliefs and practices of the religion and delve into its long and fascinating history. From the significance of Rome and the importance of the Papacy, to current issues such as science, contraception and new movements within the faith, learn what it means to be Catholic today.NOT GOT MUCH TIME?One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started.AUTHOR INSIGHTSLots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors many years of experience.TEST YOURSELFTests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGEExtra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of psychology.FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBERQuick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.TRY THISInnovative exercises illustrate what youve learnt and how to use it.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CATHOLICISM, ALL IN ONE PLACEThis is your go-to guide to the Catholic faith. It covers the basics and history of Catholicism, the Catholic Church today and teachings and traditions. It is your comprehensive and essential account of Catholic doctrine, faith and history. On the world stage, Catholicism is the largest of the branches of Christianity with over 1.2 billion followers. How has the Catholic Churchs message reached into every corner of the globe, and what challenges does it face now and in the future?Catholicism: A Complete Introduction is a thorough and structured overview of the subject, covering the basics of the faith, the history of Catholicism, the role of the papacy, and teachings and traditions within the Church. It includes topics as diverse as the role of women in the Catholic Church, the celebrity of the Pope, and how 2000-year-old traditions still shape what it is to be a Catholic in the 21st century. Broken down into easy-to read parts, it includes insights, topic summaries and case studies to encourage further study and reflection.This edition also examines the Francis effect, the extraordinary global impact of the election of Pope Francis in 2013, and the shift his arrival has caused within and outside of the Church. Whether you simply want to expand your knowledge of the Catholic faith, or youre studying for an exam or essay, Catholicism: A Complete Introduction is your essential guide.ABOUT THE SERIESThe Complete Introduction series is the ultimate one-stop guide for anyone wanting a comprehensive and accessible entry point into subjects as diverse as philosophy, mathematics, psychology and practical electronics. Loved by students and perfect for general readers who simply want to learn more about the world around them, these books are your first choice for discovering something new.

For the first time since the Profumo scandal of the 1960s, the Astors own version of the events at Cliveden is told. Peter Stanford has been granted unprecedented access to Lady Astor, her private papers and her friends, as well as to many family members and key players in the drama. When Bronwen Pugh married into the celebrated Astor clan in 1960, she seemed to have the world at her feet. She was a media darling, BBC television presenter, the most celebrated model of her generation, and, after her marriage to millionaire Bill Astor, mistress of the Cliveden mansion. Three years later her world was turned upside down by the Profumo scandal. Cliveden with its famous guests, lavish parties and spectacular setting was alleged to be at the centre of an international web of sexual debauchery and espionage. Bronwen lost everything in the scandal: husband, home, friends and her good name. Bill Astor was accused of being a louche playboy and an unfaithful husband, Bronwen little better than Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies, the two escort girls at the centre of the scandal. The reversal of fortune for Bronwen Astor was immense, and in charting the private agony behind the public disgrace, Peter Stanford has written a fascinating and moving story of a remarkable and resilient woman.

El auge de la peregrinación en un mundo cada vez menos creyente.En las últimas décadas, se ha producido un auge en la popularidad del Camino de Santiago, la antigua ruta de peregrinación que se extiende por el norte de España hasta Santiago de Compostela. Esto no es un caso aislado, pues muchos peregrinos se estan aventurando a recorrer otras rutas consagradas alrededor del mundo. Pero ¿cuales son los motivos tras el auge de este fenomeno en un mundo cada vez menos creyente?En este libro, Peter Stanford reflexiona sobre las razones por las que las personas, independientemente de sus creencias, han caminado por los mismos senderos sagrados a lo largo de los siglos. A traves de esta historia, Stanford relata las experiencias de los primeros peregrinos a Jerusalen, La Meca y Santiago de Compostela, y las entrelaza con las de millones de personas que actualmente se embarcan en estos viajes fisicos y espirituales con la esperanza de cambiar sus vidas. A la vez, nos guia por paisajes sagrados alrededor del mundo, desde la Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la Ciudad de Mexico hasta las iglesias monoliticas excavadas en la roca de Lalibela, Etiopia, y las orillas del rio Kumbh Mela en la India, pasando por Roma, Shikoku en Japon y el Machu Picchu en Peru.A partir de su propia experiencia como peregrino, Stanford busca respuestas al complejo fenomeno de la peregrinacion y argumenta que, mas alla de ocio, turismo y aventura, existen otros motivos sociales, economicos, climaticos y culturales que nos llevan al cuestionamiento de los cimientos de la vida moderna y la necesidad de emprender viajes de transformacion personal, invitando asi a la nueva generacion de peregrinos a abrir sus horizontes y asombrarse mientras dirigen sus pasos hacia las mismas rutas de los viajeros de antaño.

En una encuesta de 2016, uno de cada 10 británicos afirmó haber experimentado la presencia de un ángel, mientras que uno de cada tres sigue convencido de que tiene un ángel de la guarda. Estos son números enormes y significan que, en algunos aspectos, los angeles lo estan haciendo mejor que Dios.En el mundo secular, esceptico y poscristiano de Occidente, la fe en los angeles es considerada tanto una anomalia como un consuelo.¿Que son exactamente los angeles y por que han creido en ellos tantos en diferentes epocas y contextos de todo el mundo?¿Cual es su historia y su papel en las grandes religiones y mas alla de ellas?¿Son algo real, una manifestacion de Dios o solo metaforas usadas en la religion?¿Pueden aportar una verdad mas profunda sobre la existencia humana y el cosmos?Estas no son preguntas nuevas, los humanos se las plantean desde hace milenios. Peter Stanford investiga sobre la historia, la teologia y el significado cultural de los angeles.

En una encuesta de 2016, uno de cada 10 británicos afirmó haber experimentado la presencia de un ángel, mientras que uno de cada tres sigue convencido de que tiene un ángel de la guarda. Estos son números enormes y significan que, en algunos aspectos, los angeles lo estan haciendo mejor que Dios. En el mundo secular, esceptico y poscristiano de Occidente, la fe en los angeles es considerada tanto una anomalia como un consuelo. ¿Que son exactamente los angeles y por que han creido en ellos tantos en diferentes epocas y contextos de todo el mundo? ¿Cual es su historia y su papel en las grandes religiones y mas alla de ellas? ¿Son algo real, una manifestacion de Dios o solo metaforas usadas en la religion? ¿Pueden aportar una verdad mas profunda sobre la existencia humana y el cosmos? Estas no son preguntas nuevas, los humanos se las plantean desde hace milenios. Peter Stanford investiga sobre la historia, la teologia y el significado cultural de los angeles.

En las últimas décadas, se ha producido un auge en la popularidad del Camino de Santiago, la antigua ruta de peregrinación que se extiende por el norte de España hasta Santiago de Compostela. Esto no es un caso aislado, pues muchos peregrinos se estan aventurando a recorrer otras rutas consagradas alrededor del mundo. Pero ¿cuales son los motivos tras el auge de este fenomeno en un mundo cada vez menos creyente? En este libro, Peter Stanford reflexiona sobre las razones por las que las personas, independientemente de sus creencias, han caminado por los mismos senderos sagrados a lo largo de los siglos. A traves de esta historia, Stanford relata las experiencias de los primeros peregrinos a Jerusalen, La Meca y Santiago de Compostela, y las entrelaza con las de millones de personas que actualmente se embarcan en estos viajes fisicos y espirituales con la esperanza de cambiar sus vidas. A la vez, nos guia por paisajes sagrados alrededor del mundo, desde la Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la Ciudad de Mexico hasta las iglesias monoliticas excavadas en la roca de Lalibela, Etiopia, y las orillas del rio Kumbh Mela en la India, pasando por Roma, Shikoku en Japon y el Machu Picchu en Peru. A partir de su propia experiencia como peregrino, Stanford busca respuestas al complejo fenomeno de la peregrinacion y argumenta que, mas alla de ocio, turismo y aventura, existen otros motivos sociales, economicos, climaticos y culturales que nos llevan al cuestionamiento de los cimientos de la vida moderna y la necesidad de emprender viajes de transformacion personal, invitando asi a la nueva generacion de peregrinos a abrir sus horizontes y asombrarse mientras dirigen sus pasos hacia las mismas rutas de los viajeros de antaño.

Ameno e informativo, este libro está dirigido a todos los que quieran entender uno de los fenómenos más poderosos e imperecederos que configuran el mundo en que vivimos. Entender la religión y su pap