O all ye who pass by, behold and see; Man stole the fruit, but I must climb the tree; The tree of life to all, but only me: Was ever grief like mine? The Sacrifice, George Herbert   Through the cross and empty tomb, life is offered to a world condemned to die. For many early Christians, this paradox at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was visualised through the image of the cross as the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life stood in the heart of the Garden of Eden, offering

The pain of loss can feel unbearable. It can come close to breaking us. The absence of the one we love, the fear, the disbelief, the anger, the changes, and the disorientation that bereavement can bring has to be one of the hardest things any human can go through. It’s no surprise grief is hard. Death is humanity’s enemy. Death was not part of Eden’s design – it won’t be part of the new heavens and the new earth – it is a product of the fall, and one that we all rail against.

This is a summary of recent books read by Martin Davie, compiling his evaluations and the commendations of others. This time Martin has not focused on newly published books, but on five books he has been reading recently and which he thinks are very valuable. In this edition: What Is Marriage?: Man and Woman: A Defense by Sherif Gergis, Ryan T. Anderson and Robert P. George. This a hugely important piece of Christian philosophical apologetic that Christians need to be aware