God and War: the Church of England and Armed Conflict in the Twentieth Century

Despite narratives of secularization, it appears that the British public persistently pay attention to clerical opinion and continually resort to popular expressions of religious faith, not least in time of war. From the throngs of men who gathered to hear the Bishop of London preach recruiting sermons during the First World War, to the attention paid to Archbishop Williams' words of conscience on Iraq, clerical rhetoric remains resonant. For the countless numbers who attended National Days of Prayer during the Second World War, and for the many who continue to find the Remembrance Day service a meaningful ritual, civil religious events provide a source of meaningful ceremony and a focus of national unity. War and religion have been linked throughout the twentieth century and this book explores these links: taking the perspective of the 'home front' rather than the battlefield. Exploring the views and accounts of Anglican clerics on the issue of warfare and international conflict across the century, the authors explore the church's stance on the causes, morality and conduct of warfare; issues of pacifism, obliteration bombing, nuclear possession and deterrence, retribution, forgiveness and reconciliation, and the spiritual opportunities presented by conflict. This book offers invaluable insights into how far the Church influenced public appraisal of war whilst illuminating the changing role of the Church across the twentieth century.

Shakespeare and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1913-1929

It is well known that the Birmingham Repertory Theatre launched the careers of some of the greatest twentieth-century Shakespearian actors including Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson. What is not so well known is that the Rep legend was based on a radical commitment to the innovative staging of Shakespeare which dates back to the earliest years of the century. By the 1920s this had initiated a profound shift in Shakespeare performance values which continues to inform modern production. In telling the story of Rep Shakespeare and the directors, designers and actors who contributed to the company's world-wide reputation, this book sets the work of the first purpose-built British repertory theatre in the context of the major aesthetic and organisational changes which were to transform twentieth-century theatre as a whole.