Synopses & Reviews
The memoir of the man dubbed the "Vicar of Baghdad" Andrew White is something of a legend: a man of great charm and energy, whose personal suffering has not deflected him from his important ministry of reconciliation. Andrew grew up in London, the son of strongly religious parents: by the age of five he could repeat the five points of Calvinism. As a child and young man he was frequently ill, but his considerable intelligence meant that his studies did not suffer. He set his heart on becoming an anaesthetist, an ambition he achieved, only to be redirected by God to Anglican ministry. Since ordination he has had a considerable role in the work of reconciliation, both between Christian and Jew and between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim. Often in danger, and always in pain, he has nevertheless been able to mediate between opposing extremes. A man of God, he is trusted by those who trust very few.
Synopsis
As the minister of St George's Anglican Church, Baghdad, Andrew White encounters daily tragedy, yet he remains a man of profound faith. Under constant threat of death, shadowed by bodyguards, he builds and encourages and loves and consoles his beleaguered congregation. In this candid book he squarely answers the questions that his circumstances force into the open. What happened to his faith, for example, when a young girl in his congregation died, after much hope and prayer? He is trusted by all sides in this tormented region, and has met the best and worst: articulate, agreeable imams and rabbis; Christian venality and dishonesty. What has kept him willing to see the best?
Synopsis
Daily encounters with danger and death lead to greater faith As the minister of St George's Anglican Church, Baghdad, Andrew White encounters daily tragedy, yet he remains a man of profound faith. Under constant threat of death, shadowed by bodyguards, he builds and encourages and loves and consoles his beleaguered congregation.
In this candid book he squarely answers the questions that his circumstances force into the open. What happened to his faith, for example, when a young girl in his congregation died, after much hope and prayer? He is trusted by all sides in this tormented region, and has met the best and worst: articulate, agreeable imams and rabbis; Christian venality and dishonesty. What has kept him willing to see the best?
Every time he returns to Iraq, he may be saying goodbye to his family for the last time. What do they think? He suffers from MS. How does he remain cheerful despite his physical weakness, and its progression? What does he say to God, alone in his study, late at night? He has been caught up in momentous events. Can he see the hand of God? Looking ahead, can he be optimistic about the future? Where are his sources of spiritual energy? He solicits prayer: why?
Synopsis
The 'Vicar of Baghdad' encounters daily tragedy.
What happened to his faith when a young girl in his congregation died, after much hope and prayer? He has met the best and worst: articulate, agreeable imams and rabbis; Christian venality and dishonesty. What has kept him willing to see the best? Every time he returns to Iraq he may be saying goodbye to his family for the last time. What do they think? He suffers from MS. How does he remain cheerful despite his physical weakness, and its progression? What does he say to God, alone in his study, late at night? He has been caught up in momentous events. Can he see the hand of God? Looking ahead, can he be optimistic about the future? Where are his sources of spiritual energy? He solicits prayer: why? 'Not everything God calls us to do is painless, ' he comments. 'Much of my work is simply about showing love to the unlovely.'
Synopsis
Andrew White, the dedicated 'Vicar of Baghdad', encounters daily tragedy. What happened to his faith when a young girl in his congregation died, after much hope and prayer? Every time he returns to Iraq he may be saying goodbye to his family for the last time. What do they think? He suffers from MS. How does he remain cheerful despite his physical weakness, and its progression? He meets regularly with men who wish to use him. What has kept him free from cynicism? What does he say to God, alone in his study, late at night? Can he see the hand of God? Looking ahead, can he be optimistic about the future? Where are his sources of spiritual energy?
About the Author
Canon Andrew White, the vicar of St George's Church in Baghdad, has extensive experience of conflict mediation in Iraq and the wider Middle East. President and CEO of the Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East, launched in 2005, he has written extensively about conflict resolution and has been involved in many hostage negotiations. He is author of Faith Under Fire and The Vicar of Baghdad.