The Widening Circle of Us is personal, political and theological. Peter Francis charts his own ‘widening’ from a privileged beginning with an unquestioning naïve faith, to a liberal understanding of faith and society. He now believes that Christianity is best viewed as a completely non-supernatural ethic for life. The memoir weaves his personal story alongside his passion for the humanity of Jesus and writes about the battles for inclusion that have shaped his life and ministry. It is an honest reflection on his life as a priest in England, Scotland and Wales, including nearly 25 years as Warden of Gladstone’s Library, where his ‘widening’ continues with responding to the Gladstone legacy of historic slavery in the wake of Black Lives Matter.

Eminently readable – I know it is a cliché, but I really couldn’t put it down. The subtitle ‘theological memoir’ perfectly describes the genre that Peter Francis has made his own. I wish there were more books like this.
Linda Woodhead MBE, F D Maurice Professor, King’s College London

This memoir is a pleasure, a challenge, very moving, admirably frank and it is often funny in parts too.
Sarah Perry, internationally bestselling author of The Essex Serpent and Melmoth

Ordering information

Peter Francis, The Widening Circle of Us: A Theological Memoir, 2021, ISBN 978-1-910481-08-0, £15.99.

Copies can be purchased directly from the publisher using this ordering system and through booksellers and distributors. This ordering system is for print books only and these are despatched through the postal system. Other means of payment for the print version are institutional purchase orders and cheques made payable to the University of Chester. Please email any ordering queries or call +44(0)1244 513305. There is no charge for postage and packing in the UK for paperback books, but postal charges are applicable for overseas orders. Please note that for books sent overseas, there may be local taxes applied in the country of destination and customs delays. The e-book version (in PDF format) is currently available through Google Play and library collections such as EBSCO, Ebook Central and Gardners.

For more information on all University of Chester Press books, please visit: www.chester.ac.uk/university-press