Volume 18.3

In this issue…

… Two main themes dominate.

The first is the Reformation. Readers will be well aware that 2017 is the 500th anniversary of Luther’s pinning his 95 theses to the castle door of Wittenberg. We take up the theme in various ways. In the course of surveying 2000 years of producing and selling the Bible, David Parish pays particular attention to the publication of the Luther Bible and the role played by the innovation of the printing press in disseminating it. Steve Apted draws some fascinating parallels between ‘Brexit 1517’ – the break from Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries – and the arguments used for leaving the European Union in Brexit 2017. Peter Heslam discusses the link between the Reformation and the spirit of entrepreneurship and the many Christian entrepreneurs worldwide who stand in that heritage today.

The second is festival and celebration. The spectacular scene which adorns our front cover is the Kynren open-air show taking place in front of Auckland Castle. A major transformation is underway in the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham. In a fascinating and candid article Jonathan Ruffer explains why he has used his considerable personal wealth to finance this project. Christians are also active in the annual celebration of the motor industry now happening in Coventry. Richard Higginson interviews James Noble about the motivation for this.

We also include two weighty articles on important issues of business ethics. John’s son Mark Lovatt revisits the thorny subject of corruption, and offers a compelling study of the theology and psychology which undergirds it. Ridley ordinand Iain Osborne analyses the way consumerism works and suggests helpful ways of escaping its grip.

We carry two book reviews in this issue. The first, by Christopher Stephens, extols the virtues of regular author Eve Poole’s original approach to leadership – she has even coined a new word, Leadersmithing. The second, by David Henderson, sympathetically scrutinises a pair of books (novel and management guide, from a Christian perspective) written by new author A.J.Sheppard.

Finally, regular columnist Phil Jump discusses the growing impact of artificial intelligence, and highlights the crucial human aspects of work it can never replace.

We hope there is much here which will stimulate, inform and excite you..