Austin Farrer was part of the extraordinary mid-20th century group of 'Oxford Christians', which also included C S Lewis, J R R Tolkien, Charles Williams and Dorothy Sayers. Described as 'the one genius that the Church of England produced' in the last century and 'author of incomparably the most interesting theological books ever to come out of Oxford', his great legacy is that his considerable learning expressed itself as practical spiritual direction.

He believed that after all the argument, analysis and sifting of evidence, the purpose of theology was to show how to live and how to love. He died in 1968 and his many books are now out of print. Here is a thematically arranged anthology of his most influential writings with an extended introduction that assesses his contribution to Anglican life and through today.