'The Mansion House of Liberty: The untold story of Christian Britain' by John Bradley (RP Publishing, 2015, 304 pages, available from the publisher for £12.99)

This book comes at just the right time to help us respond to a growing challenge concerning the relevance of Christianity in Britain. The author was for many years a professional businessman, before moving into leadership roles in the church in Britain and into missionary work in Asia.

The book took three years to write with additional preliminary research. This is reflected in its wide scope and excellent reference to key sources.

Britain's Christian History

The book surveys the growth and impact of Christianity in Britain from the early centuries through to the present day. The historical survey begins at the time of the Romans with reference to the period of the Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Normans through the reigns of key monarchs.

The impact of Christianity on the Monarchy, the bringing in of balance between Church and State, and the growth of law and government are all carefully charted. A serious reader is confronted with both challenge and reassurance of the many hundreds of years of British history and the history of the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland that have increasingly had impact by the gospel.

The book surveys Britain's Christian history from Roman times to the present day, confronting readers with both challenges and reassurances.

Centuries of Good Fruit

Later chapters of the book describe the fruit of Christianity through the lives of Christian businessmen, inventors, innovators and politicians, bringing order and prosperity in the nation.

The book considers key social and political issues, especially those influencing the status of the poor and deprived as well as the health and education of the nation. One cannot fail to consider the view that the stability and structure of the nation has been brought about through the impact of the Christian gospel.

Down-to-Earth Survey

A strength of the book is that it has no particular denominational bias. This makes it a more down-to-earth survey of social and political history, rather than a tool of evangelism or prophecy. It is therefore left to the reader as to how the information is applied in a range of current Christian ministries – it is a reference source that can be used in many ways.

One cannot fail to consider the view that Britain's stability and structure has been brought about through the impact of the Christian gospel.

A word of concern is expressed in the concluding chapters concerning the perceived decline of Christian belief in our present day and it is clear that a motivation behind the book was to bring a necessary call to remembrance at this critical time in the history of the nation.

The book's 300 plus pages are packed with reliable information that, nevertheless, can at best only be an overview of a huge issue. To support this a list of useful follow-up reading is supplied at the end. We highly recommend this as a foundational survey for those new to the study of our nation's Christian history. It is also a valuable reference for all who are in Christian ministry today.