Rain Falling by the River

As a spiritual director, theologian, teacher and chaplain, Christopher Southgate’s poetry resonates deeply with human experience and has received wide recognition. Here he collects together new and some of his most popular poems that touch on spiritual themes.

A number of commissioned poems feature in this collection, including one on the King James Bible, quoted by Rowan Williams at the 400th anniversary service in Westminster Abbey. Other poems are drawn directly from biblical narratives, or reflect on the person of Jesus.

Also included are poems focusing on places of spiritual significance: Iona, Lindisfarne, Patmos, and the site of 9/11 in Manhattan, as well as poems about suffering and grief including the popular work ‘Coming to Terms’, featured on BBC Radio 4.