Standing Under the Cross: Essays on Bonhoeffer’s theology by Michael Mawson (T & T Clark, £28.99 (£26.09); 978-0-567-70951-6). New in paperback

“Standing Under the Cross focuses on Bonhoeffer’s rich theological and ethical thinking. It places Bonhoeffer in conversation with a wide range of modern theologians, including Karl Barth, Franz Rosenzweig, Jürgen Moltmann, and James Cone. The book gives particular attention to hermeneutics, the body, and Bonhoeffer’s rich reflections on community and discipleship.” 

Pursuing Perfection: Faith and the female body, edited by Maja Whitaker (SCM Press, £35 (£28); 978-0-334-06558-6).

“The chapters in this book deconstruct what ‘perfected’ bodies look like, and what ‘perfection’ itself entails. Contributors from a range of disciplines, including theology, religious studies, philosophy, and nutritional science, argue that, theologically, perfection entails the fulfilment of human telos rather than the attainment of human standards or culturally-bound aesthetic ideals.”

Churches of Essex by John E. Vigar (Amberley, £15.99 (£14.39); 978-1-3981-2301-4).

“In Churches of Essex historian John E. Vigar shares the wealth of religious architecture to be found in the county, from the plain and simple to huge, impressive buildings displaying medieval wealth.” 

Selected by Frank Nugent, of the Church House Bookshop, which operates the Church Times Bookshop.