Guli Francis-Dehqani

'The quest for authenticity has been a hallmark of Guli's journey since she arrived in this country as a refugee forty years ago... She has an extraordinary ability to hear the music not only of the soul but of the future, and emboldens us to dance to it today.' BISHOP ROBERT ATWELL When it comes to inhabiting life fully, Mary is surely one of our greatest role models. 'My soul magnifies the Lord,' she sings in the Magnificat. Her spirited response to the Angel Gabriel's announcement that she is to bear the son of God is rich in nuance, contradiction and paradox. These very characteristics inspire Bishop Guli to make connections between the themes of Advent and her own experiences - and to invite us to do the same. Bishop Guli's forced exile from her homeland has echoes of the flight into Egypt; the murder of her brother Bahram during the Iranian Revolution of the slaughter of the innocents. She writes intriguingly of how angels continue speaking to us today; how fear can prevent us from living well in the present; how pain and loss can be transformed by the power of beauty. Deepening its resonance, each chapter is linked to a piece of music, prompting us to consider: what are the enduring melodies that sustain us as the vibrant stories of our lives unfold?

Life Together, originally written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a reflection and rule of life during his time as leader of the illegal seminary of the Confessing Church in Finkenwalde (Eastern Prussia) in the 1930s, is one of the classic texts of twentieth-century spirituality. Since its first publication in German in 1939, it has influenced Christian individuals and communities in their thinking of what it means to live a life before God. First published by SCM Press in 1954, it is now reissued with a Foreword by Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani.

The New Testament gospel writers record nineteen resurrection appearances, from the first encounter with Mary Magdalene on Easter morning to Paul’s life-changing experience on the Damascus road. Stations of the Resurrection offers reflections on each of these episodes from the bestselling poet Malcolm Guite and the much admired writer and bishop, Guli Francis-Dehqani, accompanied by colour illustrations from the priest-artist Iain McKillop. Bishop Guli draws on her first hand knowledge of Middle Eastern culture to explore these stories and Malcolm Guite offers a sonnet in response to each of them – many published here for the first time - with reflections on the texts that inspired them. This imaginative and inspirational resource also includes the complete Stations of the Resurrection liturgies from Common Worship Times and Seasons that commemorate each of the nineteen events, allowing the book to be used for both personal devotional use and liturgical celebration.

Guli Francis-Dehqani was born in Isfahan, Iran, to a family who were part of the tiny Anglican Church established by 19th century missionaries. Her father, a Muslim convert, became the first indigenous Persian bishop. As the Islamic Revolution of 1979 swept across the country, church properties were raided, confiscated or closed down. Guli’s father was briefly imprisoned before surviving an attack on his life, which injured his wife. Soon after, whilst he was out of the country for meetings, Guli’s 24 year-old brother, Bahram, a university teacher in Tehran, was murdered. No one was ever brought to justice and the family were advised to leave Iran. Guli was 14. They eventually settled in England with refugee status. Drawing on the riches of Persian culture and her own dramatic experience of loss of a homeland, Guli offers memorable and perceptive reflections on Jesus’ seven final sayings from the cross, opening up for Western readers fresh and arresting insights from a Middle Eastern perspective.