Product Description

'The most extraordinary clergyman in the Church of England.' The Times, 'A Visionary with Attitude.' Jack Dee, 'A very dangerous man.' Baroness Thatcher Donald Reeves is a cult figure in religious and political circles, the former Rector of St James' Piccadilly, is a man of action and vision who lives out his religious belief through political activity and struggle. He is charismatic with enormous personal charm and persuasiveness. Reeves started his clerical life as Chaplain to the notorious Anglican bishop Mervyn Stockwood. He was thus trained in an atmosphere of socialist politics with a strong tinge of sexual ambivalence. Stockwood is just one of the figures about whom Reeves writes with relish and acuity in this volume of memoirs. John 'Honest to God' Robinson comes in for something of a drubbing in these pages. Reeves heyday was as Rector of St James' Church in Piccadilly and space he filled with unorthodox worship, celebrated pulpit dialogues, a coffee shop, shops and stalls and through which there was an endless march of eccentric cleric and politicians. He had several brushes with Margaret Thatcher who detested him but he has also been an adviser to Rio Tinto, The BBC, ITV and Mittal Steel on ethical issues. Today he devotes himself to working for peace in Bosnia and the Balkans, an area he argues which could so easily descend into open warfare once again. He is very critical of Paddy Ashdown and many so-called experts. He spent many years in the USA working for civil rights and setting up the Urban Training Center in Chicago. Reeves never lets the grass grow under his feet. His energy is inexhaustible (even in his seventies) and this energy pulsates through the pages of this fascinating book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #187281 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 216 pages

Review
'The most extraordinary clergyman in the Church of England' --The Times

'A Visionary with Attitude' --Jack Dee

'A very dangerous man' --Baroness Thatcher

'A Visionary with Attitude' --Jack Dee

'A very dangerous man' --Baroness Thatcher

About the Author
Donald Reeves became celebrated as the vicar of St James's Church, Piccadilly. The Church became a centre of liturgical innovation but also of radical politics and debate. He has always been a thorn in the side of the Establishment, hence the title of this autobiography.

Customer Reviews

An exceptional book by and exceptional man
I have had the joy of working with Donald in the pursuit of a better ubderstanding of Interfaith.I had little idea of the man behind his determination to have a relationship with God that is not just repetitive niceties but a very deep belief in action.
This book confirms my respect and fondness for a man who understands that eggs have to be broken in order etc etc. Margaret Thatcher called him dangerous because he has been determined all his life not to be bothered by convention in order to promote Christianity,stepping on the toes of pomposity a speciality.
It is an autobiography, still on going, about a man who is a one off. Not content with tending the roses he pursues difficult and at times dangerous tasks and has been wonderfully successful in so doing.
This is a book, like Donald Reeves, full of surprises. It should be read by everybody who is devout or not..very special.

Clergymen can change the world
Mrs Thatcher said that the author was 'a very dangerous man.' Why? Because he believes that little people can make a difference despite the oppression of the establishment, including bishops. That's why I bought the book.

In a very self-effacing way the author explains how in the interests of the less well-off he transformed the social life of a large new-town, a once-derelict society church in Piccadilly, and now the warring factions of the former Yugoslavia.

You don't have to be a Christian to be inspired by his vision: in fact it's probably better if you're not. But Thatcher was right -- he is dangerous for people like her. With a few more grass-roots performers like Reeves, Thatcher, Blair and Brown would be proved to be an unnecessary burden in civilised life.