Audiobooks Narrated by Richard Littledale

Paul, Democracy, and the Corinthians

"Bloomsbury presents Paul, Democracy, and the Corinthians by L. L. Welborn. Read by Richard Littledale. In this short and remarkable book L.L. Welborn outlines the complex and contested nature of ‘democracy’ in the Greek cities of the Roman East, where the apostle Paul established Christ groups, showing that writings of Paul and the development of Christianity reveal a strong and radical form of democracy that holds ever-greater relevance in today’s contentious political landscape. Welborn begins by showing how, paradoxically, language around the concept of democracy is largely absent from political thinkers in the first century. By contrast, we learn that Paul’s Corinthian correspondence is full of vocabulary associated with democracy, not only the term we know as “Church” (ekkesia) or “people’s assembly”, which the Christ-group adopted as a self-designation, but other terms with a democratic history and resonance such as eleutheria (“freedom”), paressia (“freedom of speech”), koinomia (“partnership”), isotes (“equality”). Moreover, as Welborn shows, several passages give evidence of democratic practices, such as voting (2 Cor. 2:6-8). Especially significant is the revelation that women were praying and prophesying in the assembly (1 Cor. 11:5), enacting a radical extension of the democratic-egalitarian ethos. In these chapters Welborn assesses the complex evidence of Paul’s Corinthian epistles in an attempt to answer the question: How “democratic” was the assembly of Christ followers at Corinth? If, as Welborn suggests, the answer is exceptionally “democratic,” at least in comparison with the political regime of first-century Roman Corinth, what consequence might this discovery have for those who are concerned about the failure of democracy today? P 2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 2026 L. L. Welborn"

L. L. Welborn (Author), Richard Littledale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

Bridging the Testaments, Part 2: The History and Theology of God’s People in the Second Temple Period

"An accessible introduction to the historical and theological developments between the Old and New Testament. Bridging the end of the Old Testament period and the beginning of the New Testament period, this book surveys the history and theological developments of four significant eras in Israel's post-exilic history: the Late Persian Era (465-331 BC), the Hellenistic Era (332-167 BC), the Hasmonean Era (167-63 BC), and the Roman Era (63-4 BC). In doing so, it does away with the notion that there were four hundred years of prophetic silence before Jesus. Bridging the Testaments outlines the political and social developments of these four periods, with particular focus on their impact upon Judeans and Samarians. Using a wide range of biblical and extra-biblical sources, George Athas reconstructs what can be known about the history of Judah and Samaria in these eras, providing the framework for understanding the history of God's covenant people, and the theological developments that occurred at the end of the Old Testament period, leading into the New Testament. In doing so, Athas shows that the notion of a supposed period of four hundred years of prophetic silence is not supported by the biblical or historical evidence. Finally, an epilogue sketches the historical and theological situation prevailing at the death of Herod in 4 BC, providing important context for the New Testament writings. In this way, the book bridges the Old and New Testaments by providing a historical and theological understanding of the five centuries leading up to the birth of Jesus, tracking a biblical theology through them, and abolishing the notion of a four-century prophetic silence. Tables, maps, and diagrams can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download."

George Athas (Author), Richard Littledale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

Bridging the Testaments, Part 1: The History and Theology of God’s People in the Second Temple Period

"An accessible introduction to the historical and theological developments between the Old and New Testament. Bridging the end of the Old Testament period and the beginning of the New Testament period, this book surveys the history and theological developments of four significant eras in Israel's post-exilic history: the Late Persian Era (465-331 BC), the Hellenistic Era (332-167 BC), the Hasmonean Era (167-63 BC), and the Roman Era (63-4 BC). In doing so, it does away with the notion that there were four hundred years of prophetic silence before Jesus. Bridging the Testaments outlines the political and social developments of these four periods, with particular focus on their impact upon Judeans and Samarians. Using a wide range of biblical and extra-biblical sources, George Athas reconstructs what can be known about the history of Judah and Samaria in these eras, providing the framework for understanding the history of God's covenant people, and the theological developments that occurred at the end of the Old Testament period, leading into the New Testament. In doing so, Athas shows that the notion of a supposed period of four hundred years of prophetic silence is not supported by the biblical or historical evidence. Finally, an epilogue sketches the historical and theological situation prevailing at the death of Herod in 4 BC, providing important context for the New Testament writings. In this way, the book bridges the Old and New Testaments by providing a historical and theological understanding of the five centuries leading up to the birth of Jesus, tracking a biblical theology through them, and abolishing the notion of a four-century prophetic silence. Tables, maps, and diagrams can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download."

George Athas (Author), Richard Littledale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

Hearing the Message of Ecclesiastes: Questioning Faith in a Baffling World

"There is no easy answer to the meaning of life--even when you believe in God. The book of Ecclesiastes seeks to answer the question: 'What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?' The book's writer is Qoheleth, who wants to understand the meaning of life as far as he possibly can with the tools of his own empirical observation and reason. He struggles to reconcile the beautiful world that we love and enjoy with the baffling world of injustice, suffering, and death. Qoheleth circles around an abyss of nihilism and pessimism. He lives with unanswered questions. Yet he remains a believer. Old Testament scholar Christopher J. H. Wright invites you to join Qoheleth on a journey through wisdom literature from centuries ago, because the message of Ecclesiastes can be strangely reassuring as we put our faith to the test in today's post-modern era. There will be disorienting twists and turns and the occasional complete impasse as complex topics are discussed, like: - The meaning of life - Mysteries of time and injustice - Ambiguities of work, politics, worship, and wealth Hearing the Message of Ecclesiastes won't answer your questions about the meaning of life, but it will ultimately help you live in the tension of God's gifts in Genesis 1-2 and the fallen world of Genesis 3--and still go on trusting in the sovereign goodness of God. Reflection questions are included in the audiobook companion PDF download."

Christopher J. H. Wright (Author), Richard Littledale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

May We Borrow Your Language?: How English Steals Words from All Over the World

"The English language that is spoken by one billion people around the world is a linguistic mongrel, its vocabulary a diverse mix resulting from centuries of borrowing from other tongues. From the Celtic languages of pre-Roman Britain to Norman French; from the Vikings' Old Scandinavian to Persian, Sanskrit, Algonquian, Cantonese and Hawaiian – amongst a host of others – we have enriched our modern language with such words as tulip, slogan, doolally, avocado, moccasin, ketchup and ukulele. May We Borrow Your Language? explores the intriguing and unfamiliar stories behind scores of familiar words that the English language has filched from abroad; in so doing, it also sheds fascinating light on the wider history of the development of the English we speak today. Full of etymological nuggets to intrigue and delight the reader, this is a gift book for word buffs to cherish – as cerebrally stimulating as it is more-ishly entertaining. - Philip Gooden writes books about language as well as historical crime novels. The former include 'Who's Whose? A No-Nonsense Guide to Easily-Confused Words', 'The Story of English', and (as co-author) 'Idiomantics' and 'The Word at War'."

Philip Gooden (Author), Richard Littledale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

The New Testament in Its World: Part 2: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians

"Your ticket from the twenty-first century to the era of Jesus and the first Christians. A listenable, two-volume introduction placing the entire New Testament and early Christianity in its original context, written by distinguished scholar and author N. T. Wright. An ideal guide for students, The New Testament in Its World addresses the many difficult questions faced by those studying early Christianity, including: - What was the first century understanding of the Kingdom of God? - What is the meaning of the resurrection in its original context? - What were the Gospels, and how did they come about? - Who was Paul and why are his letters so controversial? Written for both classroom and personal use, this book brings together decades of ground-breaking research, writing, and teaching into one volume. It presents the New Testament books-along with their subjects: Jesus and the early church-within the historical and social context of Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman politics and culture. The New Testament in Its World allows you to recover the excitement of what it was like to live as Christians in the first or second centuries. Features include: - Surveys of each New Testament book that discuss their significance and provides commentary on their contents, along with implications for the Christian life. - Major sections on the historical Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and Paul's chronology and theology. - Up-to-date discussions of textual criticism and the canonization of the New Testament. - Frequent illustrations, maps, charts, diagrams, and artwork provide additional explanations and insights. - A distillation of the life work of N. T. Wright on the New Testament with input from Michael Bird. Accompanying figures, tables, images, and reference materials are available in the audiobook companion PDF download."

Michael F. Bird, N. T. Wright (Author), Richard Littledale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

The New Testament in Its World: Part 1: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians

"Your ticket from the twenty-first century to the era of Jesus and the first Christians. A listenable, two-volume introduction placing the entire New Testament and early Christianity in its original context, written by distinguished scholar and author N. T. Wright. An ideal guide for students, The New Testament in Its World addresses the many difficult questions faced by those studying early Christianity, including: - What was the first century understanding of the Kingdom of God? - What is the meaning of the resurrection in its original context? - What were the Gospels, and how did they come about? - Who was Paul and why are his letters so controversial? Written for both classroom and personal use, this book brings together decades of ground-breaking research, writing, and teaching into one volume. It presents the New Testament books-along with their subjects: Jesus and the early church-within the historical and social context of Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman politics and culture. The New Testament in Its World allows you to recover the excitement of what it was like to live as Christians in the first or second centuries. Features include: - Surveys of each New Testament book that discuss their significance and provides commentary on their contents, along with implications for the Christian life. - Major sections on the historical Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and Paul's chronology and theology. - Up-to-date discussions of textual criticism and the canonization of the New Testament. - Frequent illustrations, maps, charts, diagrams, and artwork provide additional explanations and insights. - A distillation of the life work of N. T. Wright on the New Testament with input from Michael Bird. Accompanying figures, tables, images, and reference materials are available in the audiobook companion PDF download."

Michael F. Bird, N. T. Wright (Author), Richard Littledale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free

The Note: The first sound of Christmas

"A unique Christmas story, 'The note' will take you on a wonderful journey across the greatest oceans to a baby in a manger and beyond guided by the heart warming narration of the author Richard Littledale and the stunning orchestral arrangement by Andrew Stamp. With it's high praise ( see below ), The note is to be enjoyed by you, your friends and loved ones. Do you hear THE NOTE? Richard Littledale writes “once it has been played or sung, every note goes on forever. May this note stay with you forever'. PRAISE FOR THE NOTE AUDIOBOOK “It has a life all of its own. Bravo! Listened keenly on public transport this morning. Oh the inspiration!” - Bernard Achampong, freelance radio producer “It has something of the Little Prince about it” – Fiona Robertson, editor, Watkins Press “It leaves a residue, which is the hallmark of a good story. …The Note is super – evocative and haunting as ever. You have a knack of taking the simplest thing and imbuing it with meaning, depth and resonance.” – Jonny Gallant, managing director, Alban Books “Great first impression” – Rev Mary Hawes, National Children’s and Youth adviser, C of E “Magical” – John Logan, head teacher. “Well... it's just sheer delight. I think you may have a winner :)” – Jonathan Gunson, bestselling author and marketing expert, New Zealand “I love it, I can just picture the whole family sitting together to listen to this, with just the faint flicker of candle light” – Trudi Harrison, cake-maker “A mesmerising, thought-provoking and tinglingly emotive story, so beautifully read. Every listener will find him or herself looking for that silvery note. Just gorgeous” – Karen Sullivan, founder, Orenda Books “Just wow really! Beautiful and your voice is perfect for it - so gentle & peaceful” Helen Sadler, founder of Monkey Wellbeing, children’s specialist” “It's a lovely story. The whole thing is completely gorgeous. I wish you all the very best with"

Richard Littledale (Author), Richard Littledale (Narrator)

Audiobook

Play Sample Listen For Free