Runcie: On Reflection

Here is an affectionate portrait of Lord Runcie, a man of great courage, warmth and wit who was vilified by sections of the press while he was Archbishop of Canterbury, but was also said to have provided the only effective opposition to the government during the eighties - a decade not renowned for its compassion or generosity. Doing an impossible job at an impossible time, Robert Runcie is most remembered for the landmark "Faith in the City" initiative, his pragmatism in the face of the intractable moral issues of the day and his independent stance at the Falklands service, all of which drew the wrath of the tabloids. Yet his remarkable gift for friendship behind the scenes brought a new closeness between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic church and was instrumental in helping to topple apartheid in South Africa. The contributors to this tribute include Desmond Tutu; Richard Chartres; Douglas Hurd; Mary Tanner; and Andrew Brown among others.