An Easter Anthology
Arthur Howells
Hodder & Stoughton, £16.99, 288 pages
When thinking of anthologies, two types come immediately to mind: those that gather material from the one author, and those that gather material from multiple authors. Of these, the latter is the more fraught with peril, as the editor’s preference and taste has far more impact. The multi-author anthology faces the real prospect of being a hit-or-miss affair.
With that caveat in mind, let us address Arthur Howells’ paschal anthology. The term “paschal” is rather more accurate, even by Canon Howells’ own reasoning, as he begins his chronological arrangement on Palm Sunday and ends it on Pentecost. Quite rightly, he observes in his introduction that “we can’t have Easter without Holy Week”. Thus, the anthology is, in fact, intended to be a companion for the season of the Lord’s passion and death, resurrection and ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit. This contextualisation of Easter is to be welcomed.
