This engaging collection of articles, where even the articles that appeared at first glance least interesting are rewarding, is one of the fruits of the University of Chichester's commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of Bishop George Bell's death in 2008. George Bell, if he is known by British historians of the twentieth century, is usually identified as the inspiration for T. S. Eliot's Murder in the cathedral, the outspoken opponent of saturation bombing during the Second World War, or as a good friend of Dietrich Bonheoffer. In contrast Bell has been more extensively researched by German scholars in connection with his commitment to the Confessing Church, ecumenism and the ‘other Germany’. It is in this context that Andrew Chandler, director of the George Bell Institute, has assembled the work of leading international historians and theologians, to present a more fully rounded portrait of a cleric who believed that his faith required him to use his gifts and influence to bring justice, truth, mercy and love to all areas of contemporary life. Through ‘the genius of friendship’ and his position as an establishment figure (appropriately explored by Rowan Williams while archbishop of Canterbury), Bell acted as a bridge-builder between the Church of England and culture; the European Churches as they sought to overcome the scandal of division; and the British government and German resistance to Hitler. Moreover, as Bell saw it, he sought to close the gap between the Allies' moral aspirations in fighting Nazism and the conduct of war. The essays in this collection present him as a prophet and hard-working advocate for the voiceless and oppressed whether at home or overseas. Among the essays which examine less well known aspects of Bell's work are Joseph Muthuraj on Bell's promotion of Indian self-rule and the union of the Churches in South India and Philip Coupland on Germany and Bell's support for a federal Europe. While Bell's vision helped to lay the foundation for the World Council of Churches in 1948, the authors are clear that he frequently failed to persuade key decision-makers or the general public to follow his line of argument. This book is however no hagiography. The contributors are not afraid to apply Bell's own humanitarian principles to his life and work and to find him wanting. Nevertheless, with his broad engagement with the world and with more than 350 volumes of archival material in Lambeth Palace Library alone, there is much still to learn about the challenges and responsibilities of being a faithful Christian leader in a global age.