Church of the Empire

As a fellow pilgrim rooted in the rich, complex soil of Sri Lankan Anglicanism, I find Dr Perera's Church of the Empire to be an invaluable gift to the global communion. From our shared heritage in the Church of Ceylon, we know deeply what it means to navigate the intersections of identity, faith and colonial legacy. Dr Perera and her collaborators dissect these multi-layered realities with masterful precision, theological depth and profound psychological insight. This book does not merely look backward at historical structures; it bravely challenges us to dismantle systemic inequality and build a more just, inclusive future for the Church. A vital, transformative read for everyone committed to true reconciliation and gospel justice.

Bishop Keerthisiri Fernando, former presiding Bishop of the Church of Ceylon

Church of the Empire is a timely and topical must read for anyone interested in the Church of England and Race. A series of thoughtful and thought-provoking essays by leading scholars and leaders from around the world offer new perspectives on racial justice, contested historical narratives, and evolving strategies within the Anglican Church. The authors offer not just a call to new ways of looking at the church but also provide a bold call towards global justice.

Professor Jolyon Mitchell, Principal of St John's College, Durham

Tackling the 'wicked problem' of racial justice in the Church of England requires careful reckoning with the manifold legacies of the Church's extensive historic entanglement with racialized colonialism and empire. This book gathers a refreshing breadth of considered analysis and reflection on these issues. Highly recommended for anyone longing that, in every corner, the Church may more fully embrace the expanded vision of God and humanity offered us in Jesus Christ.

Ben Fulford, Deputy Head of Humanities, Cultures and Environment and Associate Professor of Christian Theology, University of Chester

This pathfinding volume is indispensable in diagnosing why racism is a "wicked problem" for the Anglican Church-its global impact and impediments to change. Yet it also offers guideposts to imagine a church beyond empire to respond to the calling of the Gospel in our challenging time. It is a must-read for Anglican missiology and ecclesiology.

Kwok Pui-lan, Professor Emerita, Episcopal Divinity School, USA and author of The Anglican Tradition from a Postcolonial Perspective

Profound and prophetic, Sanjee Perera's Church of the Empire is moral cartography at its best. Attentive to the complexities and complicities around colonialism, a stellar group of contributors reiterate that the path for the Church of England towards a healed and hopeful future rests in an honest and humble engagement with a problematic past and its persistent legacies. The leaves of this book are for the healing of the nations!

Rev'd Dr Peniel Rajkumar, Director of Global Mission, USPG and Canon Theologian York Minster

The varied and wide-ranging contributions in this book offer insights across both centuries and continents in their reach and analysis. Whilst many of the contributions differ in their approach, each are consistent in offering one part of a kaleidoscopic understanding of the historic and ongoing impact of both Church and Empire, neither of which can be fully understood without the other.

The Rt Revd Arun Arora, Bishop of Kirkstall