George Bell remains one of only a handful of twentieth-century English bishops to possess a continuing international reputation for his involvement in political affairs. Throughout his long career, Bell became a leading light in the burgeoning ecumenical movement, a supporter of refugees from dictatorships of all kinds, a committed internationalist and a patron of the Arts. This book draws together the work of leading international historians and theologians, including Rowan Williams, and makes an important contribution to a range of ongoing political, ecumenical and international debates.

Lectured in modern history at the universities of Birmingham, Keele and British Columbia before becoming Director of the George Bell Institute at the Queen's College in Birmingham in 1996. The institute moved to the University of Chichester in 2007. Author of a succession of studies of twentieth-century church affairs and politics, focussing mainly on the Church of England and international politics during the middle decades and also on the Church of England at large across the century. Publications include The Church of England in the Twentieth Century: The Church Commissioners and the Politics of Reform (Boydell, 2006)

Contents: Foreword; Chronology: the life and times of George Bell, 1883-1958; 'The Church and humanity': George Bell and the life of the Church in the 20th century, Andrew Chandler; 'Fulfilling Christ's own wish that we should be one': the early ecumenical work of George Bell as chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury and Dean of Canterbury (1914-1929), Charlotte Methuen; George Bell, John Masefield and The Coming of Christ: context and significance, Peter Webster; An Indian scholar looks at Bishop George Bell, Joseph Mutharaj; 'Please tell the Bishop of Chichester': George Bell and the internment crisis of 1940, Charmian Brinson; The patronage of resistance: George Bell and the 'other Germany' during the Second World War, Andrew Chandler; George Bell, the question of Germany and the cause of European unity, 1939-1950, Philip Coupland; Bishop Bell and the trial of German war criminals: a moral history, Tom Lawson; George Bell and the Cold War, Dianne Kirby; 'Intimately associated for many years': the common life-work of George Bell and Willem A. Visser't Hooft in the service of the universal Church, Gerhard Besier; George Bell and the promotion of Anglican-Lutheran relations, Jaakko Rusama; A Church of the nation or a Church for the nation? Bishop George Bell and the Church of England, Rowan Williams; Selected bibliography of the published writings of George Bell; Index.