‘The Infernal Word - Notes from a Rebel Angel’ at Salisbury Cathedral
Tickets are now on sale for the launch of The Infernal Word - Notes from a Rebel Angel, a new book by The Revd Nicholas Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury, in the Cathedral on Tuesday 5 December.
The Cathedral and Canterbury Press will be celebrating the launch with an hour of conversation and questions, music by Wiltshire harpist and former chorister Katie Salomon, and a special book signing afterwards.
Led by Canon Tim Daykin, former broadcaster and member of the Salisbury Cathedral Chapter, the Infernal Word conversation will explore the book and its central character (a rebel angel who sided with Satan in his insurgency and was cast out of Heaven), along with some of the Christian ideas that underpin the narrative.
It is safe to say the Dean’s narrator is one unhappy devil, perplexed by the triumph of good over evil and the stories of salvation, so expect some irreverent moments. Over twelve chapters the book discusses a dozen of God’s significant encounters with humanity - each of which takes placing on a mountain top, from Mount Ararat where Noah’s ark pitched up, to the Mount of Ascension where Jesus ‘returns to heaven’.
Nicholas Papadopulos said “I have always been more interested in questions than answers, both as a criminal lawyer and as a priest. Posing difficult questions identifies the real issues. Writing in the rebel angel’s voice has allowed me to have fun whilst at the same time compelling me to work out what faith in God really means to me. They say the devil has all the best tunes – well, what better way to challenge the accepted narrative of faith than through the eyes of a rebel, an angelic non-believer with plenty of attitude.”
Described by Archbishop Justin Welby as ‘deceptively simple, profoundly insightful and immensely entertaining’ and by the author and historian Tom Holland as ‘Milton’s rebel angels re-imagined for the 21st century’, The Infernal Word; Notes from a Rebel Angel began as a series of addresses preached by the Dean on Good Friday, when he was the Canon Treasurer at Canterbury Cathedral, and subsequently expanded at Salisbury Cathedral. Years in preparation, the book and the conversation in the Cathedral offer a fresh perspective on familiar Biblical stories.
The Infernal Word, the conversation, takes place at 6:45pm on Thursday 5 December (doors open at 18.30) and free tickets are available via the Cathedral website. Please book in advance if possible because there will be refreshments available on arrival, which can be taken to your seats.
The Dean will be available to sign copies of his book after the conversation. Books can be pre-ordered with tickets via the website and picked up on the night. A small number will also be on sale on the night.
🌐 Book your tickets here