This book is a revised version of a doctoral thesis presented to the University of Birmingham in 1988. The research was conducted under the supervision of David Ford, and the final product owes a great deal to his searching questions, his patience and his endless encouragement. I am also extremely grateful to Frances Young, from whose wise guidance I have benefited at several stages, and to Leslie Houlden, Andrew Chester and the former editor of this series, Graham Stanton, who read the original version and made helpful comments from which I have tried to learn in making this revision.

Like any writing, this owes much to the communities in which its various stages have come into being: especially to the very lively Theology Department of Birmingham University, where the work was begun; to my former colleagues and students at Westminster College, Oxford, where the project broadened and put down some roots; to the Principal, staff and former fellow-students at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, who provided a very amenable atmosphere for theological writing; and finally to John Hall-Matthews and my colleagues and friends in the parish of St Paul's, Tupsley, Hereford, who have encouraged me to do this revision, helped me to think more clearly about its purpose and lightened my load of other work to make it possible.