Religious conflict in Ireland has had a long history. Faith, Famine, and Faction is a case study of religious conflict in the copper-mining community of Bunmahon, Co. Waterford, Ireland in the mid-nineteenth century. By the time an English evangelical clergyman, Rev. David Alfred Doudney, came to the area in 1847, intense exploitation of its copper resources had begun. Depression in the industry followed by famine and its legacy, spurred Doudney to initiate educational establishments to help the poor and deprived of the area, children particularly. These initiatives brought him into conflict with Catholic clergy who suspected him of engaging in proselytism. Doudney was more interested in encouraging a more vital Christianity in opposition to the nominalism he found around him, whether among Catholics or Protestants, than he was in forced religious conversion. However, such a distinction was not clear at popular level. In the rising tensions that ensued and against the backdrop of a suspected suicide, Doudney was the object of bigoted opposition, a narrow xenophobia, and of threat to his life, that together forced his departure. Not without blemish himself, Doudney articulated a strong anti-Catholic rhetoric common to the Victorian age, which he directed against the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church.

Profound reflections on the cross that help you to meditate on and marvel at the sacrificial love of Jesus. This book can be used as a devotional, especially during Lent and Easter. These profound reflections on the cross from David Mathis, author of The Christmas We Didn’t Expect, will help you to meditate on and marvel at Jesus’ life, sacrificial death, and spectacular resurrection-enabling you to treasure anew who Jesus is and what he has done. Many of us are so familiar with the Easter story that it becomes easy to miss subtle details and difficult to really enjoy its meaning. This book will help you to pause and marvel at Jesus, whose now-glorified wounds are a sign of his unfailing love and the decisive victory that he has won: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) This book can be used as a devotional. The chapters on Holy Week make it especially helpful during the Lent season and at Easter.