It is almost a thousand years since St Francis of Assisi first walked the Stations of the Cross. Since then, they have been a fundamental Lenten devotion for Christians of all denominations. In this book the author who is a biblical scholar, linguist and practicing Christian, creates real stories behind the pious façade. The heartache, the blood and the disappointment. In a series of frank and painful short stories, you will confront a new and - at times - upsetting Theology of the Cross.

Book I - The 5th Station: Simon of Cyrene carries the Cross of Christ From Cyrene to Jerusalem and back again. A true tale of the unexpected, or how a chance meeting can change your life for ever. Simon of Cyrene, who carries the Cross of Christ, is mentioned only briefly in the Gospels. From this fleeting reference, we imagine the tumultuous life that culminated in this tremendous Good Friday encounter. En route, we meet a stellar cast of unlikely characters: Jesus and Simon, of course, but also Stoic merchants, boy soldiers, beautiful Greek women and the proverbial Jewish mother. Including the previously published:

Book II - The 8th Station - Jesus meets the Women of Jerusalem This daring short story takes its inspiration from the Song of Songs as well as the Gospels and views Jesus from a new and controversial angle. As the object of desire. In a few, tense pages we follow the journey of one woman from Nazareth to Golgotha. A quest like no other, unique but also universal. The women of Jerusalem speak to the women of the world.

Book III - The 4th station - Mary meets her son In the Fourth Station of the Cross, Jesus meets his Mother. While traditional piety concentrates on the Virgin's unblinking devotion to her divine Son, we consider other, more worrying readings of this crucial encounter. We track the rocky Mother-Son relationship as it develops in all four Gospels and come to some painful and unexpected conclusions.

You have been warned.