Following the inexplicable murder and reappearance of Perpetua, her followers spread a gospel of unconditional love. Whilst struggling to deal with issues of freedom and uniformity, power and love, tension mounts.

Set in two quintessentially British settings, they quickly discover that each follower is called to pay a price, from tedium to martyrdom. With the death of one of Perpetua’s most loyal supporters moments after uttering a revelatory accusation, they learn that obstacles come not only from outside their number, but from within.

Spirit is the second of three books in The Third Testament for the Third Millennium, a bold re-telling of the New Testament in a 21st Century context, asking Christians to question what they believe and why.

Incorporating a dazzling array of artistic styles, convention-breaking use of language and sharply drawn characters, the series draws on its author’s experience of journalism, broadcasting and politics, and on his work as a lay minister in the Church of England. It is profound and funny, moving and edgy, setting out how we might better live together with more self-restraint and less regulation.