COLUMNS

9 CL I F FORD LONGLEY

‘The “Catholic” model of an economic model is one that services the common good’

1 7 CHRISTOPHER HOWSE’S

PRESSWATCH ‘Mistresses aren’t the only ones who find Christmas socially painful’

2 6 P E T ER STANFORD

‘I don’t want to be told that this is really a story about asylum seekers’

2 9 PARISH PRACTICE 3 0 NOTEBOOK 3 1 L ETTERS 3 2 THE L I V I NG S P I R I T 3 3 CHRISTMAS PUZZLES

BOOKS

3 7 N I CHOLAS V I NCENT

Saving the Souls of Medieval London: perpetual chantries at St Paul’s Cathedral, c. 1200-1548 Marie-Hélène Rousseau

LUCY WOODING St John Fisher: bishop and theologian in Reformation and controversy Vincent Nichols

ARTS

4 1 F EATURE

Laura Gascoigne Contrasting Nativity scenes

THEATRE Mark Lawson Richard II and Pippin

C I NEMA Francine Stock The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

T E L EV I S I ON John Morrish Christmas preview

CONTENTS 1 7 / 2 4 DECEMBER 2 0 1 1

F EATURES

COVER STORY 4 A birth to change our world Isabel de Bertodano

A woman expecting her first child at Christmas time considers Leonardo’s Madonna Litta and the surprising lessons it offers 6 This island race Ivor Roberts

Britons have long been reluctant to get involved in the affairs of mainland Europe, argues a former British diplomat 8 Two faiths, one goal Edward Kessler

In a recent meeting at the Vatican, the Pope and the Chief Rabbi fell into step in the long march to reclaim Europe from secularism 1 0 Failings and loveliness Paul Bailey

The rows and melancholy that often surround Christmas are dispelled as we contemplate the Incarnation, says one writer 1 2 A time for giving Compiled by Christopher Lamb and Sam Adams

High-profile Christian advocates tell us about the causes they support 1 4 Advent meditation Laurentia Johns

The last in our series of reflections for Advent looks at Compline 1 6 From Ampleforth to Downton Julian Fellowes

A well-timed word from an inspirational monk led to a hit TV drama

1 8 Bread of Bethlehem Gregory Collins

The new abbot of the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion muses on the pursuit of holiness in the place where Christ lived 2 0 Treasured beyond measure Daniel O’Leary

The innocence of the Child fills people with hope 2 1 ‘Making things: that’s who I am’ Amanda Hopkinson

Edmund de Waal, a leading ceramicist and author of The Hare with Amber Eyes, tells us about the faith that has shaped his life 2 3 Lost in the Never Never Land Abigail Frymann

For impoverished consumers trapped in expensive hire-purchase schemes, Church Action on Poverty is offering a lifeline of help 2 5 Imagining Jesus Gerald O’Collins

A theologian analyses the veracity of fictionalised accounts of Jesus 2 7 ‘Glad to be with him’ Sam Adams

The work of a dedicated chaplain at a hospital’s military unit

4 6 THE CHURCH I N THE WORLD

Benedict XVI and the Chief Rabbi unite to save the soul of Europe 5 0 NEWS FROM BRITAIN AND I RELAND

People seek comfort and joy of carol services

COVER: THE MADONNA LITTA BY LEONARDO DA VINCI, ABOUT 1491-95. BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY

17/24 December 2011 | THE TABLET | 3