For the Christian Church and its members, time is always pressing, both for this life and for the anticipated afterlife. In this life it is precious, to be valued and used; but in reality also misused and abused. The twenty-seven essays in this volume reflect Christian attitudes to time from the period of the early church through to the twentieth century, considering differing views on labour, the role and importance of recreation, the use of time for devotional purposes and preparation for the afterlife, and reactions to its wasting or sinful exploitation.Contributors: STUART K. BURNS, CAROL HARRISON, JANET L. NELSON, JANE BAUN, SUSAN BOYNTON, FRANCES ANDREWS, ANGELA MONTFORD, DIANA WOOD, HILARY M. CAREY, JUDITH MIDDLETON-STEWART, BARRY COLLETT, JOKE SPAANS, ANNE LAURENCE, MICHAEL A. MULLETT, DAVID L. WYKES, JOHN WALSH, JILL SÖDERSTRÖM, JANE GARNETT, MARTIN WELLINGS, ALLAN K. DAVIDSON, KENNETH S. JEFFREY, DOUGLAS M. MURRAY, TIM MACQUIBAN, LINDA WILSON, KRISTA COWMAN, JOHN F. POLLARD, STUART MEWS.