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Travel through CambridgeUniversity challengeTRAVEL THROUGH CAMBRIDGE David Berkley’s compact introduction to the world-renowned city of Cambridge is a guidebook with a twist. Alongside the traditional maps, photographs and travel information runs a nuanced and well-researched history of the city that sheds light on the influence of Christianity in its development. As well as tracing the monastic roots of the colleges, Berkley carefully documents the careers of the many significant Christian thinkers who passed through the university — Erasmus, Tyndale, Wilberforce, Lewis. He also describes the momentous advances in science made at the university (the discovery of the double helix being the climax) and insists that this focus on empirical evidence does not need to conflict with the commitment to Christianity which is still evident in the increasingly secular faculties and departments. His confident and lucid style makes the book easy and interesting to read. However, to really make the most of it, take it off the shelf and onto the streets of Cambridge. Whether you’re visiting for the day or know Cambridge like the back of your hand, Berkley opens your eyes to new delights. Ignored statues and old plaques illustrate the stories he tells, giving dynamism to the book and depth to the architecture. Indeed, open the book on the appropriate page when standing outside Kings College Chapel or Great St. Mary’s Church and you could be forgiven for imagining yourself in a larger-than-life pop-up book. Berkley’s book is a hoard of fascinating facts and stories driven by the belief that ‘Cambridge must never lose its heritage and tradition that true Christianity and true science are wholly compatible’. The book comes highly recommended, best coupled with a trip to Cambridge itself — the perfect excuse for a weekend away! Rachel Thorpe, © Evangelicals Now - February 2010 |