Welcome to my latest book

Over the years I have written, edited, or contributed to a number of Christian books and publications. However, I have produced very little for the past dozen years because, working as an official spokesperson and bishop’s administrator for a Church of England diocese, I believed strongly that the messenger should not become the message.

However, those days are now behind me and I have brought off the back burner a project which has been simmering there for some 30 years. The figure of Judas Iscariot in the Bible is intriguing. So little is known about him yet he played such an important – and infamous – part in the Jesus story. And what emerges, as we consider all the possible factors that lay behind his final, fatal actions, is that everyone is liable to mess up in very similar ways.

Each of the factors that may have contributed to his betrayal of Jesus’ whereabouts to the authorities are factors which can cause any one of us to stumble.

So I set about exploring those factors, discovering parallel examples from the lives of famous and ordinary people, and examining the research and the conclusions of experts in the relevant fields. And then thinking about how to both prevent and cure the weaknesses thus exposed. The result is The Judas Trap.

I took it to a small and relatively new British Christian commercial publisher, Instant Apostle, partly because they could offer a swift turn-round and partly because I liked their philosophy of largely (but obviously not entirely!) giving a platform to new authors. I also discovered, to my surprise, that their professional thoroughness in editing and proofreading far surpassed what (to judge from the grammatical and printing errors one finds in many recent books) appears to be a corner-cutting trend in publishing generally.

Below is the Foreword to the book written by a lay Christian woman who doesn’t have a theological background. It serves as a useful summary of what the book is. I asked her to do this because while the book is packed full of Bible stuff and carries commendations from two senior Anglican clergy, it’s written for thinking people like Hilary who don’t have the theological background I’ve been privileged to amass over the years.

Below her contribution are the other commendations and the practical details of the book for anyone who wants to buy a print or Kindle copy.

Foreword to The Judas Trap

The Judas Trap is a fascinating challenge to us all. We are challenged to understand what made Judas Iscariot deliver Jesus Christ to the Roman authorities, as described in the New Testament. Judas is a very important person in the story of Jesus for Christians, as he is considered to have "betrayed" Jesus. Judas is the person who started the process of Jesus being crucified. So, it is important to face the challenge that any one of us may have done exactly the same, if we found ourselves where Judas was.

Derek Williams gives us clear, possible explanations for why Judas did what he did, all backed by referenced evidence from the literature and lots of easy to read examples, both historical and contemporary. He has done a thorough job of investigating his topic of The Judas Trap. Maybe the reasons Judas did what he did can apply to all of us. We are challenged to think how we might be at risk of falling into one of the same traps, even 2000 years later.

The explanations use theories from many disciplines: psychology, sociology, economics, ethics, and more. Derek uses the evidence well. He uses it to support his proposed possible explanations of Judas' behaviour. Each chapter addresses a single possible explanation, starting with a clear, brief summary of what is in the chapter (what an invaluable aspect of this book), an apposite quotation, a description of the "trap" factor to be discussed, then the evidence and anecdote. But there is more. Each chapter then challenges the reader on whether we may fall into this specific trap, and then gives practical suggestions on what to do now to avoid doing that. Perfect!

We are led through the process of thinking how awful it was for Judas to do that; how, maybe, there was a reason why he did it; well, maybe, we sometimes behave a bit like that, too; but here's how we can avoid doing it any more. Phew!

This book challenges the reader to think. However, it is easy to read, well signposted and very engaging. You may want to read it one chapter at a time and have a pause between chapters to think. I suggest your thinking will be interesting. You will have been charmingly, gently challenged. Do accept the challenge and see where this excellent book takes you.

Dr Hilary Hearnshaw

Associate Professor Emeritus of Clinical Care, University of Warwick

What reviewers say:

“I highly commend this refreshing and engaging book in which Derek Williams uses Judas Iscariot, that unfortunate icon of betrayal, to challenge us to a better understanding of ourselves and more generous consideration of others. Williams’ accessible style, richly combining Christian reflection with telling historical and contemporary references, provides a realistic yet encouraging view of humanity, leading us to more gracious living.”

The Venerable Richard Brand, Archdeacon of Winchester

“Here is practical wisdom on how to protect against our in-built tendency to go wrong. Derek Williams is readable, thoughtful, brave, startling, challenging, encouraging: take this book seriously, and you will grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I recommend it highly.”

The Rt Revd Donald Allister, Bishop of Peterborough

Details of The Judas Trap

The Judas Trap – why people mess up (and how to avoid joining them) by Derek Williams is published by Instant Apostle and is available from 21^st October 2016 at Christian bookshops, bookstores and on-line retailers. ISBN: 978-1-909728-54-7. Non-fiction. Paperback 192pp £8.99. For Kindle readers, see online.

For review copies and media enquiries contact Manoj: info@instantapostle.com