Instructions for the End of the World

Homilies for Comfort and Resistance

De: Maggie Helwig

Narrado por: Maggie Helwig

An activist priest’s sermons remind us that one of the first social justice frameworks was the Bible.

When lifelong activist and celebrated author Maggie Helwig became an Anglican priest, she brought both her hard-earned social justice wisdom and her incomparable literary prowess to the role. Where the homily–the weekly act of taking biblical texts and making them speak to one's time, place, and community–can easily become a rote exercise, Helwig takes the language and narrative very seriously. The homilies in this book, selected from those presented to her congregation over the last five years, talk about the Bible, and by extension, the world, through both an activist and a literary lens.

‘Instructions for the End of the World’ is how Helwig describes the gospels. As we live through the climate crisis and the rise of fascism around the world, Helwig’s responses to the ancient texts feel urgent and necessary, reminders of hope and meaning during a time of great anxiety and fear. Whether you’re religious or not, these homilies offer a basis for resistance and resources for building communities that may sustain us all.

©2026 Maggie Helwig (P)2026 Coach House Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Mother Maggie dares to reimagine the church as a space for provocative engagement. Poet, writer, and disruptor, she sheds light on our shortcomings and motivates us to unite to improve our shared experience.”—Sook-Yin Lee

“Remarkable… [A]n edifying, beautifully composed wellspring of moral courage.”—Publishers Weekly, ★ STARRED Review

“In this stunning collection of sermons, Maggie Helwig offers a masterclass in public theology: grounded in biblical reflection and leadership in a particular community of faith, yet with an expansive view of the Church's role in serving the common good. With every word, she reminds us that prophetic witness is, at its core, a pastoral response to those whose lives are at risk. Read on, and be changed.”—Bishop Mariann Budde, author of How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith