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It is only a small exaggeration to say that Desmond Tutu is as well known as the pope or the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader. The first black archbishop of Cape Town, this African of the Anglican tradition was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the anti-apartheid campaign in South Africa. Tutu, as a Christian minister, has won himself a place on the world stage as someone who can draw attention to an issue, such as racism, violence or the need for forgiveness.
The selection of writings here shows how he has sought to interpret his pastoral duty in the light of the Gospel. The title essay, God Is Clearly Not a Christian , offers some reflections (and warnings) on God and how religions try to claim Him exclusively for themselves. "God has no enemies, ultimately," he writes, "for all, all – the atheist, the sinner, every one of those whom we have tended in our respectabilities to push outside – are God's children."
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