Introduction to The Summer Reading Challenge 1 Peter

The Summer Reading Challenge has been a popular part of the Rule of Life as together we have read and reflected on scripture. Previous challenges saw us reading Jonah and the Psalms.

This year we reading 1 Peter. We will be reading five chapters over five weeks starting Monday 26th July.

Miranda Threlfall-Holmes (Rector St Lukes in the City) was asked to guide us through this year’s challenge with a series of videos exploring some of the themes.

She said:

“1 Peter is a fascinating book to read for this year’s Challenge. It gives us a chance to grasp some theological hot potatoes such as what the Bible says about slavery, authority and gender roles. In the introductions to each chapter I’ll be discussing how we can handle reading what can be difficult and controversial parts of the Bible, and how a letter full of such ancient concerns can be good news for us today. The letter is an interesting one partly because it’s not addressed to single church context but to a wide range of churches in different places, making it easier for us to imagine it as addressed to us here in Liverpool today. I’m particularly struck by the resonances 1 Peter has with our diocesan Rule of Life, with its call to the inner and outer journeys, and I’ll pay special attention to drawing out those references as we read through the letter over the coming weeks.”

Bishop Paul said:

“On the inner journey of our Rule of Life we say that we’re called to pray, read and learn. First and foremost “reading" means reading scripture, and commentaries to unfold scripture. This year, as we study 1 Peter together, we will be joining with tens of thousands of Anglicans worldwide, including the world’s bishops who are reading this same book as they prepare to attend the Lambeth Conference next Summer. I am grateful to Miranda for the work she has done to help us with this reading, and I look forward to her reflections as together we engage with this short book over the summer months.”

1 Peter is also the book being studied by the Lambeth conference this year.

Further reading to support the challenge

To help you with the challenge, this commentary is available to order from the Liverpool Cathedral Shop. The First Letter of Peter: A Global Commentary - Jennifer Strawbridge

You can also read Miranda's book How to eat Bread - 21 Nourishing ways to read the Bible