In January 2015, priest and theologian, Michael Paul Gallagher, was diagnosed with cancer - he had a tumor, 'a nasty one' according to his doctor. After months of chemotherapy Gallagher succumbed to the disease, passing away in November 2015.Into Extra Time is Gallagher's final book, written in the knowledge that his death was imminent. It started as a diary for himself, trying to explore his experience of illness. But it became clear that the story of a believer going through stages of cancer could offer some spiritual light for others in such times of struggle.The book is split into sections. The first dealing with themes that people of faith suffering terminal illness may come face to face with, from darkness and revelation to springboards including imagination, transformation and transcendence. Thesecond section serves as Gallagher's own emotive cancer diary, evoking what he termed the 'waves of fog and shafts of light' central in his experience.