An enduring legacy in difficult times...Mark Brolly

Following his appointment in 2006, Archbishop Philip Freier led the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne for eighteen years. During that time, he contributed regularly to the local diocesan newspaper The Melbourne Anglican, and a selection of these writings are contained in this volume, Continuing the Conversation.

The title is significant for several reasons. It reminds us that the archbishop presided over a regular session in Melbourne called Breakfast Conversations in which he invited guest participants to discuss topics of significance for the nation, including toxic childhoods, climate change, asylum seekers, the changing nature of family relationships, mental health, politics, and, above all, the concerns of the original inhabitants of Australia.

His monthly contributions to The Melbourne Anglican naturally included such issues of national significance but - appropriately for a religious newspaper - concentrated more on how a response to such issues needed to be framed in a broader Christian context: 'What kind of Church does God want in our time?' and 'What kind of Christian discipleship is needed for our age?'

But again, the title reminds us that the conversation is ongoing and while the selection of writings in this volume recall what was happening in the world and in the church over the past eighteen years, the hope is that re-reading the chapters will offer fresh insight to the many subjects raised and discussed that remain at the heart of our common searching for God's purposes in our world.