Keeping the Faith

With a Foreword by Lord Eames OM

‘Take, and read – or perhaps I might say, read, mark, learn, and inwardly ingest.’   Church of Ireland Gazette

‘Alf McCreary is to be commended for writing this insightful memoir which I wholeheartedly recommend and wish that it be read widely.  John Cooney, former Religious Correspondent of the Irish Times.

‘I strongly recommend an­yone with an interest in Ire­land  to read this book’ Methodist Recorder

‘a ray of light from an often dark landscape…this book is [Alf McCreary’s] best in a range of works spanning over 40 years.’  The Belfast Newsletter

‘a book with a message of hope for all. McCreary’s  has been a life well and truly lived, and it is a life worth reading about, and above all, learning from.’  The Irish Catholic

‘This book is a tribute to the human spirit.’ The Irish News

‘Presents many considered insights…sure to stimulate deep reflection’.  Search journal

The award-winning Belfast journalist and author here reflects on a long career of reporting on the main events in Northern Ireland and on the aftermath of conflicts in the developing world including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Rwanda. He observes how the Christian faith has sustained so many people in times of great suffering and distress, and how the mispractice of this faith has led to division, misunderstanding and hostility.

McCreary also reflects on his experience of reporting on well-known figures in Northern Ireland and writes about courageous and often unheralded bridge-builders who saw the urgent need for reconciliation. He examines the role of journalists over decades when balanced reporting was so important but at times very difficult, and suggests that truth has never been more in danger than it is today.

Alf McCreary brings us with him on his journey of faith through the unholy alliance between religion and politics. His personal faith in the best of human nature which can inspire even in the worst of times, shines through.