Spirituality is to do with a whole Christian vision of life, not simply with methods of prayer or contemplation. Simon Tugwell approaches the subject through the idea of imperfection', tracing this theme through a series of spiritual writers from different periods of Christian history. He ranges from the Apostolic and Desert Fathers through St Francis of Assisi and Mother Julian of Norwich to St Therese of Lisieux. These are penetrating and illuminating studies which show how from the start and throughout its history the Christian vision is one not for an elite but for everyone, sinners all. The religion of the cross is the religion of failure turned to account, creatively. Ways of Imperfection should be of interest to all Christians concerned with and perhaps bothered by 'spirituality' and should also be of value to students and teachers concerned with the history of spirituality.