Thief, Prisoner, Soldier, Priest

Written by Reverend Paul Cowley, Thief, Prisoner, Soldier, Priest is a testament to how, even if we are the product of the upbringings we have, God can always enter into our lives and turn things around.

Paul had an eventful childhood, to say the least. Expelled from school at age 15 and living in a squat after escaping from an abusive home life, he was drawn into a life of burglary and drugs. By age 17 he was in prison. When he came out, he joined the army, an experience he credits with saving his life. He spent seventeen years there and toured Northern Ireland and the Falklands. Eventually a PT instructor who had recently become a Christian invited Paul to church. Paul was intrigued and went along and, eventually, had a transformative experience of the Holy Spirit and became a Christian on the Alpha Course.

Buy a copy of the book here:Thief Prisoner Soldier Priest   You may recognise Paul from week 6 of the Alpha film series, pictured above with his wife, and co-author, Amanda. He was interviewed yesterday on BBC Radio 5 Live by Nihal.

Listen to the interview in full here (from 1’06”):Paul Cowley on Radio 5 Live

Paul has also just rejoined Twitter! I know he would love you to get in touch if you’ve been inspired by his story.  

Revd Paul Cowley@PaulcowleyMBE