The Body of This Death: Letters from the Last Archbishop of Lancaster

by Ross McCullough

Set against the backdrop of a dystopian, techno-driven future, The Body of This Letters from the Last Archbishop of Lancaster follows the life of an archbishop as he awaits his execution.

Uniquely structured as a collection of letters, this fictional work leads the reader in discerning the general contours of the events that took place over the last several years of the Archbishop’s life, including his imprisonment, trial, and eventual sentence.

The Archbishop’s correspondence, including his so-called “posthumous” letters, presents his meditations on embodiment, death, and the nature of reality. The Body of This Death invites the reader to enter the labyrinth of the Archbishop’s thoughts as he anticipates his ever-approaching martyrdom.

Genres: Fiction

184 pages, Hardcover

Published February 16, 2026

Reviews

[Hamster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Timothy, I chose not to take notes on this book even though it was more than worthy. I just enjoyed taking my time sitting with this book. Maybe on a reread I'll take notes.

In the meantime, I want to briefly discuss this book as fiction. Knowing Dr. McCullough I knew the theological and philosophical content would be strong (and it was), but I wasn't sure what to expect from it as a story, if I even could expect it to be a story. I'm happy to report this is indeed a novel and not just a book of theology dressed up in fiction's clothes.

The futuristic setting is a little too plausible to feel like sci-fi, but it still serves to give the book a distinct and literary feel. Given the format and length of the book, the plot is pretty barebones, but even so I found it quite effective. The balance and blend of plot and theology is quite well done. And it helped to flesh out the world of the novel that, while the archbishop often refers to familiar classics, the editor frequently mentions fictional contemporary works in his footnotes.

On the whole a very strong read. 4.5 stars more precisely. It's fun to see what Dr. McCullough thinks about when reading and moderating discussions for Honors!

[Katherine Huiskes · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 stars. I do not even know how to characterize this book of aphorisms and Catholic theology (and Catholic supremacy …. tbh) but I will be sitting with and re-reading it for a while. I could feel my brain working hard, in a good way, and still need to digest and think because there is much I did not understand. But in a good way - it’s challenging but not inaccessible.

There’s enough Truth at the core that you can tell the author is not writing as he does to sound clever out of a desire to build his ego (as, in my opinion, Curtis Yarvin does). He is pulling at threads of Truth and writing to challenge and provoke but with the goal of drawing the reader more and more deeply into the sacred mystery of Christ.

favorite parts: 1) “progress” being a myth created to quell skepticism among the cosmopolitan about why society is structured the way it is, 2) prayer being an embodied experience - “perhaps you can mark no mental difference in thinking about your cares at home in bed and thinking about them before the tabernacle …. [but] the acts are different just by the body in which that brain sits: the one is an act of anxiety, the other a wandering prayer. What is prayer after all but the practice of getting distracted in the presence of God?”

and 3) in the context of repeated confession: “dynamic failure, if moving in the right direction, is more bearable than static righteousness”.

[Timothy Fehn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not take a pencil to this book, not at all because it was not worthy—every page has rich with meaning and reflection—but because I wanted to sit at the feet of an old man and simply listen, be, and slowly become. That slow becoming, one which walks us to the very point of death, offers hope: in time, we imitate God and walk toward him.

A bedside book, offering piercing analysis from a human voice. One I will gladly return to again (and again).

It is lovely, Ross, to be in your classroom once again. I still have much to learn.

[Laura LaClair · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
I enjoyed this book a great deal and found that most pages would leave me sitting and pondering more about what was written. It was interesting and engaging. More than that it was not just the usual philosophy book or the usual work of fiction - it was a lovely mingling of both and felt refreshingly unique.

I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in philosophy, the Church, and/or the moral dilemmas that may be facing humanity in the near future.

I would not recommend to anyone who doesn’t like philosophy, who doesn’t like to expand their vocabulary (I had to look up a lot of definitions), or who is looking for a quick read. While this book is relatively short, the content is dense and I personally did not want to rush through it but preferred savoring the letters in short bites. I don’t know how satisfying this book would feel if it were read quickly which is why I wouldn’t recommend it as a quick read.

[Joseph R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This epistolary novel set in a not-too-distant future presents letters from an unnamed archbishop dealing with a lot of modern problems. Artificial intelligence and virtual reality dominate pop culture and a lot of life, so much so that people ike the archbishop, who participate only minimally, are seen as pariahs. He cautions his correspondents about the dehumanizing effects. He also deals with the rise of Islam, writing to a woman who is concerned about her daughter interacting with a young ward of the archbishop's who might be converting the daughter by her example and conversation. The government has become more totalitarian and thus much less tolerant of the teachings of the Catholic faith. Things come to a head as he is accused of a crime by the state.

The book provides a lot of interesting reflections on contemporary issues. The imagined future of virtual reality and associated technology is plausible if pessimistic. The decoupling of our human bodies from our "spiritual" or "real" selves has been an ongoing problem exacerbated by medical and technological experimentation that does not respect the human person. Trying to sort out a genuine ecumenism with Islam has been a problem for centuries with fundamental divisions keeping progress from being made. Overbearing states have been a problem for a long time too, from the Pharaohs to the English Henrys (I'm thinking of II and VIII) to Communist and Fascist governments of the twentieth century. The theology in the book is solid and well thought out.

My problem with the book is that it tries to be too clever. The back has a quote comparing this to The Screwtape Letters, something that immediately caught my interest. My expectation was set far too high because C. S. Lewis is a very high bar to get over, something McCullough does not manage. A lot of the phrasing apes the nifty paradoxical style of G. K. Chesterton, though again it just did not work for me. The book ends with a bunch of posthumous letters that were either never sent or found later. The earlier, presumably chronological letters, have notes guiding the reader to specific posthumous letters which have more or less related discussions. Again, I found this more artificially clever than genuinely interesting. Reading this book was very unsatisfying to me, even though I agree with the a lot of the ideas.

Not recommended--the structuring and style obscures the content too much.

[Paige Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Body of This Death: Letters from the Last Archbishop of Lancaster is a compelling work of literary fiction that blends dystopian imagination with profound philosophical and spiritual reflection. Ross McCullough crafts an intimate narrative through the Archbishop's personal correspondence, inviting readers to gradually uncover the events leading to his imprisonment, trial, and anticipated execution.

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its epistolary structure, which creates both emotional immediacy and narrative intrigue. As each letter reveals another layer of the Archbishop's experiences, readers are drawn into a deeply personal meditation on mortality, embodiment, faith, and the search for meaning in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Set within a technologically driven dystopian future, the novel thoughtfully examines enduring questions about human dignity, freedom, sacrifice, and the nature of reality. Rather than relying solely on its speculative setting, it uses that backdrop to explore timeless spiritual and philosophical themes that remain deeply relevant.

Thoughtful, atmospheric, and intellectually engaging, The Body of This Death will resonate with readers who enjoy literary fiction, dystopian novels, philosophical fiction, theological reflection, and stories that explore the resilience of faith and the human spirit.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not often I read something that feels truly original, but this is it. The book this reminds me most of is probably Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz, not in tone or style but in the questions it asks and gestures toward: how might a future church answer the theological questions of its day?

There's a lot here that's nigh inscrutable, but surprisingly, this doesn't make it worse. Instead, it's the kind of book I look forward to rereading and knowing better. And for my only scratching the surface, I found a lot of wisdom and enjoyment here. Definitely a niche book (I'd be hesitant to recommend it), but one I'll be returning to.

[Jordan J. Andlovec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure whether this book is brilliant or just arrogant. It has its moments for sure, but it seems to also strut around in displays of its own difficulty (which it defends as Pascalian aphorism).

Perhaps it’s meant to be inaccessible, but for the topics it undertakes as of gravest importance (ones I certainly share) you’d think the author would want a broader appeal. Maybe I’m wrong, but there’s difficulty because of the immensity of the issue (City of God or The Christian Imagination, for example) and there’s difficulty for difficulty’s sake, and it feels like this is the latter.

[Anna]

I really liked the premise of this novel, but ultimately it fell a little flat for me. There were some really insightful lines, but I found it very philosophical to the point where it was hard for me to follow the points that were being made (which is not a slight to the author!). I think this would be a great read for Catholic intellectuals. It would be interesting to return to this once I am better read in the tradition. I anticipate I would understand a lot more then.

[Porter Sprigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to chew on here. Most of it is incredibly rich. Some of it is a bit dull. It makes me long to live a life of commitment and holiness. I might read this once very couple of years because it is short yet packed with powerful reflection.

[Mark Slomka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A profound and confounding read!

This book definitely demands a second or third read. It demands a lot from a reader, It lost me and found me along the way and I am far better for it.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some really good chapters! I was pretty confused the whole time though :/