Coles to Jerusalem: A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Reverend Richard Coles

by Kevin Jackson

Last Easter, Britain’s best-loved vicar, the Rev. Richard Coles, led a pilgrimage to all the major historic sites of the Holy from Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee in the North, via Jericho and the Jordan River, to Bethlehem and, finally, Jerusalem. All of the pilgrims in his care were practising Christians, except the writer Kevin Jackson, a diffident and sympathetic atheist intrigued by the chance to take part in this modern-day version of an ancient act of piety, and to learn some more about his old friend, the media clergyman.Coles to Jerusalem is Kevin Jackson’s light-hearted diary of that pilgrimage, and a close-up portrait of Richard Coles both as priest and as man. As the journey proceeds, Coles reminisces at length about his past life as a rock star and radical gay agitator, his new life as a spiritual leader and a popular broadcaster on BBC radio and television, and the strange, unpredictable path that led him from self-destructive debauchery to faith and vocation.With a lively supporting cast of fellow pilgrims, Coles to Jerusalem ranges among the magnificence of ancient monuments and the banalities of the guided tour, the grim political background of contemporary Israel and the comedy of a group of idiosyncratic English folk abroad, the intensity of worship and the lightness of banter. It will be irresistible to all admirers of Richard Coles, who has contributed a foreword; and a revelation to those who have never encountered his wisdom and warmth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 23, 2016

About the author

There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Kevin Jackson's childhood ambition was to be a vampire but instead he became the last living polymath. His colossal expertise ranged from Seneca to Sugababes, with a special interest in the occult, Ruskin, take-away food, Dante's Inferno and the moose. He was the author of numerous books on numerous subjects, including Fast: Feasting on the Streets of London (Portobello 2006), and reviewed regularly for the Sunday Times.
From: http://portobellobooks.com/3014/Kevin...

Kevin Jackson was an English writer, broadcaster and filmmaker.

He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. After teaching in the English Department of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, he joined the BBC, first as a producer in radio and then as a director of short documentaries for television. In 1987 he was recruited to the Arts pages of The Independent. He was a freelance writer from the early 1990s and was a regular contributor to BBC radio discussion programmes.

Jackson often collaborated on projects in various media: with, among others, the film-maker Kevin Macdonald, with the cartoonist Hunt Emerson, with the musician and composer Colin Minchin (with whom he wrote lyrics for the rock opera Bite); and with the songwriter Peter Blegvad.

Jackson appears, under his own name, as a semi-fictional character in Iain Sinclair's account of a pedestrian journey around the M25, London Orbital.

Adapted from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Jo Hurst · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing, disjointed, and not what I hoped it would be. It lacks depth.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect read to enjoy and meditate upon especially over Easter.
A book to reflect about pilgrimage, spirituality and the state of Israel.
The writer is invited on a trip to the Holy Land by Rev Richard Coles along with a group of his congregation and wider friends.
As a outsider and unbeliever he is perhaps best suited to report on the group and their journey.
The writing is honest and insightful. Kevin Jackson starts as an outsider but by being welcomed and accepted he finds his own level of participation. He does not overstate things but observes times of humour as well as profound moments where he shares the peace or spiritual thoughts. As a professional writer it is strange to feel a need for others as he works on his own, many long hours fashioning his writings. This ability to feel a oneness with others is his lasting memory and he also highlights examples of different faiths and peoples in this special land coming together.
A book that reflects belief but demands nothing in return. A joy to read and realise that diversity is part of humanity but wholeness ultimately is a question of faith.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book which took me on a virtual trip of The Holy Land. An informative narrative of places and people of Biblical times and the perfect length to be able to read it in one sitting.

[Alison Starnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin Jackson is an atheist and friends with pop star turned vicar Richard Coles.

This is an account of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, led by Richard and his partner, fellow vicar David.

It was interesting to read about Kevin's experience, given he was coming from a very different place to the other pilgrims.

Bible references are quoted at various points to explain the background to the sites being visited.

As a person of faith, I enjoyed reading this book, albeit short, and felt that Kevin gained something tangible from his visit, although possibly not enough to change his overall view of organised religion.

Richard comes over as a witty, at times urbane, individual, and his journey to faith is recounted. I am happy to read more books written by Richard and by Kevin.

This book is especially relevant approaching the season of Easter.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thumb nail sketch of a ten day Pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Kevin Jackson states he's not a man of faith. However, as the trip continues, he feels something quite profound at each site.
This Pilgrimage was a ten day, whistlestop tour of the Holy Land. Three faiths co-exist in Jerusalem----Hebrew. Christianity, and Islam. You get a feel for the country and places where Jesus lived, died and rose again. Even if the places are not actually proven to be where the events took place, but approximately the right places, it doesn't matter.

[M Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting read. The book reads a bit like a travelogue but contains some very interesting and reflective moments. I was a bit disappointed at first as I thought, by the cover photo, it was about Richard Coles experience of his trip through the Holy land. This was not the case. But regardless of That, I am still pleased to have read it.

[Karin Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A non religious friend of Richard’s describes the experience of being on pilgrimage in the holy land. Chunks of what he describes Richard as saying were taken verbatim from his memoir which I’ve just read. It didn’t encourage me to travel to Israel - lots of delays and crowds and the threat of violence.

[jane king · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick read. The title is misleading as it does not feature Rev Richard very much but it was still an interesting read. I was left a little confused however; did the author gain any religious/spiritual benefit from the pilgrimage or not?

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My obsession with the Rev Richard Coles continues. This… I wish had been more. There were some bits where it almost felt like he had written down some notes at the time and then couldn’t remember much more around them later, so it seemed a bit brief. Other bits were fab, and it did make me go and buy RRC’s autobiogs.

I think what I wish it had been is some sort of cosy fiction basically like Becky Chambers would write, of a varied band of people facing their own issues, going on pilgrimage for their own reasons, interacting/falling out/reassessing or rediscovering or losing faith, found family vibes kinda thing. Which I know this was never meant to be, but as an idea I think that would be fantastic. Folks with talent, please get writing!

[David Highton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An account of a pilgrimage led by ex-Communard and well known parish vicar Richard Coles

[Lynn H]

Great little tale of the type of trip a group of ordinary people take but with the delightful added extra of the acts of worship they undertook. The honesty of the writer about some of the sites , rings a bell with me. I travel a lot around places in Europe and always feel it is important to see the ‘Tourist Sites’ to form my own honest opinion of these commercialised places. But back to Richard’s trip with his friends. It had everything needed for a snap shot of the Holy Land and did not dwell on religious doctrine but gave information both historical and modern about this troubled area of the world and somehow when I had finished reading the book I felt it had been a very happy journey for the group. No big ‘Road to Damascus’ statements by anyone, just an interested group of Christians on a 21st century pilgrimage.

[Jacqueline Brocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a friend of the author, so that may mean you take the review with a pinch of salt, but I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed Coles to Jerusalem. Part travelogue, part history, part religious pondering, part biography, this quick read was funny, moving, and thoughtful, and I learned a thing or two along the way. It balances the sense of history with a stark sense of the present - the pilgrims enjoy their journey while seeking spirituality, but modern day matters are never far away, whether an amusing reference to the touristification (yes, that's word...) of Israel and Palestine or a more serious acknowledgement of economic and political realities. Do have a read if you are interested in either religion, history or Reverend Coles himself.

[Fiona Bromelow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the books actually written by Coles himself more