Simon Ratsey

The Apostle Paul's missionary journeys are vividly portrayed in this imagined yet fact-filled diary of Doctor Luke, the writer of the Book of Acts. Based on the Bible's narrative and filled with cultural and historical background, Luke describes how it feels to travel by land and sea across the Roman Empire, bringing the Good News of Jesus to diverse communities, and experiencing the joys of seeing lives changed and the challenges of persecution and opposition.

Struggles with health and the relationships between the travellers, as well as Paul's passion and determination to bring the message of Jesus to Rome, are powerfully portrayed in this easy-to-read yet highly informative fictional account.

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"Simon Ratsey has produced a wonderfully original take on the travels of Lucanus (better known to most of us as the writer of the Gospel of St Luke and the Acts of the Apostles). The blog idea makes it both concise and engaging. We are given a real flavour of what it was like in those early days of Christianity, before lofty buildings, liturgies, robes and stained-glass windows began to define the Church, as opposed to simple goodness and faith in a loving God. I wish this book great success. It deserves it."

Nick Butterworth
Author and illustrator

"In this well-researched book, Simon brings to life the events of the early days of the Christian church. The characters from the biblical story of Acts are fleshed out in such a way that their personalities become alive. The addition of details about the period and the imaginative insights into living in those uncertain times add to the authenticity of the biblical account. An enjoyable and thought-provoking read."

Dave Bishop
Simply Church Ministry, Consultant to Churches 
Former Leader of Yeovil Community Church

"Simon takes the reader on a journey that will both inform and inspire. It's a story that is earthed in faith."

The Right Reverend James Jones KBE  
Bishop of Hull (1994-1998) and Bishop of Liverpool (1998-2013)

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Simon grew up on a dairy farm in Somerset, which gave him both a love for and an understanding of the countryside. With rural life being greatly influenced by the weather, he began keeping daily temperature and rainfall records in his youth, developing a life-long interest in graphs and statistics. Also having an affinity with words, at school he was actively encouraged in creative writing, in due course enjoying academic success.  Studying geography at the University of Durham, he became both a Christian and an environmentalist, at a time when those two were unusual, and rather uncomfortable, bedfellows. After serving in the secondary education sector for nearly twenty years, he reconnected with nature and became a freelance gardener for the next twenty-five. 

Since retirement, Simon has once more enjoyed having the time to undertake a variety of writing projects. As well as carrying out serious scientific research on weather and climate, he has written short papers examining biblical themes, mainly for his own benefit and satisfaction. He always finds the Bible to be a rich source of ideas and inspiration, prompting questions such as “What does it really mean?” and “What was it really like?”

For the past thirty years, Simon and his wife Anne have lived in Wellington in Somerset, where they are active members of the local church. Simon is also involved with several community groups, balancing time spent indoors writing with time spent outdoors, volunteering on a local nature reserve or working in his own garden