St Ignatius developed his Spiritual Exercises 500 years ago, but in The Way of Ignatius: A Prayer Journey Through Lent (SPCK, £8.99; Tablet price £8.09) they are “extraordinarily modern” in their grasp of human psychology and “breathtakingly free” in their approach to prayer. Gemma Simmonds, an acknowledged expert in the field of Ignatian spirituality, offers an eloquent introduction to them, indicating how well they adapt to use in Lent, and ­directing her readers to Ignatian websites for further, deeper study.  

Jane Williams is a theologian. Each chapter of her brief, moving The Merciful Humility of God (Bloomsbury Continuum, £9.99; Tablet price £9) is based on Scripture, though she also introduces non-biblical characters (Francis, Julian, Teresa of Avila, Jean Vanier) to ­illustrate her points. Over and over again she tugs her readers back to the simple, baffling truth: God is so humble that we repeatedly miss him, because we are looking elsewhere; and so merciful that his ways are beyond us.