TIMOTHY RADCLIFFE OP entered the Dominican order in 1965, was ordained priest in 1971, and taught Scripture at Oxford in the Dominican community known as Blackfriars. He was elected Provincial of England in 1988, then Master of the Dominican Order from 1992 to 2001. He is the only member of the English Province of the Dominicans to have held the office since the Order's foundation in 1216. From there he gained an international reputation thanks to his analyses of contemporary society and Christian life. The subtlety of his thinking, together with the simplicity and depth of his language, and his strong sense of humour, made him a force to be reckoned with in the Catholic Church. He is the author of the bestselling book What is the Point of Being a Christian?, Why go to Church?: The Drama of the Eucharist, and several other books.