Time! Ladies and Gentlemen: A Few Thoughts on Last Things–In response to James Sale’s Trilogy: HellWard, StairWell, and DoorWay

by Francis Etheredge

Where to begin? Emerging as we do into consciousness, our life is yet a dialogue although, not thinking it through, we do not realise that our life is answered, as it were, by a word of the Lord. And so there are many events which, in their own diverse ways, indicate that there is another, “Other”, who is speaking to us. But, given a general Ignorance of Scripture, there is both an Ignorance of Christ, as St. Jerome said, but there is also another, almost equally significant, Self-Ignorance.

Taking a start, then, in the work of James Sale, this short book is about that journey into God which is simultaneously a journey into ourselves. Join the journey! Read, repent, and begin again: Repeat!

Paperback: $12.95 | Kindle $9.99

CONTENTS

Foreword by James Sale: “Touched by a Tear”: The Theological

Mirror; The Doorway of Glory; A Communion of Poets; The Judgment that is Mercy; The Wider Circle

Introduction: “Ignorance of Christ is Self-Ignorance”

Three kinds of Published Work

My Words Bled: Prose and Poem

Chapter One: “Read! Repent! And Rejoice”: A Reflection on

James Sale’s modernization of Dante’s Inferno: Introduction: Pope Francis and James Sale; Christ, Sale himself, and Dante; In Conclusion

Hell’s Hole: An Unbidden Mercy: Prose and Poem-Prayer

Chapter Two: Jesus said to Him: “Get Up, Pick Up Your Mat and

Walk” (John 5: 8): A Reflection on James Sale’s StairWell: Introduction: When Change is a Gift of God; Where to go from here? To go back in order to go forward!; The theme of his mother, from hell to purgatory; In Conclusion

“Oh Mother of the Stairs”: Prose and Poem-Prayer

Chapter Three: “DoorWay” to ‘The Lord of All’: A Reflection

on James Sale’s DoorWay: Introduction: Why the theme of the ‘butterfly’?; Part I: Retracing my steps: HellWard and StairWell; Part II: A Theological Reflection and a Poet’s Intuition; Part III: The Poignancy of the Butterfly; In Conclusion

“Indelible”: Prose and Poem-Prayer

Conclusion: His Judgement is Mercy

Reviews

Review by James Sale on Goodreads (January 6, 2026). Click here for the review. 

Testimonials

“Francis Etheredge illumines the dialogue among art, faith, and reason. His reflections on the poetry of James Sale draw readers into a contemplative journey where poetry becomes prayer, and human longing discovers fulfillment in the redemptive love of Christ.” – Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, author of The Narrative Spirituality of Dante’s Divine Comedy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mr. Francis Etheredge is married with eight children, plus three in heaven.

Francis is currently a freelance writer and speaker and his “Posts” on LinkedIn can be viewed here. Poetry; short articles; autobiographical blog; excerpts from books; and “Philosophize: A Ten Minute Write.”

For a list of all of Francis’ books published by En Route Books and Media, click here.

See Francis’ other books, too, entitled Scripture: A Unique WordFrom Truth and truth: Volume I-Faithful ReasonFrom Truth and truth: Volume II: Faith and Reason in DialogueFrom Truth and truth: Volume III: Faith is Married Reason.

He has earned a BA Div (Hons), MA in Catholic Theology, PGC in Biblical Studies, PGC in Higher Education, and an MA in Marriage and Family (Distinction).

Enjoy these additional articles by Francis Etheredge:

About James Sale


James Sale is a British poet, author, and founder of Motivational Maps Ltd, whose work unites business insight, psychology, and spiritual reflection. His acclaimed poetic trilogy — HellWardStairWell, and DoorWay — collectively titled The English Cantos, reimagines Dante’s Divine Comedy for the modern age, tracing the soul’s journey from darkness through repentance to divine encounter. James was runner-up in The Capricorn International Poetry Competition 1997, won First Prize in the Society of Classical Poets’ annual 2017 poetry competition, was nominated by The Hong Kong Review for the 2022 Pushcart Prize for poetry.

 In addition to his poetry, James is a regular contributor to The Epoch Times in New York, where his articles explore culture, literature, and faith with moral clarity and classical depth. Living on the south coast of England, James continues to write, teach, and speak on creativity, motivation, and the enduring power of truth and beauty.

 

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