After a series of experiences revealed to him the extent and nature of religious persecution in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc in the 1960s, Michael Bourdeaux resolved to enable the voices of believers to be heard by the wider world. In 1969, he founded Keston College, an institution dedicated to the study of religion in communist countries and the provision of information about churches and the pressures and threats facing Christians there.

Over the next three decades, Keston’s work of defending religious liberty in the Soviet Union was hugely controversial; Michael and his colleagues faced political opposition, while also providing invaluable insight and advice to British government and leaders including Harold Wilson and Margaret Thatcher. In the days before the misleading concept of ‘fake news’ the information provided by Keston was seen in many quarters as a bastion of truth and integrity. Its unique work was recognised internationally when Michael was awarded the Templeton Prize in 1984.

One Word of Truth recounts both Michael’s story and that of Keston College. It is an inspirational account of a remarkable life, a peerless institution, and the heroism of countless men and women who proved by their lives that the Christian faith is stronger than dehumanising atheist ideology.