New Release ‘Sanctity’ Looks at Three Extraordinary Women, One Christ and Timeless Courage

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Throughout history, we’ve honoured warriors, heroes and saints – those who inspire us by their courage, convictions, and sacrifice. Sanctity brings a unique lens: it explores the lives of three extraordinary women whose greatest acts of bravery were their unwavering obedience and resolute faith in Jesus Christ, even in the face of catastrophe and death.

In this moving and carefully researched new book, historian and educator Lachlan Mason furnishes dynamic portraits of Mary Magdalene, Joan of Arc, and Sophie Scholl – women separated by millennia and centuries, yet united in one unshakeable loyalty: their devotion to Jesus.

‘They are not here to shame or condemn us,’ the author writes, ‘but to encourage us.’

More than only saints or symbols, these compelling women are presented in Sanctity as vivid,  complex, relatable, and profoundly human. Their choices foreground what it looks like to follow Christ when the stakes are lethally high – and their stories illuminate how Jesus relates personally, individually, and consistently across time and circumstance.

A Lifelong Love Becomes a lifelong Work.

The seeds of Sanctity were planted early. As a young boy, Lachlan was captivated by Joan of Arc – not just as an historical figure, but as an exemplar of valour and faith. Mary Magdalene inspired his adolescent admiration with her fearless devotion, expanding beyond Easter morning into a closer narrative of suffering and steadfast love. In Sophie Scholl, he encountered a modern peer, aflame with courage, and whose questions and convictions still echo today.

After years of study and reflection, the three women are drawn together in one unifying and engaging volume of ‘spiritual history’ – a genre that respects academic integrity while introducing the devotional richness of Christian witness.

History With Heart and Purpose.

A history teacher by vocation, Lachlan knows how transforming true stories can be – especially when told with emotional honesty and intellectual conviction. The book blends historical investigation with spiritual insight, examining sources with care, particularly where evidence is sparse, most notably with Mary Magdalene, and to a degree with Joan of Arc. Sophie Scholl, a more recent figure, exemplifies how faith is alive, consisting not only in stained glass or legends, but in daily and ordinary classrooms, conversations, and choices.

The result is a realistically personal, historically grounded meditation on what it means to follow Jesus when doing so costs everything – Joan and Sophie were martyrs.

Why Read Sanctity?

Readers of Sanctity will walk away with different impressions – some with historical fact and detail that bring ancient stories to life; others may find spiritual awakening, comfort, or challenge. But all will meet three real women whose love for Jesus shaped their lives, decisions and destinies.

Whether you’re a seeker, a seasoned believer, or someone who values faith-filled history, Sanctity offers a mirror for your soul, and compass for your journey. Through Mary, Jehanne (Joan), and Sophie, the author’s hope and prayer is that you will see Jesus – the Christ – not as a remote statue or a ritualised force, but as they knew Him – the living, breathing, transforming, eternal Son of God: Jesus, the Way the Truth, and the Life.

‘This is not just their stories,’ the author says, ’it’s Jesus’ story – seen through the historical lives of three faithful disciples, women who followed Him all the way into the fire, and through it.