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He wore a bullet proof vest when he was made a bishop, is arguably the most controversial Anglican on the planet, and stands at the very centre of a storm which could wreck the worldwide Anglican Communion.

On 'All Things Considered' this week (Sunday May 4th at 08.31, repeated on Wednesday May 7th at 18.32), Roy Jenkins' guest is Bishop Gene Robinson, from the American state of New Hampshire.

Five years ago he became the first openly homosexual priest to be elected a bishop. The appointment of a divorced father-of-two reverberated around the world. It encouraged gay rights campaigners, and infuriated many traditional Christian believers, spawning thousands of hate-filled letters and e-mails.

The row will be focussed this summer on the Lambeth conference, the ten-yearly gathering of the world's Anglican bishops. Gene Robinson has not been invited- but he'll be around anyway, and speaking at various fringe events.

He's always been something of a fighter. At birth, his parents were told not to expect him to live. He overcame early paralysis, and he's also survived a battle with alcoholism and regular torrents of abuse; and he's told his story in a new book, 'In the Eye of the Storm'.

For further information:

Title: 'In the Eye of the Storm'

Author: Gene Robinson

Publisher: Canterbury Press Norwich

ISBN: 978-1853119026