Cast in the form of an autobiography covering period between 1940 and 2015, After the Order of Melchizedek is, in effect, an account of the Church of England as she was during the second half of the 20th century.

Anecdotal, humorous and allusive, much of the material is drawn from Adrian Leak's life as an Anglican priest including chapters on life at Oxford University, at York Minster and three country parishes.

Melchizedek gives us a glimpse of the Church of England in the second half of the 20th century, seen through the eyes of a priest whose contrasting ministries in council estate, rural parishes, and cathedrals ancient and modern, describe a mostly vanished church and different world. It is a timely warning to the Church of England not to discard completely its care for everyone, whether they go to church or not. - Nigel McCulloch, former Bishop of Manchester