Theological & Spiritual Biographies: Select 'Favorites' from Luther Sem Faculty (and others)
Georgia Harkness: for such a time as this by 
John Wesley: a biography by 
T. F. Torrance an Intellectual Biography by 
Confessions by 
Augustine of Hippo: a biography by 
A Life of John Calvin: a study in the shaping of Western culture by 
Hitler's Personal Prisoner: the life of Martin Niemöller by
This is the first fully researched biography of Martin Niemöller (1892-1984). It charts his life from his service in the Imperial German Navy, his work for the Inner Mission and as a Protestant pastor in the Berlin suburb of Dahlem from 1931. Niemöller's work as a leading figure of the Confessing Church and his contribution to the conflicts over church policy during the Third Reich are analysed and contextualised. Chapters on the post-war period chart Niemöller's contribution to ecumenism, anti-nuclear pacifism, and his role in rebuilding the West German Protestant Churches.From 1938 to 1945, Martin Niemöller was detained as 'Hitler's Personal Prisoner' in Nazi concentration camps. Liberated in April 1945, Niemöller was widely hailed as an icon of Christian resistance against the Nazi dictatorship. For many years, the Niemöller legend masked the problematic aspects of his life: his persistent antisemitism, on display even in the post-war period; his nationalism and support of the German war effort even whilst in concentration camp detention; and his disdain for parliamentary democracy. In his biography of the most important twentieth-century German Protestant, Benjamin Ziemann uncovers the 'historical' Niemöller behind the legend of the resistance hero. Carefully situating Niemöller's personal trajectory in his wider social milieu -- from the Imperial Navy to the West German peace movement -- Ziemann probes into core themes of twentieth century German history: militarism, National Socialism, German guilt, and moral reconstruction post-1945.
A Burning in My Bones the authorized biography of Eugene H. Peterson by
This essential authorized biography of Eugene Peterson offers unique insights into the experiences and spiritual convictions of the iconic American pastor and beloved translator of The Message. "In the time of a generation-wide breakdown in trust with leaders in every sphere of society, Eugene's quiet life of deep integrity and gospel purpose is a bright light against a dark backdrop."--John Mark Comer, author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry "This hunger for something radical--something so true that it burned in his bones--was a constant in Eugene's life. His longing for God ignited a ferocity in his soul." Encounter the multifaceted life of one of the most influential and creative pastors of the past half century with unforgettable stories of Eugene's lifelong devotion to his craft and love of language, the influences and experiences that shaped his unquenchable faith, the inspiration for his decision to translate The Message, and his success and struggles as a pastor, husband, and father. Author Winn Collier was given exclusive access to Eugene and his materials for the production of this landmark work. Drawing from his friendship and expansive view of Peterson's life, Collier offers an intimate, beautiful, and earthy look into a remarkable life. For Eugene, the gifts of life were inexhaustible: the glint of fading light over the lake; a kiss from his wife, Jan; a good joke; a bowl of butter pecan ice cream. As you enter into his story, you'll find yourself doing the same--noticing how the most ordinary things shimmer with a new and unexpected beauty.
Jonathan Edwards: a life by
2003 Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography "The finest biography of this towering figure. . . . Marsden guides readers through Edwards's profoundly alien world with authority and fluidity."--Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic Monthly Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is a towering figure in American history. A controversial theologian and the author of the famous sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, he ignited the momentous Great Awakening of the eighteenth century. In this definitive and long-awaited biography, Jonathan Edwards emerges as both a great American and a brilliant Christian. George Marsden evokes the world of colonial New England in which Edwards was reared--a frontier civilization at the center of a conflict between Native Americans, French Catholics, and English Protestants. Drawing on newly available sources, Marsden demonstrates how these cultural and religious battles shaped Edwards's life and thought. Marsden reveals Edwards as a complex thinker and human being who struggled to reconcile his Puritan heritage with the secular, modern world emerging out of the Enlightenment. In this, Edwards's life anticipated the deep contradictions of our American culture. Meticulously researched and beautifully composed, this biography offers a compelling portrait of an eminent American.
Dakota by 
Acedia and Me: a marriage, monks, and a writer's life by 
Self-Portrait in Three Colors: Gregory of Nazianzus's epistolary autobiography (EBOOK) by 
Aquinas and His Role in Theology by 
Julian of Norwich: autobiography and theology by 
Julian of Norwich: a contemplative biography (2010) by 
C. S. Lewis - A Life: eccentric genius, reluctant prophet by 
Elisabeth Elliot: a Life by
This biography takes readers on an in-depth journey through the life of Elisabeth Elliot--her marriage to Jim Elliot, her years of international missions work, and her prolific career as a writer and speaker.
Etienne Gilson: an intellectual and political biography by
Étienne Gilson (1884-1978) was a French philosopher and historian of philosophy, as well as a scholar of medieval philosophy. In 1946 he attained the distinction of being elected an ""Immortal"" (member) of the Académie française. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1959 and 1964. This major biography of Gilson was first published in France in 2018, and now arrives in a long-anticipated English translation. Florian Michel traces Gilson's life through his time as a professor at the College de France and member of the French Academy. Gilson was a prisoner of war in Germany, was one of the first to describe the horrors of the famine in Ukraine (1922), created an institute of medieval studies in Toronto, published hundreds of articles in the French daily press and took part in the founding conferences of the United Nations.He was neither for Sartre nor for Aron, and advocated, when the NATO agreements were signed, the neutrality and non-alignment of Europe. Gilson did not hesitate to engage in quarrels with the bishops and allows us to understand how one passes from a critical modernism before the First World War to a liberal Thomism and to the Vatican Council II. James G. Colbert, who translated Gilson's The Metamorphosis of the City, offers a careful and measured translation to bring this important work to an English speaking audience.
Karl Barth: his life from letters and autobiographical texts by 
Dietrich Bonhoeffer : man of vision, man of courage by 
Godric by 
Brendan: a novel by 
Dusk, Night, Dawn : on revival and courage by 
The Wisdom of the Poor One of Assisi by 
