John Stott: The Making of a Leader: A Biography, 1921-1960Timothy Dudley-Smith Former Anglican bishop of Thetford, England InterVarsity 507 pages, $24.99
Part one of a biography of the most important English evangelical in the middle of the twentieth century. Exploring Stott’s unpublished letters and diaries, Dudley-Smith tries to discover (among other things) why a multi gifted man, for whom the bishopric was an obvious career path, chose instead the life of a local pastor.
Tolkien: Man and Myth: A Literary LifeJoseph Pearce Novelist and biographer Ignatius 257 pages, $24.95
Looks at the life and cultural backdrop of one of this century’s most popular writers. Pearce examines (among many other topics) Tolkien’s orthodox Christian faith, as well as his estrangement from C. S. Lewis.
Wounded Prophet: A Portrait of Henri J. M. NouwenMichael Ford British journalist and broadcaster Doubleday 256 pages, $23.95
Ford provides a sensitive examination of Nouwen’s childhood, family, career, writings, and personal anxieties, including a brief—and controversial—look at Nouwen’s uneasiness about his sexuality.
Abraham Lincoln: The Religion of a President and the Ideas of His TimeAllen C. Guelzo Professor of American history at Eastern College, St. Davids, Pennsylvania Eerdmans 526 pages, $29.00
An intellectual biography of America’s most celebrated president, with a special look at how Lincoln, though he did not commit himself to any organized religion, was nonetheless a man with profound moral and religious sensibilities. Along the way, Guelzo examines intellectual debates that ignited the Civil War, themes that are echoed in today’s culture wars. Forthcoming in September.
Martin Luther: The Christian Between God and DeathRichard Marius Emeritus teacher at Harvard University Belknap 542 pages, $35.00
A book of vivid images, strong narrative, occasional irreverence, and keen insights into minor and major Reformation personalities—especially of the subject, Martin Luther. Focusing on Luther’s formative years (1516 to 1525), Marius looks at Luther’s theological development (in the context of the larger intellectual scene), as well as his compulsions, especially his seemingly persistent fear of death.
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