Good biography is history and guards us against chronological snobbery (as C. S. Lewis calls it). It is also theology—the most powerful kind—because it burst forth from the lives of people like us. It is also adventure and suspense, for which we have a natural hunger. It is psychology and personal experience, which deepen our understanding of human nature (especially ourselves). Good biographies of great Christians make for remarkably efficient reading.There are many more great biographies, from the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us, out there. So here is a list of more biographies of Christian women, taken largely from this post over at Ebenezer stories on the benefits of reading Christian biography. Let us know of any others that you have enjoyed reading:
A Chance to Die: The Biography of Amy Carmichael - by Elisabeth Elliot
My Heart in His Hands: Ann Judson of Burma - by Sharon L. James
A Passion for the Impossible: The Life of Lilias Trotter - by Miriam Huffman Rockness
Until the Day Breaks: The life and work of Lilias Trotter, Pioneer Missionary to Muslim North Africa - by Patricia St John
Though Lions Roar: The Story of Helen Roseveare, Missionary Doctor to the Congo - by Mary Beth Lagerborg
More Love to Thee: The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss edited - by George L. Prentiss
Elizabeth Prentiss 'More Love to Thee' - by Sharon James
The Charlotte Mason Story - by Essex Cholmondley
Good Seed - by Mariana Slocum and M.B. Steele
And the Word Came with Power: How God Met and Changed a People Forever - by Joanne Shetler
The Small Woman - by Alan Burgess (about Gladys Aylward)
Nothing Daunted: The Story of Isobel Kuhn - by Gloria Repp
And here is a useful list of biographies of Christian men, featuring excerpts from each book, compiled by Albert Mohler. John Piper is also writing a collection of biographies in a series called The Swans are Not Silent, which includes:
The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin
The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd
The Roots of Endurance Invincible Perseverance in the Lives of John Newton, Charles Simeon, and William Wilberforce
Contending For Our All: Defending Truth and Treasuring Christ in the Lives of Athanasius, John Owen, and J. Gresham Machen
And finally, Don Carsons new book on the life of his father, Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson, looks like a very good read.
Picture from: http://www.tufaviews.com
3 comments:
What a fantastic post! I've always wanted to read more Christian biography and wondered where to start. Thankyou.
Yes, thanks for putting this together Ali!!
Can I say a big thank you to the Equip book club team as I had never thought I could read a biography until I read this book. It was so inspiring to read about these Christian women and their real life stories. Now you have opened up a whole new genre for me!
All the books you have chosen have been inspiring and have helped me into a habit of Christian reading!
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