Biography & Autobiography

Women shaped the men who changed the world. --- History tells of women whose love for the Bible shaped its earliest and most prominent teachers. It tells of women who were great theologians in their own right, yet whose only students were their own children. It tells, time and time again, of Christian men who owe so much to their godly mothers. Raising children to honor and glorify the Lord is the goal of every Christian mother, but how can you do that? Who can teach you? One of the best ways to learn is to read examples of women who have succeeded at the very task you are attempting. Come take a brief look at some of them. We will look to the church’s earliest days to find a man who owed his salvation to the careful biblical instruction he received on the lap of his mother. We will zoom forward a few centuries to a woman whose constant prayers were at last rewarded when her son came to faith and went on to become one of history’s most influential theologians. We will advance to recent centuries to see how the prayers, teaching, and examples of godly mothers have shaped evangelists, preachers, and stalwart defenders of the faith. We will learn together of Christian men and their godly moms, mothers who were used to shape the men who changed the world. —Tim Challies

Famous for setting in motion the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther is often lifted high as a hero or condemned as a rebel. But underneath it all, he was a man of flesh and blood, with a deep longing to live for God. This biography by respected Reformation scholar Herman Selderhuis captures Luther in his original context and follows him on his spiritual journey, from childhood through the Reformation to his influential later years. Combining Luther’s own words with engaging narrative designed to draw the reader into Luther’s world, this spiritual biography brings to life the complex and dynamic personality that forever changed the history of the church.

If you've ever picked up a hymn book, the chances are that you've sung a song written by a blind girl - and not just any blind girl... Fanny Crosby. As a young child she knew nothing of the sighted world around her but that didn't stop her interacting with nature, experiencing the thrill of God's creation. She held her grandmother's hand but she thought that was because Grandmother needed her help not the other way around.

Joni Eareckson is a well-known Christian speaker and author from America but there was a day when she was a teenage girl in a bathing costume with nothing on her mind but boys, make up and her beloved horse, Tumbleweed. However, all that changed one morning when an innocent dive turned into a tragic accident. Joni's story is a wonderful testimony to God's grace and power in someone's life. Healing may have been an amazing miracle that didn't happen but Joni's ongoing work with thousands of disabled people throughout the world is a miracle in itself.

Night after night Mike and Sam found their beds under bridges and on the streets. They were forced to depend on the generosity and kindness of strangers as they panhandled to sustain their existence. For more than five months, the pair experienced firsthand the extreme pains of hunger, the constant uncertainty and danger of living on the streets, exhaustion, depression, and social rejection-and all of this by their own choice.

Mitsuo Fuchida was a Captain in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service who is perhaps best known for leading the first air wave attacks on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Fuchida was responsible for the coordination of the entire aerial attack working under the overall fleet commander Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. After World War II ended, Fuchida became an evangelist, Christian preacher and frequently traveled to the United States to minister to the Japanese expatriate community. He became a United States citizen in 1966. His autobiography was originally released in 1953, and this edition will be published to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 2011.

George MacDonald's stories and sermons have been like a magic pool of rejuvenating waters. Those who wash themselves in his prose cleanse their imaginations.

William Tyndale lived a life of adventure and danger, dodging the king's men, fleeing from his enemies and meeting with smugglers in the dead of night. What brought a well-educated young English man to such a state? Was he an outlaw? Was he a thief? No - he was a Bible smuggler and a brave one at that. Tyndale wanted other English speakers to be able to read God's word in their own language but there were many who tried to put a stop to that. However, Tyndale's work was God's work and it would not be stopped - even after Tyndale's death. One day there was a translation of the bible in the English language and it lit a fire in people's hearts that would not be put out. Read and learn about how God wants us to be brave and courageous and to stand up for the Truth!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the heroes of World War 2. Not only did he preach God’s word fearlessly, he spoke and actively resisted the evil of the Nazi regime. Discovered to be one of the people behind the plot to assassinate Hitler he was arrested and eventually martyred. Today he is remembered for his writings, including his letters from prison and commentaries. Not long before his death he was engaged to be married, and this unfulfilled marriage is one of the bittersweet notes to his story.

Although Elisabeth Elliot is possibly best known for her story of grief and the surname of her first husband, she has been a remarkable woman in many ways. From persevering after the untimely and tragic death of her husband, to becoming a notable writer and public speaker, Elisabeth Elliot is a true testament to the strength to be found in God.

What made an ordinary monk become a catalyst for the Reformation in Europe in the 1500s? What were the reasons lying behind his nailing of 95 theses against the practice of indulgences to the door of the Schlosskirche in Wittenberg in 1517? Why was Martin Luther's life in danger? How did his apparent kidnapping result in the first ever New Testament translated into the German language? Discover how a fresh understanding of the Scriptures not only transformed his own life but had a huge impact upon Europe.

Calvin had ideas on how we could live better lives - particularly how we could live in close harmony with God and each other - but because his ideas were radical, his life was filled with dramatic events and dangers. He was run out of town - and then welcomed back. He was accussed of being too harsh - and also too tender hearted. When he explained what the bible meant he was considered too logical and too spiritual! He must have been an amazing man to have caused such a stir!

By the end of his brief life Ulrich Zwingli would change the religious landscape of his home and the world. It wasn't until the last few years of his life that he became a reformer. He fought for truth and righteousness with his mind and pen, he fought for lost souls to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, and at the age of forty-seven, as an army chaplain, he was killed on the battle-field. The Shepherd Warrior, Ulrich Zwingli, fought the good fight.With his last strength he voiced his victory: "They can kill the body but not the soul!"

Many looked on Gladys Aylward's expedition to mainland China as foolhardy and dangerous. It was. On her own, as a single female, she carried her passport and other documents, along with the only money and belongings that she had, in a small briefcase with a teapot and a saucepan tied to the handle. After having purchased her one-way ticket to China, she left the United Kingdom with a single-minded determination to do what God had commanded her. She knew she was meant to go to China - even if no mission was prepared to support her. Unconventional is the only way to describe this journey to the country that would eventually become her home. A theme that would continue throughout her mission work in China where she thwarted authorities, became involved in the Chinese resistance and rescued over 100 children from the invading Japanese army. Written for 9-14 year olds.