Religious Biographies

Growing up on the French-German border, son of a Lutheran pastor, Albert Schweitzer adopted a peace-loving approach to life. He studied theology, music, and philosophy and wrote numerous books. At age thirty he felt called to study medicine and eventually became a doctor. Together with his wife, Hélène, he founded a missionary hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon. Devoted to medical work in Africa, Albert was also a beacon of hope for a better future in war-ravaged Europe and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

D. A. Carson's father was a pioneering church-planter and pastor in Quebec. He ministered during a transformative era for French Canada, navigating the harsh realities of persecution and imprisonment faced by Baptist ministers, and ultimately witnessing the spectacular growth and revival in the 1970s. Through Tom Carson's journals and written prayers, along with the narrative and historical background provided by his son, listeners gain a firsthand account of the life of an ordinary pastor during a pivotal era in North American church history.

One of the famous Doolittle Raiders who first attacked Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Jacob DeShazer knew his one-way mission was dangerous. Indeed, it led to his capture as a prisoner of war. Beaten, malnourished, and alone in his cell, Jacob was given a Bible—and far away from home, this American soldier became a Christian. After the war, Jacob returned to Japan and served his former enemy for thirty years as a missionary. His testimony of forgiveness and reconciliation—of love over hate—inspires a powerful gospel message for our lives today.

Dean Braxton was hospitalized due to kidney stones. The procedure to break down the stones caused an infection which eventually made his heart stop. When Dean died, he was taken to heaven, where he met Jesus, family members, and saw God, the father of creation! He should have been a vegetable or dead, when in fact Dean Braxton's heart had been stopped for 1 hour and 45 minutes. After he came back from heaven, he was instantly healed of 29 medical conditions, and today he is called the Miracle Man, and has written a book of his complete account of heaven in the afterlife.

The story of Muhammad is extremely fascinating, and leaves us wondering where the boundaries exist between reality and myth. All of the world's great religions have this trait in common, without exception. But Muhammad's life has a whiff of the fabulist about it that reminds us of the great literary traditions of Islam, more especially of the style of the tales in the Arabian Nights. Everything about Muhammad, from his birth to his death, displays an aura of inevitability and dramatic tension.

Monastic life and its counter-cultural wisdom come alive in the stories and lessons of Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO, during his more than five decades as a Trappist at the Abbey of Gethsemani. He served as a novice under Thomas Merton, and he also welcomed some of the monastery's more well-known visitors to Merton's hermitage. In Praise of the Useless Life includes Quenon's quiet reflections on what it means to live each day with careful attentiveness. The humble peace and simplicity of the monastery and of Quenon's daily life are beautifully portrayed in this memoir.

The History of the Reformers for Children offers a glimpse into the lives of people who were part of the Protestant Reformation. Narrated in accessible language, children will be able to learn about this important part of Church history.

They served God to the ends of the Earth. In his fifth God’s Generals volume, Roberts Liardon chronicles some of the great evangelists who risked their lives to take the gospel message to strange and unknown cultures around the world. The sacrifice and courage of these spiritual pioneers are sure to stoke the fires of your faith and revive within your heart a spirit of evangelism and compassion for the lost.

In his fourth God’s Generals volume, Roberts Liardon chronicles God’s great healing evangelists of the 20th century. As you hear about the lives of these ministry pioneers, your faith for signs and miracles will grow as you anticipate seeing God’s mighty hand move in the church today.

“Practically every paragraph has a line or two that demands to be read aloud to the mirror, tattooed on foreheads, carved on tombstones.” –Rolling Stone “Morrissey is a pop star of unusual writing talent.” –The New York Times Autobiography covers Morrissey’s life from his birth...

In For a Greater Purpose: The Life and Legacy of Walter Bradley, authors Robert Marks and William Dembski detail the story of this remarkable man whose passion for God, science, higher education, and human empowerment provides an excellent model of someone who integrates faith and learning.

Meher Baba was an Indian spiritual master who claimed to be his era's Avatar, or God in human form. A major spiritual figure of the 20th century, he was the central figure around the "Meher Baba Movement", and estimates of his following range from the hundreds of thousands to the millions. Enter into ageless philosophy of the great, silent spiritual master Avatar Meher Baba in this comprehensive compendium of this iconic teacher’s greatest thoughts and ideas.

Lost and Found at the Same Time is a poetic, soul-baring journey of surrender, awakening, and peace in a noisy world. Jordan River invites you into the raw spaces where spiritual breakthroughs meet ego unraveling. From a childhood near-death experience to psychedelic ego deaths, life on the road, plant medicine quests, and the quiet wisdom of Bali, this is a story of finding God… not in temples, but in the ordinary and the uncomfortable. This is not a how-to guide. It’s a remembering. A companion for those who are ready to let go, to listen, to rest, and to come home to themselves.

Action was a drug dealer. Sunshine was an exotic dancer. Two broken lives collided, and together they made the choice to change—for love, for family and for a future worth fighting for. Their new path was filled with both joy and heartbreak. They welcomed their first daughter, Rayne, but soon after lost their second child before birth. In the midst of grief, something miraculous began to happen. Hearts appeared everywhere—shapes in clouds, patterns in paper, signs too perfect to ignore. They weren't just coincidences. They were reminders of love, of healing, of God's presence.

David Eliezrie’s Undaunted chronicles the extraordinary courage of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, as he confronted the brutal oppression of both czarist Russia and the Soviet regime. While many religious leaders fled as the Communists shuttered synagogues and schools, Rabbi Schneersohn remained, risking his life to preserve Jewish life and earning the reputation of “the last man standing.” Despite enduring torture, arrest, and a death sentence, his unwavering defiance and international advocacy ultimately secured his release.

Martyn war erst zehn Jahre alt, als er den Brand seines Elternhauses hautnah miterlebte. Er und seine ganze Familie konnten noch rechtzeitig gerettet werden, mussten dann aber mit ansehen, wie ihr Haus mitsamt dem Geschäft des Vaters, also ihre ganze Lebensgrundlage, restlos niederbrannte. Wo sollten sie nun wohnen? Wie sollten sie sich ernähren? – Alles war zerstört. Doch Gott sorgte für die Familie und hatte für Martyn eine besondere Lebensaufgabe.

Confucius is perhaps the most important philosopher in history. Today his teachings shape the daily lives of more than 1.6 billion people. Throughout East Asia, Confucius' influence can be seen in everything from business practices and family relationships to educational standards and government policies. Even as Western ideas from Christianity to Communism have bombarded the region, Confucius' doctrine has endured as the foundation of East Asian culture.

Colorful stories about and profound teachings of Patrul Rinpoche, one of the most impactful teachers and thinkers in the Tibetan tradition from the 19th century.

G. K. Chesterton's classic biography of St. Francis. Visit ChestertonBooks.com to see other books in our G. K. Chesterton series. "St. Francis was above all things a great giver; and he cared chiefly for the best kind of giving which is called thanksgiving.... He knew that the praise of God stands on its strongest ground when it stands on nothing. He knew that we can best measure the towering miracle of the mere fact of existence if we realize that but for some strange mercy we should not even exist...." - G. K. Chesterton

The great goddess Devi comes in many forms and many moods. She is the kind and gentle Parvati, the scholarly Saraswati and also the invincible warrior Durga, who rides out on a lion to fight the evil asuras. In this book, listen to three exciting tales about the Devi. Discover how Parvati made Shiva fall in love with her; join the gods as they create the mighty warrior goddess Durga to defeat an asura called Mahisha and find out what happened when Saraswati lost her temper and cursed Lord Brahma!