A Burning In My Bones
I have been fortunate in life in that I’ve always had friends who tried to overcome my ignorance by recommending I read authors that they knew personally or whose works they knew so well that it appeared that they knew them.
My beloved friend Sarah had studied under Eugene Peterson and suggested that perhaps I would benefit from hearing him…instead of just regurgitating the venom spewed by my truly Reformed compatriots.
Peterson was a revelation in more ways than I can recount and actually laid the groundwork to the road that led me out of the Reformed and onto the path that eventually ended in Anglicanism.
His autobiography, “The Pastor” is the best volume on pastoral ministry since Richard Baxter.
“A Burning In My Bones” is the authorized biography of his life, written by Winn Collier.
Peterson gave Collier full access to journals, notes, and family…to the degree that there were places in the narrative where i felt like I was intruding into places too personal to speak of.
Peterson allowed such for a reason…it would be pastorally helpful for those who read it.
Evangelicals who loved to loathe Peterson will find new ammunition here.
He was comfortable with mystery and he…most importantly to me…always chose pastoral care over doctrinal proclamations.
He leaned toward universalism and he wrestled mightily with the issue of same sex marriage.
He had one goal… “I want to be a saint”.
I can’t say for sure, but I think he achieved his goal…
This is an excellent book about a spiritual giant.
Though dead, he still speaks…
Buy it if you care about such…
I just wish the headlines that grab everyone wouldn’t be the social clickbait.
His life was so much more.
Thanks for this push.
BD,
The book is basically about a man seeking to be holy.
Good luck selling that…thus the clickbait…
Thank you for the book recommendation. I read Peterson as a newish Christian. I didn’t always agree, but I always respected him. We don’t always like easy answers or people who don’t live up to our doctrinal expectations. It’s sad.
I don’t always tell my evangelical friends what I have been reading by the way. It’s not worth arguing when they are not familiar with the author and his ideas.
…always chose pastoral care over doctrinal proclamations.
________________________________________
I like that since I think many reformed weigh truth more than grace. However, I don’t think there should be separation between orthodoxy and orthoproxy. I think of Jesus being full of grace and truth. He didn’t separate them. He was full of both. I probably should read this biography if I were a pastor but I’m not. Curious what other pastor’s on the blog think of Peterson though?
I don’t always tell my evangelical friends what I have been reading by the way.
Linn,
Yeah, me either. Not worth the hassle. A lot of my reactionary Xn friends are gonna need knee surgery. 🙂
I’ve been a pastor for over thirty years…and if Anglicans canonized people I’d be pushing for Peterson sainthood…
One need not be a pastor to learn from a sage in the church…
Michael,
I had the honor of interviewing Peterson in the late 80s for a magazine piece. He couldn’t have been more gracious. I had to do a lot of editing because of the nature of the article. Sometimes authors don’t like that and can be persnickety. Not the case at all with him.
bob1,
I envy you!
He was a great help to me in life in continues to speak to me even though he’s gone on before me.