Eugene H. Peterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eugene H. Peterson
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Peterson speaking in Seattle, 2009
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| Born |
Eugene Hoiland Peterson
November 6, 1932 |
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| Died | October 22, 2018 (aged 85) |
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| Spouse(s) | Jan Peterson | ||||
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| Alma mater | Seattle Pacific University New York Theological Seminary Johns Hopkins University |
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Notable work
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The Message (1993–2002) | ||||
| Scientific career | |||||
| Institutions | Regent College | ||||
| Influences | |||||
Eugene Hoiland Peterson (November 6, 1932 – October 22, 2018) was an American Presbyterian minister, writer, and teacher. He wrote more than 30 books. He is best known for The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. This book is a version of the Bible written in modern American English. It aims to make the Bible's original meaning easier to understand.
Biography
Eugene Peterson was born on November 6, 1932, in Stanwood, Washington. He grew up in Kalispell, Montana. He went to college and studied philosophy at Seattle Pacific University. He also studied theology at New York Theological Seminary. Later, he studied ancient languages at Johns Hopkins University. He received several special degrees during his life.
In 1962, Peterson helped start Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He worked there as a pastor for 29 years. He retired from this role in 1991. He believed that the message of Jesus was about community and working together. From 1992 to 1998, he taught at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia.
His Final Days
Eugene Peterson became very ill and was hospitalized on October 8, 2018. His son, Eric Peterson, said that an infection caused his sudden illness. Peterson had stopped his public work in 2017. This was after he published his last book, As Kingfishers Catch Fire.
His family said that in his final days, he seemed to be moving between earth and heaven. They heard him speaking to people they believed were welcoming him to paradise. He was described as "joyful and smiling" during this time.
Peterson passed away on October 22, 2018, at the age of 85. He had been in hospice care for problems related to heart failure.
The Message Bible
Eugene Peterson is most famous for The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. He wrote this version of the Bible to help modern readers understand its original meaning better. His goal was to make the Bible more accessible to everyone.
Books He Wrote
Eugene Peterson wrote many books. Here are some of his well-known works:
- A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (1980)
- Traveling Light: Reflections on the Free Life (1982)
- Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best (1983)
- Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity (1987)
- Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer (1989)
- The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction (1989)
- Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness (1992)
- The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (2002)
- Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology (2005)
- Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading (2006)
- The Pastor: A Memoir (2011)
- As Kingfishers Catch Fire: A Conversation on the Ways of God Formed by the Words of God (2017)
He also wrote a series called Praying with the Bible:
- Praying with Jesus: A Year of Daily Prayer and Reflection on the Words and Actions of Jesus (1993)
- Praying with the Psalms: A Year of Daily Prayer and Reflection on the Words of David (1993)
- Praying with Moses: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words and Actions of Moses (1994)
- Praying with the Early Christians: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words of the Early Christians (1994)
- Praying with Paul: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words and Actions of Paul (1995)
- Praying with the Prophets: A Year of Daily Prayers and Reflections on the Words and Actions of the Prophets (1995)
