John Eldredge

Infobox_Celebrity


caption = John Eldredge
birth_date = Birth date and age|1960|6|1
birth_place =
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
occupation = author, activist
website = http://www.ransomedheart.com

John Eldredge (b. June 6, 1960) is an author, counselor, and lecturer of Christianity.

After being involved in the Los Angeles drug subculture and kicked out of high school, Eldredge was looking for a "worldview." After exploring other religions, Eastern mysticism, Lao-Tzu, and New Age spirituality, he discovered the writings of Francis Schaeffer, whom he calls one of the best philosophers of the 20th century. Through Schaeffer, Eldredge came to Christ and later to the church. He eventually got a master's degree in counseling and practiced in Colorado Springs before working for Focus on the Family.

John received his undergraduate degree in theater from California Polytechnic University (Pomona) and his MA in biblical counseling from Colorado Christian University under the direction of Dr. Larry Crabb and Dr. Dan Allender. Prior to joining Focus on the Family in 1988, John served for five years on the staff of Sierra Madre Congregational Church in Southern California.

In July 2000, John left Focus on the Family to launch Ransomed Heart Ministries, a ministry devoted to furthering the message of his book "The Sacred Romance". A sought-after speaker, John travels extensively in the U.S. and abroad. John, his wife, Stasi, and their three sons live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Criticism

Some of the self-affirming passages in his books have caused leaders in certain Evangelical churches to question the perspective that defines Eldredge's style. As an example Christianity Today quotes Rut Etheridge III, a seminarian in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America who finds Eldredge to have an "alarmingly unbiblical worldview." [http://ctlibrary.com/11237]

His books cater to a popular audience. Eldredge leans heavily upon popular contemporary mythology (Braveheart, etc.) to describe normative masculinity and femininity instead of substantive theories and quantitative studies.

Authored books

* "The Sacred Romance" (Nelson Books, 1997)
* "Wild at Heart" (Nelson Books, 2001)
* "The Journey of Desire" (Nelson Books, 2001)
* "Waking the Dead" (Nelson Books, 2003)
* "Epic" (Nelson Books, 2004)
* "Captivating" (Nelson Books, 2005)
* " The Ransomed Heart (Nelson Books 2005)
* "The Way of the Wild Heart" (Nelson Books, 2006)
* "Walking with God" (Nelson Books, 2008)

External links

* [http://www.ransomedheart.com/ Ransomed Heart Ministries]
* [http://ransomedheart.podbean.com/ Official Ransomed Heart Ministries Podcast]
* [http://www.walkingwithgod.net/ Walking With God website]