Book Review- A Burning In My Bones, The Authorized Biography of Eugene Peterson (by Winn Collier)
Many people recognize the name Eugene Peterson and immediately think of his translation work with The Message. And, rightfully, so— it is magnificent. But do they know why Eugene wrote The Message in the first place? The story behind that is pretty amazing. He wanted to make the Bible accessible using the local language of his congregation, a suburb north of Baltimore, MD. So, he used the scriptures to shape, spark creativity and imagination. The unseen, mysteriously gritty work of pastoring took shape as he translated Philippians and Psalms, Ephesians and Mark. The Message is the local work of a local pastor.
This story, and many others, are but glimpses into the life of a man who never really sought after a spotlight. In a world where the pastorate is marred by scandalous rapport, we need Eugene’s story. On March 23, the authorized biography will be released! I’ve been fortunate to have read it and I’m all too excited to share with you some of my feedback in this review (actually, I am mostly giddy— I’ve been affectionately drawn to the pastoral imagination that’s been give to me by Eugene Peterson— I wouldn’t be a pastor, at all, without God’s work through Eugene).
A Burning In My Bones gets all the stars I have to offer. Winn Collier is a masterful storyteller, capturing not only the beautiful arc of Eugene’s story, but also the crevices, the wrinkles and, with grace, a few warts. He's focused a lens into this contemplative pastor's life and made it accessible— peeled back the curtain for us all.
But I wondered, outside of folks like me, who would read it? How compelling could the life story of a pastor be for someone who has never heard about him? Even someone who has little interest for the life of religion or faith? After a first reading, it was clear to me that this is a story that needs to be read by more than admiring pastors like me. This is a story that is human, gritty and hopeful. This is a story that buttresses imagination with a well lived life of faith— with all the complexities and beauty and agony and joy.
The honesty of Eugene's story leaps off the first pages: from a struggle to live out the Pentecostal experiences of tongues, to the backyard fights that lead to salvation, to the physical and emotional complexities of intimate marriage. I found myself laughing and in tears. The flow of the chapters made it easy to imagine walking beside Eugene, a silent companion tagging along in his life. Winn immerses us in personal ways, but never intrudes on Eugene. There is a clear respect, a reverence even, in the storytelling, and also an intimacy. Maybe that is a lesson learned in these stories, of what it means to be intimate: full of respect and reverence while remaining transparently honest.
Winn's description of Eugene serves as a particular description of this book: "...an insatiable desire for the real, the concrete. Past any pretenses. Deeper than the surface. Beyond everything trite or theoretical." I believe we all have this desire deep inside— for the warmth that only comes from the real. One doesn’t need to be (or become) an expert in religion, or church, or Barth in order to dive into this biography. But they will emerge from the reading more curious, with a new (or refreshed) desire to explore the depths, likely even a sense of the divine at work. Winn provokes that curiosity.
Approachable- that is the word that I'd use to describe Eugene, this biography and the people that encounter him. It is certainly the way he lived and the way that people like me (an admirer- a pilgrim) want to become more like. Thank you, Winn, for including us.
A Burning In My Bones will be released on March 23 wherever books are sold. I preordered my copy on Amazon over a year ago and plan on asking Winn to sign it.
