Eugene H. Peterson

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Articles & Essays by Eugene H. Peterson

Book Excerpt from A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

A Life Lived Upward Toward God

Published June, 1980 • Featured August 25, 2022

With pas­toral wis­dom and care, Eugene Peter­son explains how the ​“Songs of Ascents” sung by ancient Hebrews can help us hone a pil­grim mind­set as we stay the course of discipleship.

Book Excerpt from A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Help from the Hills?

Published June, 1980 • Featured January 17, 2022

Eugene Peter­son exam­ines what Psalm 121 has to say about hard­ships in the lives of dis­ci­ples: ​“At no time is there the faintest sug­ges­tion that the life of faith exempts us from dif­fi­cul­ties. What it promis­es is preser­va­tion from all the evil in them.”

Book Excerpt from The Unnecessary Pastor

Renewing Our Most Basic Commitment

Published November, 1999 • Featured November 9, 2021

Mar­va Dawn and Eugene Peter­son present a counter-cul­tur­al call for pas­tors to hon­or their basic com­mit­ment as Chris­tians over and above pro­fes­sion­al reli­gious duties, and to embrace an iden­ti­ty as ​“unnec­es­sary” to unhealthy demands of cul­ture, ego, and con­gre­ga­tion­al ambitions.

Book Excerpt

Letter to a Young Pastor

Published June, 2020 • Featured February 10, 2021

“I won­der if one of the great­est things that a pas­tor can do,” writes Eugene Peter­son to his son Eric, ​“is to treat men and women with sim­ple dig­ni­ty.” This let­ter is one of many exchanged between father and son, two pas­tors work­ing out how to best care for the peo­ple of God.

Book Excerpt from The Jesus Way

Jesus: the Truth and the Way

Published February, 2007 • Featured October 24, 2018

“Jesus as the truth gets far more atten­tion than Jesus as the way.” Eugene Peter­son encour­ages us to pat­tern our­selves after the way of Jesus rather than the ways of the world.

Interview

An Interview with Eugene Peterson by Richard J. Foster

Featured February 23, 2017

As we look at lumi­nar­ies of the faith who steady us and guide us in the way of Jesus, Richard Fos­ter and Eugene Peter­son shine bright­ly. Here we get a glimpse behind the scenes of Eugene’s writ­ing and his incar­na­tion­al out­look on life.