The SPU community is mourning the passing of alumnus Eugene Peterson, a 1954 graduate who passed away on October 22.
“Not only has the world lost a great person of faith today in the passing of SPU alumnus, pastor, professor, and author Eugene Peterson, but we have lost a dear member of our community,” said Seattle Pacific University President Dan Martin. “He shared his faith, insight, knowledge, and wisdom on many topics related to the Christian faith in the pages of our magazine, Response, and we were blessed to have him join us for Seattle Pacific’s 125th anniversary last year. The SPU community sends their prayers to his wife, Jan, and his family and friends. While we mourn his passing, we also celebrate this extraordinary man of God who used his many talents and gifts to share the good news of Jesus.”
The author of more than 30 books, he is best known for his work on The Message, a contemporary rendering of the Bible from the original languages, which has sold millions of copies worldwide. In an article in Response, he wrote about his experience writing The Message. “The Message is different than my other books. It’s not mine, I feel like I have been a servant to the text. I don’t feel any ownership.”
Response has featured Peterson extensively through the years, including an article he wrote about the tricky question of church unity, and an interview about understanding art can help the Christian understand faith better.
Posted: Monday, October 22, 2018