Richard John Neuhaus was born in Pembroke, Ontario, to a Missouri-Synod Lutheran pastor. He became a prominent Lutheran pastor in New York City and later on a Roman Catholic priest with an international audience.
Rebellious as a teenager, he also became a rebellious pastor, advocating for civil rights and against the war in Vietnam. He became a leading conservative theologian and political activist.
Neuhaus wrote books and columns, founded and edited magazines, and won and lost many friends as he campaigned for various causes. He chatted with the pope and George W. Bush and loved to hold forth with his friends over Scotch and a cigar but, according to Boyagoda, was so filled with himself that he lost some of his best friends.
Boyagoda, who teaches at Ryerson University in Toronto, does an excellent job in his book of examining a complex life and explaining how Neuhaus sought to bring Christianity to bear on American politics. (Image)
About the Author
Jim Romahn is a freelance journalist in Kitchener, Ont., where he belongs to Community Christian Reformed Church.