Sources of the Christian Self: A Cultural History of Christian Identity

Using Charles Taylor’s magisterial Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity as a springboard, this interdisciplinary book explores lived Christian identity through the ages. 

Beginning with such Old Testament figures as Abraham, Moses, and David and moving through the New Testament, the early church, the Middle Ages, and onward, the forty-two biographical chapters in Sources of the Christian Self illustrate how believers historically have defined their selfhood based on their relation to God/Jesus. 

Among the many historical subjects are Justin Martyr, Origen, Augustine, Aquinas, Julian of Norwich, Dante, John Calvin, Teresa of Ávila, John Bunyan, Jonathan Edwards, Christina Rossetti, Blaise Pascal, Søren Kierkegaard, C. S. Lewis, and Flannery O’Connor—all of whom boldly lived out their Christian identities in their varied cultural contexts. In showing how Christian identity has evolved over time, Sources of the Christian Self offers deep insight into our own Christian selves today.

James M. Houston (1922–2026) was the founding principal of Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was a prolific author and dedicated teacher whose interests included the Christian mind, spiritual theology, and environmental ethics. His publications include The Transforming Friendship: A Guide to Prayer, The Mentored Life: From Individualism to Personhood, Sources of the Christian Self: A Cultural History of Christian Identity, and historical commentaries on the Psalms.