Published by Harvest House Publishers on May 6, 2025
Genres: Non-Fiction, Biography, Christian Life, Leadership, Racial Reconciliation, Work, Social Justice
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A CIRCLE 31 BOOK CLUB SELECTION FOR AUGUST 2025―CIRCLE 31, A BOOK CLUB BY PROVERBS 31 MINISTRIES
Experience the riveting true stories of five men and women who changed the world by following Christ in their careers―and discover practical applications for how you can, too.
Do you ever wonder what it means to truly glorify God in your work if you’re not a pastor, missionary, or religious professional?
Rather than offering theological exposition to answer that question, Jordan Raynor and Kaleigh Cox use vivid, fast-paced storytelling to present the captivating lives of five “mere Christians” who will show you what it looks like to follow Christ wherever you live and work:
Fred Rogers, the TV host from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, demonstrates how your selfless service of others can reveal glimpses of heaven on earth.
Fannie Lou Hamer, the courageous civil rights activist, models how to pursue justice without hating the unjust.
Ole Kirk Christiansen, the founder of LEGO, shows how to persevere through life’s most difficult trials and find God’s purpose in play.
Hannah More, the audacious poet largely credited for abolishing slavery throughout the British Empire, exemplifies how to change the world through culture and not just politics.
C.S. Lewis, the literature professor and bestselling author of The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, invites you to embrace your unique opportunities to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.
Unlike typical biographies that get bogged down in boring detail, each story in this collection is mercifully short, extremely entertaining, and profoundly helpful―providing clear takeaways for modern-day mere Christians looking to glorify God in their own everyday work.
There are lots of books that pontificate about the relationship between faith and work, but this book dramatizes it. Instead of exploring the subject from an intellectual angle, Jordan Raynor and his co-writer Kaleigh Cox give readers vivid examples of what it can look like for Christians to make a difference through a faith-driven approach to their everyday work. These short biographies pack a punch, each of them covering a notable Christian who made the world a better place through their jobs.
The biographies cover the TV personality Fred Rogers; civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer; Ole Kirk Christiasen, the founder of LEGO; author, educator, and social reformer Hannah More; and author and apologist C.S. Lewis. The authors broke up each biography into short chapters, and the stories are fast-paced and engaging to read. Raynor explains that even though full-length biographies can be dry and way too detailed, there are lots of benefits to learning about other people’s lives, and you just need the right delivery for it.
Five Mere Christians is a great example of how to tell someone’s life story in a quick, engaging way that hits the high points and underscores the most crucial things from their legacy. The biographies are detailed, vivid, and extremely readable. Some readers will quibble with details that they think the authors either glossed over or overemphasized too much, but these mini-biographies are solid and well-researched, and they also include source notes. Each chapter also includes a few pages of summary at the end, highlighting the takeaway messages that readers can apply to their own work.
Five Mere Christians: Binge-Worthy Biographies That Show You How to Glorify God in Your Work is a fast-paced, engaging read that will appeal to people who enjoy reading biographies, and to people who don’t normally like that kind of thing, but who may find these life stories compelling. This would also make a great selection for a book club, or for a group of employees at a Christian organization to read together. I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to people who appreciate powerful life stories and want to feel inspired in their vocational work.