Servants, Misfits, and Martyrs: Saints and Their Stories

Having grown up in the Orthodox Church, I have had a somewhat limited understanding of saints, which has been changed by my contact with American Protestants. This book offers a very contemporary understanding of saints, giving the stories of many people we ignore in the Orthodox world, but people who offer tremendous examples of God's power and love. Because I did not know anything about them, the saints I enjoyed reading about were Clarence Jordan, Martin Niemoller, and Karl Barth. I am surprised by these because they are not the norm. Author Howell uses a definition that seems to be consonant with Christian teaching, though I doubt that many of the people featured in this book will have feast days on the calendar.