John Eldredge

Eldredge says of himself, "I’m 55. I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. My wife Stasi and I have three sons. My graduate degree is in counseling. Professionally, I’m a writer and a speaker. I don’t pastor. I’m not a preacher. I don’t have a church that I lead."

Eldredge believes that typical presentations of the Christian Gospel miss the vital fact that there is a "Larger Story." The reality of a grand love narrative, set in an epic battle for the hearts of mankind — a battle in which we, if we choose to follow Christ, have a role to play — is largely absent from the Gospel as most Christians understand it. According to Eldredge, most people see the offer of salvation as simply forgiveness of sins and a ticket to Heaven. The thought of the Gospel as something that through the "full Work of Christ" (his death, resurrection, and ascension) has real effects now, on this side of Heaven, is largely missing: both forgiveness AND deliverance from sin and the works of the devil through Christ's crucifixion; the offer of life and the potential to a become a new creature that does not desire to sin and has a good heart through the resurrection; and the real authority of the believer through the ascension. Eldredge sees the Gospel, in a phrase, as a Gospel of Restoration. He views the miracles of Christ as primarily advertisements of life in the Kingdom of God, pictures of what it looks like when true restoration happens, available in the partial here and now, ultimately fulfilled at the "Restoration of All Things," as prophesied by Christ in the book of Matthew. Eldredge does not see the miracles of Christ merely as random proofs that He was the Son of God, though he would not deny that they serve that purpose also.

A fundamental tenet of Eldredge's theology is that men and women possess the Imago Dei — they are created in the image of God. For him, on the basis of Genesis 1:27, the core of what it means to be image-bearers is found in gender. God intentionally created mankind as male and female, placing different aspects of His character into each, so that the full expression of His glory is seen when the two are joined in marriage. Therefore, the rescuing of the heart of both masculinity and femininity is indispensable to Eldredge's ministry.

In July 2000, John left Focus on the Family, where he had worked for 12 years, to launch Ransomed Heart Ministries. John travels extensively in the U.S. and abroad. John, his wife, Stasi, and their three sons live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In addition to publishing many books, he has produced three videos: Risky Business: A Look at Gambling, Whatever Happened to Marriage?: A Look at Divorce, and Created Different?: A Look at Homosexuality.

John received his undergraduate degree in theater from California Polytechnic University (Pomona) and his MA in biblical counseling from Colorado Christian University under the direction of Dr. Larry Crabb and Dr. Dan Allender. Prior to joining Focus on the Family in 1988, John served for five years on the staff of Sierra Madre Congregational Church in Southern California.

John Eldredge (born June 6, 1960 in Los Angeles) is an American author, counselor, and lecturer on Christianity. He is known for his best-selling book Wild at Heart.