Os Guinness
Os Guinness: A Life of Faith, Activism, and Scholarship
Full Name and Common Aliases
Os Guinness is a renowned author, speaker, and social critic who has written extensively on faith, culture, and politics. His full name is Oscar Edward Guinness, but he is commonly referred to as Os Guinness.
Birth and Death Dates
Born in 1941 in China to Irish parents, Guinness has lived a long and distinguished life. While his exact birthdate is not publicly known, it is reported that he was born on July 30th of that year.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Guinness holds dual citizenship with Ireland and the United Kingdom, although he has spent most of his adult life in the United States. He is a writer, speaker, and social critic who has been involved in various professions throughout his career, including:
Author
Speaker
Social critic
Christian apologist
Early Life and Background
Guinness was born into an Irish Protestant family that had settled in China for missionary work. His early life was marked by a sense of adventure and exposure to different cultures, which would later shape his perspective on faith and the world. After contracting tuberculosis at age 17, Guinness moved to England to recover and eventually began studying philosophy at Oxford University.
Major Accomplishments
Throughout his career, Guinness has achieved numerous milestones that have made him a respected figure in Christian circles:
He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he earned his BA in Philosophy.
Guinness became the first non-British president of the Oxford Union and a member of the exclusive Apostles Club, an organization founded by George Macdonald.
In 1963, he converted to Christianity from atheism after a series of profound experiences.Notable Works or Actions
Guinness has written extensively on faith, culture, and politics. Some of his notable works include:
The Dust of Death: A critique of the modern church and its failures in engaging with contemporary society.
The Grail Unleashed: An exploration of the relationship between Christianity and culture.
The Call: A book that explores the concept of a "call" to follow Jesus Christ.
Impact and Legacy
Guinness's work has had a significant impact on Christian thought and culture. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential Christian thinkers of our time:
Guinness has written over 30 books, which have been translated into more than 20 languages.
His ideas have influenced prominent Christian leaders such as Chuck Colson and Tim Keller.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Os Guinness is widely quoted and remembered for his thought-provoking writings on faith, culture, and politics. He has a unique ability to bridge the gap between theological concepts and everyday life:
His insights have helped shape Christian responses to contemporary issues like postmodernism and secularism.
Guinness's commitment to social justice and human rights has made him an advocate for marginalized communities around the world.
In conclusion, Os Guinness is a complex figure who has spent his life exploring the intersection of faith, culture, and politics. His experiences as a missionary's son in China and his conversion from atheism have shaped his perspective on Christianity and its role in the world today.
Quotes by Os Guinness
Os Guinness's insights on:
Calling is more than purely cultural, but it is also more than purely personal. Discover the meaning of calling and you discover the heart of the gospel itself.
Needless to say, the dynamic of the resurrection and a God who cannot be buried for long is the dynamic of a child’s jack-in-the-box writ large in golden cosmic letters.
An “open mind” can be an “empty head,” and “tolerance” can be indistinguishable from believing nothing. These are no help in finding honest answers to honest and important questions.
May it be the real I who speaks. May it be the real Thou that I speak to. – C. S. Lewis.
The Christianization of the modern world is leading to the modernization of the Christian faith and away from the way of Jesus. Similarly, as we shall see, the Christianization of America has led to the Americanization of the Christian faith and away from the way of Jesus.
One of the key places where sociology should be used is in analyzing ‘the world’ of our times, so that we can be more discerning. To resist the dangers of the world, you have to recognize the distortions and seductions of the world.
Mastering our emotions has nothing to do with asceticism or repression, for the purpose is not to break the emotions or deny them but to “break in” the emotions, making them teachable because they are tamed.
Feast of Patrick, Bishop of Armagh, Missionary, Patron of Ireland, c.460 The evidence for Christian truth is not exhaustive, but it is sufficient. Too often, Christianity has not been tried and found wanting – it has been found wanting, and not tried.
If the Christian faith is true, it is true even if no one believes it, and if it is not true, it is false even if everyone believes it. The truth of the faith does not stand and fall with our defense of it.
Behind every civilization lies a vision and a worldview, and none is greater or more lasting than the strength of its vision.