The Wheaton Archives & Special Collections presents ""The Actual True is the Sum of All These": Archival Materials and the Life of Elisabeth Elliot ," a lecture by Lucy S.R. Austen on Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 7:00 PM.

Writer, speaker, and missionary Elisabeth Elliot (1926) is one of the most influential American Christians of the 20th and 21st centuries, but until recently there has been a dearth of scholarship exploring the impact of her life and work. As we consider Elliot's story and legacy, archival research is essential, even though—or perhaps especially because—Elliot published extensive autobiographical material during her lifetime. In this lecture, biographer Lucy. S.R. Austen considers how archival materials enrich our understanding of Elliot and the cultures that shaped her and offers a challenge and encouragement for our own lives.  

Lucy S. R. Austen is an editor and writer, currently based in the Pacific Northwest. Her book Elisabeth Elliot: A Life, which is the first full-length single-volume biography of that remarkable woman, appeared in the summer of 2023. Her work has also been featured in Christianity Today, the Gospel Coalition, and the Oxford Centre for Life Writing.  

This event is free and open to the public and will take place in Marion E. Wade Center, Room 130 Bakke Auditorium. Exhibit and reception to follow. For more information, contact 630.752.5910 or archives@wheaton.edu.