J. C. (John Charles) Ryle

Born in 1816, he was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, and entered the Church of England after a financial reversal changed the course of his life. Over the years he served in several parishes and built a reputation as a direct, vigorous preacher and writer whose work reached far beyond his own congregations.

In 1880 he became the first Bishop of Liverpool, a role he held until 1900. He was closely identified with the evangelical wing of Anglicanism and wrote extensively on holiness, prayer, the Gospels, and everyday Christian living.

His style was simple, practical, and easy to remember, which helps explain why his books have remained in print long after his death in 1900. Readers often return to his work for its combination of doctrinal conviction, pastoral warmth, and unfussy common sense.