author
J. C. (John Charles) Ryle
1816–1900
A clear, forceful Victorian churchman, he became the first Bishop of Liverpool and won lasting readers with practical Christian writing that aimed to be plain, direct, and rooted in the Bible.
3 Audiobooks
A Sketch of the Life and Labors of George Whitefield
by J. C. (John Charles) Ryle
The Cross: A Tract for the Times
by J. C. (John Charles) Ryle
About the author
Born in Macclesfield, England, in 1816, J. C. Ryle was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. After his family suffered financial losses, he entered ordained ministry in the Church of England, serving in several parishes before being appointed the first Bishop of Liverpool in 1880.
Ryle was one of the best-known evangelical Anglican voices of the nineteenth century. He preached and wrote with unusual clarity, avoiding complicated language and focusing on personal faith, holiness, prayer, and the authority of Scripture. That simple, vigorous style helps explain why books such as Holiness and Practical Religion have continued to find readers long after his death.
He died in 1900, but his work has stayed influential across many Protestant traditions. Readers often return to him for his directness, pastoral urgency, and steady concern for everyday Christian living.