author
John Kelman
1864–1929
A Scottish minister and literary critic, he wrote warmly and thoughtfully about faith, books, and well-known writers including Robert Louis Stevenson and John Bunyan. His work blends spiritual reflection with a lively love of literature and public life.
2 Audiobooks
Among Famous Books
by John Kelman
The Holy Land
by John Kelman
About the author
Born in Scotland in 1864, John Kelman became a United Free Church minister as well as a lecturer and author. He studied at the University of Edinburgh and New College, and his preaching and pastoral work brought him to prominent churches in Edinburgh, later to wartime service connected with the Western Front, and then to a ministry in New York before he returned to Britain.
Kelman is best remembered for books that join religious thought with literary appreciation. Among his known works are The Faith of Robert Louis Stevenson, Among Famous Books, The Road: A Study of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and The Holy Land. His writing often aimed to make serious ideas accessible, whether he was discussing Christian belief, classic authors, or the moral questions raised by war and modern life.
He died in 1929, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both the concerns of a preacher and the curiosity of a reader. For listeners today, his books offer a window into an era when literature, religion, and public speaking were closely intertwined.