August 2022 | WESTMONT, IL—James Bryan Smith has signed a contract with InterVarsity Press (IVP) to honor the life of his good friend Rich Mullins twenty-five years after Rich’s death with the release of a new edition of his devotional biography titled Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven. The book will release on February 7, 2023.
Andrew Peterson, recording artist and author of The God of the Garden, said, “Writing a book about someone who meant so much to so many is a daunting task but one that James Bryan Smith has accomplished with a great deal of passion and wisdom. This book is a gift to all of us who miss having Rich in this world, and it will be a treasure to those who are just discovering who he was.”
Beloved contemporary Christian musician Rich Mullins lived his life with abandon for God, leaving the spotlight to teach music among a Navajo community. An accident cut his life short in 1997, but his songs and ragamuffin spirit continue to teach many.
In honor of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Rich’s homegoing, this edition of Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven delivers an intimate look at the experiences that sparked praise hit songs and the values behind his Christlike candor. James Bryan Smith captures just what Rich wished for when he said, “I hope I would leave a legacy of joy—a legacy of real compassion.”
See the layers of his story through reflections from friends and family, an afterword by Rich’s brother, David Mullins, and Smith’s own bond with him. David said, “James Bryan Smith did with Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven what Rich did with his life. He was able to tell a story about a man but really tell a story about God.”
James Bryan Smith is the author of The Good and Beautiful Series. He is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, where he also serves as the director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. A founding member of Richard J. Foster’s spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré, Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches.
Smith was represented by Kathryn Helmers of Helmers Literary Services.
Contact: Krista Clayton | 630.734.4013 | kclayton@ivpress.com
