HarperOne Mourns the Loss of Author Peter J. Gomes

Contact: Melinda Mullin, Director of Publicity, 415-477-4409, Melinda.Mullin@harpercollins.com

SAN FRANCISCO, March 1, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- HarperOne mourns the loss of its author, The Rev. Peter J. Gomes, an acclaimed author, nationally influential Baptist minister, and advocate for tolerance. The Rev. Gomes was a professor at Harvard Divinity School, and minister at Harvard University's Memorial Church for more than three decades. He died yesterday of complications suffered from a stroke. He was 68 years old.

"We are profoundly saddened by the passing of The Rev. Gomes, a renowned Biblical scholar, champion of tolerance and an eloquent man," said Mark Tauber, Publisher of HarperOne. "We celebrate the achievements of his lifetime, and are exceedingly proud to have published his works."

Roger Freet, Senior Editor at HarperOne who worked with Rev Gomes for more than ten years said, "Rev. Gomes was a minister, first and foremost; a Harvard man, a beautiful contrarian; and the greatest orator I have ever heard. To hear him speak was something to behold, to edit his words was my great privilege."

Rev. Gomes authored five books published by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers: "Sermons: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living" (1998), "The Good Life" (2002), "Strength for the Journey" (2003), "The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus" (2007), and perhaps his famous celebrated book, "The Good Book: Reading the Bible With Mind and Heart" (1996).

The influence of Rev. Gomes reached diverse audiences, from his books to his participation in the inaugurations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, from his legacy as minister at Harvard to appearing on The Colbert Report on behalf of "The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus." Time magazine called him "one of the seven most distinguished preachers in America," in 1979, and he was named Clergy of the Year by the organization Religion in American Life in 1998.

The Rev. Peter J. Gomes received a bachelor's degree from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and a divinity degree from Harvard.