Over the weekend it was announced that American author, scholar and pastor Eugene Peterson, 85, had entered hospice care.
Peterson’s son Eric shared a message with his father’s friends and family on Friday, informing them of Peterson’s declining health. According to Christianity Today, Eric sent out an e-mail which was then posted to Facebook by Robert Creech.
In the message Eric explained that on Tuesday of last week Peterson was admitted into the hospital for his declining health which “took a sudden and dramatic turn” in the wrong direction caused by an infection. Peterson is suffering from heart failure and dementia and according to his son, both are “advanced and progressing.”
Eric goes on to say, “He will come under the care of hospice and his medical care will be primarily palliative. As of now it looks like it will be 1-3 more days before he returns home, depending on when all the support systems are in place.”
The author of over 30 books, Peterson is famously known for his writing of his contemporary translation of the bible, The Message. Peterson has been a highly influential Christian scholar, Relevant Magazine even calling him “one of the most recognized Bible scholars in America.”
Peterson is also known for founding Maryland’s Christ Our King Presbyterian Church where he was the pastor for nearly 30 years before he retired in 2006.
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