A Balanced Portrait of a Flawed Saint
Biography is more art than science.
There are likely some solid principles for beginners in a book from some academic publisher. However, I have not read that book and am unlikely to do so.
Yet there is a sense a reader gets when reading a biography whether the author is working to present reality or simply selling an image.
It’s rarely either one. But nowadays there aren’t many real attempts to whitewash people’s backstory—the internet is too unforgiving.
In fact, the temptation is in the opposite direction. Hero worship doesn’t sell. Controversial “tell all narratives” are what drive public interest.
The salacious details don’t even have to be true to get people interested. One feels for the people who are slandered or misrepresented by biographers digging for dirty details to add interest.
Sometimes, of course, the nasty parts are true. And, sometimes it actually helps the story for those parts to be exposed. But often it does not, at least, not when the portrayal is does in a voyeuristic manner.
On the other hand, when a friendly biographer handles the life story of one of his or her heroes, it sometimes leads to rounding off rough edges and hiding significant details. This can be especially tempting when the subject of the biography is well-known and when there is pressure from those who knew him or her well to create a pristine image.
There is something between digging for dirt and hiding it that makes for a good biography.
Lucy Austen’s book, Elisabeth Elliot: A Life, is an example of a very good biography.
Biographical Background
Elisabeth Elliot became an evangelical celebrity when she wrote of her husband, Jim Elliot’s death when he and four other men tried to reach the Waorani with the gospel in 1956. She wrote dozens of other books. She also spoke widely, especially on issues related to marriage and sexual purity.
Image from the International Mission Board.
What many may not realize is that Elisabeth Elliot was a reasonably talented linguist, though the best of her work was lost due to a theft and much of her effort in deciphering the Waorani language was frustrated by Rachel Saint, Nate Saint’s sister. Recent biographies have helped flesh her story out.
Several children’s biographies were written while Elisabeth Elliot was still alive. However, the first real biography of Elisabeth Elliot was not published until 2020. Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn is the first volume of the authorized biography; the second volume releases in late 2023.
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot provides the overall narrative of Elliot’s life and gives good insight. But, despite the obvious talent of the author, the story reads like there is something missing.
Some of the something missing becomes apparent in Austen’s single volume biography. The something missing makes the story much better.
A Convoluted Courtship
For example, as the author of Passion and Purity, Elisabeth Elliot’s relationship with Jim Elliot has been valorized.
The traditional depiction of Jim Elliot’s pursuit of Elisabeth Howard is one of pursuing God’s will through earnest prayer and seeking to discern whether marriage was in the cards. In the sanitized version, there are strong connections to The Myth of “The One.” I doubt the Elliot story is the sole source of that myth—it has more to do with the excesses of Keswick Theology—but it is a classic example of it.
Vaughn’s portrayal of this courtship follows along the lines of the traditionally received narrative. The relationship is portrayed fairly linearly and, after God’s will was made clear, the affectionate couple were able to marry. This narrative is true in the strictest sense, but it fails to capture the torturous path the relationship took.
As it turns out, the relationship was far from straight forward. And, Jim Elliot was a bit of a tease.
Elisabeth Howard and Jim Elliot were at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. The Howards were a loving family that didn’t display their affection openly often. The Elliots were a warmer family who were very open with each other about emotions. Elisabeth had clearly fallen for Jim, and Jim seemed to reciprocate. However, it took six years for the relationship to culminate in marriage.
Jim had in his mind an ideal of risking is life as an unmarried man for the sake of the gospel. However, instead of cutting off the relationship with Elisabeth, he strung her along. To be fair, she went along with him, as Austen reveals.
At one point they mutually agreed that if they were ever to get married it was to each other. But there were points during which Jim dated other girls and got jealous of Elisabeth going on dates. He strung her along at points and was not entirely fair.
Jim expressed longing and strong affection toward Elisabeth, including physical desire. He allowed her to set the boundaries for their physical relationship. His emotions often controlled his behavior.
In the end, their marriage was a bit of a rush job because Jim’s desire overcame his vision of a chaste, single missionary risking his all for the gospel. They remained faithful, but it wasn’t the mystical pursuit of holiness that is sometimes described.
Real Humans
The Elliot’s courtship is just one example of the detail that Austen provides that is not explained to the same degree in Vaughn’s biography.
The reason why the authorized biography does not contain this is fairly obvious. It slightly tarnishes the image of both Elisabeth and Jim. The family had greater control of Vaughn’s final product.
Though the image is somewhat tarnished, what we get is a truer portrait. It makes Austen’s biography much more potent. It also makes me like the Elliot’s a bit better.
Let’s be honest. When we read a story about someone where there are few to no criticisms, it makes us wonder whether that story is true. That’s really what makes the story of Eric Liddell so striking. Even those, like Langdon Gilkey, who saw him in the harshest circumstance have no criticisms of Liddell’s character.
Similarly, a biography published by a non-religious press documents the same surprisingly saintlike character. There are criticisms of some of the choices Liddell made, especially in not leaving China with his family when he had the opportunity. But he was apparently a surprisingly consistent, pleasant, and holy person. This is rare, and if the data weren’t so consistent, I would be much more suspicious.
The fact that Elisabeth and Jim were imperfect is revealing to those that have only heard the Sunday School version before. But it makes them more real. And that makes their story more compelling. I see through their imperfections that I, too, can be used by God despite my own frequent flaws.
Conclusion
Austen’s biography documents many of the twists and turns in Elisabeth Elliot’s life. There were a lot of ups and a lot of downs.
There are points of inconsistency in Elliot’s life that are surprising. For example, though she kept her first husband’s last name through two more marriages, she was vocal that other women should take their husband’s name.
There are also disappointments we experience with Elliot. Her second and third husband were far from perfect and her third husband appears to have been a bit of a control freak. It is true that he became a loving caretaker during Elliot’s later life as she was declining due to Alzheimer’s, but there seems to be a point shortly into their marriage that she believed she had made a mistake in marrying again. These don’t make for the cleanest biography, but they have the ring of truth.
Austen does not dig for unnecessary dirt and seek to discredit Elisabeth Elliot or those around her. However, she does present a more complete picture of the strengths and weaknesses of this formidable woman than Vaughn does. Elliot was far from perfect, but she was still used by God.
The care that Austen takes to portray Elliot truly—warts and all—is what makes this a compelling biography. It is clear that Austen really likes Elisabeth Elliot, even after knowing so much about her. Because Austen likes Elliot and tells her story truly, it helps me know and like Elisabeth Elliot more, too.
NOTE: I was provided a complimentary copy of this volume by the publisher with no expectation of a positive review.
The way we talk about humans also has moral implications, which are more significant than how we treat our pets. In his 2011 book, Less than Human: Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others, David Livingstone Smith explores how language changes culture and leads to the justification of extreme violence against others, especially when they become perceived as less than human.