Andrew Himes

Andrew Himes, author of The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family, was born into one of the leading fundamentalist families of the 20th century. His grandfather, John R. Rice, was considered “dean of American fundamentalists” for decades until his death in 1980, serving as founding editor of The Sword of the Lord newspaper and mentor to many up-and-coming Baptist preachers including Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell. His great-grandfather, Will Rice, was a preacher, Texas State senator and member of the Ku Klux Klan. By the time he was four, Himes had been saved. By the time he was 20, he’d turned his back on the Baptist ministerial career expected of him, becoming instead an activist in the anti-war and civil rights movements of the 60s. Only later in life did he begin a spiritual journey to reconnect with and redefine his family’s spiritual heritage.

In 2003, Himes co-founded the international movement called “Poets Against the War,” and produced the acclaimed 2005 documentary, Voices in Wartime, which is an exploration of the trauma of war through the lens of poetry. He is also founder and president of Voices, a web site dedicated to amplifying the voices of veterans and civilian witnesses to war in order to heal the wounds of war and lay the foundation for a more peaceful world. In April 2011, he was selected as Ambassador of the Charter for Compassion.