John W. de Gruchy 
I Have Come a Long Way 

‘If my life and experience is of some interest, it is chiefly so because I have lived through interesting times, in an interesting country, traveled to many interesting places, and been accompanied along the way by interesting folk.’

John de Gruchy is a renowned South African theologian and an inspiration to many. An expert on the work of the anti-Nazi theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, De Gruchy is also a local struggle icon in his own right. In this book, we trace his story from his Viking ancestry, via a seafaring grandfather and illegitimate grandmother, to where he became an ecumenical activist for the South African Council of Churches and up to the present. We journey through a South Africa in transition and a rapidly changing global society. Along the way we meet varied, often controversial people, like Albert Luthuli, Jaap Durand, P.W. Botha and Constand Viljoen. With a foreword by his friend Desmond Tutu, this is the tale of an extraordinary life lived to the full.

About the author

One of South Africa’s most celebrated theologians, John W. de Gruchy is also a woodworker, with pieces in many churches, schools, and homes throughout the country and abroad. Among his recent books are Confessions of a Christian Humanist and Led into Mystery. He and his wife, Isobel, are members of the Volmoed Christian Community near Hermanus, South Africa, where he writes, gives seminars, and does woodworking, while Isobel paints and writes poetry.