He earned a Bachelor's degree in history and philosophy and then moved to Texas where he pastored a church, completed two Master's degrees, hosted a radio show and founded a nationwide network of agencies serving the poor. He moved to Tennessee in 1991 where he again pastored a church, worked extensively in Middle East politics, served as a political consultant, and completed a Doctorate.
It was during this time that he also launched the writing career for which he has become internationally known. His first book on Winston Churchill was a Gold Medallion Award Finalist. He also wrote widely-acclaimed biographies of Booker T. Washington and George Whitefield as well as a number of other books on history and leadership. In 1997, the Governor of Tennessee commissioned Mansfield to write the official history of religion in Tennessee for that state's bicentennial.
In 2002, Stephen left the pastorate to write and lecture full-time while continuing to exert influence on the American political scene. Not long afterward, he wrote The Faith of George W. Bush, which spent many weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has been credited with profoundly shaping public discourse on religion in America.
Mansfield followed this successful venture with The Faith of the American Soldier. To research this story of religion on the modern battlefield, Stephen received Pentagon permission to be embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq at the beginning of 2005. His experience at the frontlines and his research on faith among soldiers forms the core of this eagerly anticipated new book.
Stephen has also just completed a book on the new pope entitled Benedict XVI: His Life and Mission. Mansfield is a Protestant with deep respect for the legacy of John Paul II and sought to explore how Joseph Ratzinger might fulfill this legacy in the years to come. Though the book is not slated for release until early August, Publishers Weekly has already called it "an inviting study of a new world leader."
Stephen is becoming one of the nation's most sought after commentators and lecturers on matters of faith and American culture. He has founded Mansfield Group to answer the pressing needs of leading organizations for education that explains the times and the trends that will define the future. He has also founded Chartwell Literary Group, a network of writers, researchers, and artists who help leaders impact culture largely through literature and film.
When he is not writing or lecturing, Stephen feeds his addiction to racquetball, reading and a good laugh with friends over something wonderful to eat. His lifestyle is testimony to this maxim: "Live every day as though it were your last, for one day you are sure to be right." He lives in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, just blocks from the beautiful Nashville library, the state capitol and, of course, a racquetball court. |
