Anonymous Lessons
GROVE CITY — An economics professor at Grove City College has written a book highlighting the Bible's many nameless, but also significant characters.
Mark Hendrickson of Wilmington Township, Mercer County wrote “Famous but Nameless: Lessons and Inspiration from the Bible's Anonymous Characters,” which he published in November through the iUniverse publishing company in Bloomington, Indiana.
In the book, Hendrickson highlights 45 nameless characters from both the New and Old Testaments.
“There's something that these people either did or said that makes a significant difference,” Hendrickson said.
One of the characters Hendrickson explores is Samson's mother. She had an angel appear, telling her that she would bear Samson. Most of the time, Hendrickson said, the angels bearing such news appeared to the father. The only other mother that an angel appeared to was Mary, who gave birth to Jesus.
“That puts her in pretty elite company,” Hendrickson said.
Another character that Hendrickson explores is Pontius Pilate's wife, who only appears in one verse, urging her husband not to execute Jesus.
He also writes about the Pharaoh's daughter, who discovers a recently abandoned Moses, who in turn grows up to lead the Hebrews out of slavery.
“She did something really important,” Hendrickson said.
In late 1999 and early 2000, Hendrickson made a point to read the Bible from cover to cover. During that process, he began noticing and taking notes on all of the anonymous but significant characters.The book idea brewed in his mind for 10 years. He wrote the first version during summer break in 2010 and did the final version during summer 2011.Hendrickson did not explore famous characters such as the good Samaritan or the prodigal son because they were part of parables told by Jesus. Hendrickson only focused on characters who are conceivably historical.“These are real, historical people, but we don't know their names,” Hendrickson said.Despite being nameless, Hendrickson said they accomplished much in their brief appearances.“These were people who, when the chips were down, did the right thing,” he said. “All of us as human beings have the ability to do something significant or even great.”Another reason he chose to focus on these characters is because they are easier to relate to than some of the more famous players.“It can be a little intimidating comparing yourself to King Solomon,” Hendrickson said.“I think we all benefit from reading positive examples of people who did make a difference. I think (the average person will) find them interesting.”Hendrickson said the book is not just for Christians, but for anyone.“The lessons imparted by the example of these unknown characters can be beneficial to people of all faiths and no faiths,” Hendrickson said.He said he imagines the book being used by Sunday school classes, book groups or even at corporate workshops, where the characters' desirable traits would be discussed.Hendrickson said he strived to make sure the book would be appreciated by different Christian denominations. He had a United Church of Christ pastor, a Catholic priest and a mother who homeschools her children read the book before publishing to make sure this was accomplished.“This is for everybody,” Hendrickson said.Additionally, he hopes his book gets more people to examine the Bible, which he describes as a “rich treasure trove of wisdom.”Hendrickson has taught at GCC since 2004. He earned his bachelor's degree in Spanish from Albion College in Michigan. He studied law at the University of Michigan, literature at Oxford University and moral education at Harvard University. He later earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in economics through International College.His book is available to buy online at the iUniverse and Amazon websites.
