Robert L. Short

Robert L. Short (1932 – July 6, 2009) was an American Christian minister, and author of several books of "popular theology", including the 1965 bestseller The Gospel According to Peanuts.

Short was born and raised in Midland, Texas. He attended the University of Oklahoma and received a B.A. He then earned a Master of Divinity degree from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. For the next few years, Short worked as a professional actor, appearing in commercial and religious television, and also directed religious drama. He continued his education, receiving a M.A. in English from North Texas University.

In 1963, Short moved to Chicago, where he met his wife, Ellen Kay Coale, and received an M.A. in theology and literature from the University of Chicago. He subsequently engaged in graduate studies in systematic theology at Garrett–Evangelical Theological Seminary at Northwestern University. He and his wife settled in Wilmette, Illinois, where they raised three children.

In 1965, Short published his first book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, which used examples from the popular comic strip Peanuts to explain points of Christian theology. It was an immediate success, and was the best-selling non-fiction book in the U.S. for the year. As of 2012 it had sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. The book followed his article, "The Penultimate Peanuts", published in Motive Magazine in October 1963.

Seven additional books followed. Of The Parables of Peanuts (1968), Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz wrote, "This new book is filled with wonderful quotes and is a real delight from beginning to end. Actually, I could not possibly be more pleased."

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