A.W. Tozer was an influential American Christian pastor, author, magazine editor, and spiritual mentor during the 20th century. He was renowned for his profound knowledge of the Bible and deep theological insights. Though he lacked formal theological training, Tozer was well-read and had an insatiable hunger for Scripture. He devoted his life to studying God’s Word and teaching believers how to pursue an intimate relationship with God.
Tozer was born in 1897 in a small farming community in Pennsylvania. He came to faith as a teenager after hearing a street preacher. Though he never attended high school, Tozer was an avid reader and largely self-educated. In 1919, he accepted his first pastor role at a small storefront church in Akron, Ohio. Over the next several decades, Tozer served as a pastor at churches in Chicago and Toronto. He eventually became the pastor of the Southside Alliance Church in Chicago, which grew into one of the largest Alliance churches under his leadership.
Though busy with pastoral duties, Tozer always made time for studying Scripture and writing. He authored over 40 books, including modern Christian classics like The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy. Tozer’s writing style was simple yet profound. He had a gift for explaining deep theological truths in an understandable way. Central themes in Tozer’s works include the attributes of God, the pursuit of God’s presence, and the need for genuine revival in the church.
In 1950, Tozer was appointed the editor of the Alliance Weekly magazine, which was later renamed Alliance Life. Under his leadership, circulation of the magazine grew exponentially as Tozer published articles challenging complacency and mediocrity in the church. He exhorted believers to wholeheartedly seek after God rather than settling for ritual and empty religion. Tozer’s uncompromising stand for biblical truth often garnered criticism, but he never wavered from proclaiming the Word of God.
Prayer was the cornerstone of Tozer’s life and ministry. He endeavored to start each day with hours of prayer and worship, believing this was the key to living a life fully surrendered to Christ. Tozer lamented the lack of prayer and the pursuit of God’s presence among believers and church leaders. His sermons, writings, and the way he lived his life served as a call to the church to return to genuine, passionate pursuit of God.
Though Tozer passed away in 1963, his legacy continues to impact the church today. Through his books and recordings, believers around the world are still being challenged to go deeper in their knowledge of Scripture, their worship, and their walk with God. Tozer proved that one does not need formal theological training to grasp the truths of God’s Word and teach them with conviction. His devotion to studying Scripture, his hunger for God’s presence, and his willingness to preach the truth uncompromisingly are an example for all believers.
Here are some key facts about A.W. Tozer:
- Born in 1897 in LaJose, Pennsylvania
- Self-educated and voracious reader from a young age
- Came to faith as a teenager after hearing a street preacher
- Pastored churches in Akron, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Toronto
- Most notably the pastor of Southside Alliance Church in Chicago from 1928–1959
- Appointed editor of Alliance Weekly magazine in 1950
- Authored over 40 books, including The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy
- Died in 1963 at age 66
- Continues to profoundly influence the church through his books and recordings
- Known for calling believers to pursue deep intimacy with God and not settle for empty religion
- Central themes of his works focused on the attributes of God, seeking God’s presence, and revival in the church
- Lived a life marked by hours spent daily in prayer and studying Scripture
In summary, A.W. Tozer was a devoted student of God’s Word who taught with passion and uncompromising conviction. His hunger to know God deeply was evident in the way he preached, wrote, and lived his life. Tozer called believers to move beyond superficial faith and wholeheartedly seek the presence of God. Decades after his death, the church still benefits from Tozer’s Christ-centered teachings on the Word of God.
Tozer’s Early Life and Conversion
Aiden Wilson Tozer was born April 21, 1897 in a small farming community called LaJose in Pennsylvania. He was the second youngest of seven brothers and one sister. Tozer’s father worked hard to provide for the family, but they lived a simple life without modern conveniences. From a young age, Tozer loved to read books, especially literature and theology. He was known to retreat to the attic or woods to read for hours.
Though his parents were involved in church, Tozer later reflected that he did not have a personal relationship with Christ growing up. At the age of 17, he was intrigued by a street preacher who spoke about the new birth and Christ living within each believer. After hearing this message, Tozer placed his faith in Jesus Christ and was born again. His conversion deeply impacted him, setting him on a lifelong journey of pursuing intimacy with God.
Despite his strong theological interests, Tozer never received any formal Bible training. He dropped out of high school after his first year. However, he was determined to gain scriptural knowledge through independent study. Tozer spent hours reading the Bible and classic Christian authors. He also began preaching in small churches nearby while working various factory jobs.
Romans 10:17 (ESV): So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Tozer proved that one does not need a theological degree to become rooted in the Word of God. Through diligent study and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, Tozer gained deep insight into biblical truths that he taught with conviction. His conversion as a teenager sparked a insatiable hunger for God that pushed Tozer to devote his life to knowing Christ and making Him known to others.
Early Pastoral Ministry
At the age of 22 in 1919, Tozer accepted his first role as a pastor at a small storefront church in Akron, Ohio. The church was part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination that Tozer would remain affiliated with his entire ministry. The following year, Tozer married Ada Cecilia Pfautz. They would go on to have six children together.
In 1928, Tozer moved his growing family to Chicago to pastor Southside Alliance Church. Under his leadership, the church grew significantly and relocated to a larger building on 81st street. He served at this church for over 30 years until his death. The congregation deeply appreciated Tozer’s passionate, biblical teaching and emphasis on prayer.
During World War II in the early 1940s, Tozer also took on pastoral duties at the Alliance church in Indianapolis in addition to his responsibilities in Chicago. He would minister at both locations by traveling back and forth on the train each week. Even with this busy schedule, he always protected time to pray and study Scripture – the foundations of his preaching.
Acts 6:4 (ESV): But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
The early years of Tozer’s ministry established priorities that characterized his entire pastoral career – preaching the Word, shepherding the church, and pursuing intimacy with God through prayer. Tozer was not afraid of hard work, regularly ministering at multiple churches while also making space for the spiritual disciplines he considered nonnegotiable.
Writing and Publication Ministry
On top of his pastoral roles, Tozer became an influential writer of Christian literature, authoring over 40 books. Some of his best known works include The Pursuit of God (1948), The Root of the Righteous (1955), Paths to Power (1949), The Divine Conquest (1950), The Knowledge of the Holy (1961) and God’s Pursuit of Man (1950).
Central themes covered in Tozer’s writings included the attributes of God, the need for revival in the church, deception of ritualism, and developing intimacy with Christ. His books call believers to wholeheartedly devote themselves to seeking God’s presence through prayer, worship, and studying the Bible.
After being appointed editor of Alliance Life magazine in 1950, Tozer gained an even wider readership. Under his leadership, the publication reached a circulation of 200,000 at its peak. Tozer leveraged this platform to publish articles calling the church to spiritual renewal and ridding itself of complacency. He was not afraid to confront hypocrisy or nominal faith that lacked sincere pursuit of Christ.
James 4:8 (ESV): Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
While Tozer’s uncompromising stand for biblical truth brought criticism from some, many more appreciated his authenticity and desire to see believers walk in holiness. Through his writing and editing work, Tozer reminded the church of the tremendous blessings found in seeking after God wholeheartedly.
Call to Deeper Intimacy with God
The overarching passion evident in Tozer’s ministry was calling believers into deeper intimacy with God. He taught that truly knowing God requires total surrender of heart and mind to Christ. Complacency and ritual devoid of presence were rampant within the church, leading many to stop short of the life of abundance Jesus promised.
Tozer urged the church to return to its first love. Through disciplines like prayer, Bible reading, meditation, and worship, Christians can open their hearts to being filled and transformed by God’s Spirit. According to Tozer, denominations and programs mean nothing without the inward walk of faith that grasps God’s promises and lives in light of eternity.
Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV): You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
In his classic book The Pursuit of God, Tozer wrote, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” This imagery captures the passionate desire for God’s presence that Tozer exemplified. He knew experiencing the joy, peace, and power Christ promises requires ardently pursuing Him above all else. This was Tozer’s central message to the church.
Emphasis on Prayer and Study
Central to Tozer’s teaching on seeking God was the emphasis on consistent prayer and study of Scripture. He devoted hours each morning to praying, reading the Bible, and reflecting on God’s truth. Tozer called this “thinking after God” and considered it the wellspring of his ministry.
Every preacher and author draws from some kind of reservoir, Tozer believed. For him, it was the stillness cultivated in his daily quiet time that allowed the Spirit to fill him with wisdom and insight to share. If believers neglect consistent, meaningful time in God’s presence, their spiritual reservoir quickly drains dry.
Psalm 63:1 (ESV): O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Tozer admonished preachers and writers who tried producing messages relying on their own skills or intellect rather than daily nourishing their soul with Scripture in prayer. He called this “the sin of professionalism” and warned it would lead to powerless teaching.
Through his writings and sermons, Tozer challenged all believers to cultivate a deep devotional life. Time alone with God in His Word is irreplaceable nourishment for our soul. All the service in the world means nothing if time with God in prayer and Bible reading is neglected.
View of the Attributes of God
Many of Tozer’s writings focus on the nature and attributes of God revealed in Scripture. He taught that the more believers grasp the majesty and holiness of God, the more they will desire to seek His presence and make Him known.
Books like The Knowledge of the Holy and The Attributes of God Volume 1 shed light on topics like God’s self-existence, transcendence, immutability, wisdom, justice, mercy, and sovereignty. Tozer highlighted verses and passages throughout the Bible that teach deep truths about who God is.
Psalm 119:18 (ESV): Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
According to Tozer, the church desperately needed renewed vision of God’s greatness. He lamented how many professing Christians lived as practical atheists, relying on their own strength while leaving the power and majesty of God out of daily life. Tozer called believers to see God rightly and be awed by His glory.
Central to Tozer’s teaching about God’s attributes was balancing God’s transcendence above all creation with His immanence in dwelling within each believer. Through Christ, we can know the utterly holy God intimately. This was the amazing redemption Tozer never tired of proclaiming.
Rejection of Empty Religion
As a pastor and writer, Tozer spoke frequently about the dangers of empty religion – faith in rituals, systems or mental belief that does not actively engage a believer’s heart, mind and spirit. He taught that God looks above all else at the motives and disposition of one’s inner being.
According to Tozer, it is easy within the church to rely on rote participation in ceremonies, programs and traditions rather than actively walking in relationship with Christ. He called believers to examine if their faith had become passive or institutionalized versus fueled by sincere devotion to God.
Matthew 15:8 (ESV): “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;”
In his book The Pursuit of God, Tozer wrote that we must “clean out the corners and bring religion out into life.” Faith should permeate all areas of life rather than being compartmentalized. Throughout his ministry, Tozer called believers to genuine repentance and heart purity motivated by love for God.
Tozer also warned against viewing theological knowledge as an end in itself. Intellectual understanding of the Bible means nothing if not paired with active relationship with Christ through the Word changing our heart and actions by the Spirit’s power.
1 Corinthians 8:1 (ESV): “…This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”
Through his uncompromising stand against complacency and ritualism, Tozer called the church back to sincere love for God evidenced by seeking Him first and foremost in every area of life.
Impact on the Church Today
Over 50 years after his death, A.W. Tozer’s impact can still be felt across the church today. His writings continue influencing believers through republication and free distribution of his works. Dozens of books compiling Tozer’s sermons, essays and teachings are still available for sale.
Tozer’s call for authentic faith and wholehearted pursuit of God remains deeply relevant. Many believers testify that his books, particularly classics like The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy, opened their eyes to God’s majesty and the meaning of true worship.
The simplicity yet depth of Tozer’s teachings serve as an invitation to all believers to go deeper in seeking God’s presence. His commitment to prayer, Bible study and dependence on the Holy Spirit set an example we can aspire to today.
Joshua 1:8 (ESV): This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
While some critique the mystical aspects of Tozer’s writings, no one can deny the passion with which he pursued knowing Christ and making Him known. Tozer overcame a lack of theological training to become one of the most influential pastor-theologians of the 20th century. His legacy lives on as believers continue seeking intimacy with God through Christ by the Spirit’s power.