Marilynne Robinson (PhD, Pulitzer)

Dr. Marilynne Robinson, the author of "Housekeeping" and "Gilead", is a American Pulitzer Prize winning fiction novelist whose books and essays are noted for their thematic depiction of faith, fear, forgiveness and rural life. Despite considering many of her books as "unpublishable", Robinson was named a member of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. She received her Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Washington in 1977. Robinson, a self proclaimed Calvinist, notes the Christian's responsibilities as follows: "The first and last obligation of Christians is to be Christians. Christianity is a profound and beautiful faith, and when it is enacted as an ethos it is deeply attractive."