Russell Rathbun

Niche historian, writer and preacher Russell Rathbun pursues radical mercy, a cynicism of hope, and a grateful exhaustion of meaning on the shores of the Salton Sea in the Southern California desert South of the Coachella festival grounds and just North of the Mexican border. Russell curated the popular lectionary blog, The Hardest Question, and is the author of several books, including Post Rapture Radio and Midrash on the Juanitos. His most recent book is The Great Wall of China and the Salton Sea: Monuments, Missteps and the Audacity of Ambition (Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2017). He recieved his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Hamline University in 2024.