Robert Ellsberg (born 1955) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

media personality known as the editor-in-chief and publisher of

Orbis Books Orbis Books, is an American imprint of the Maryknoll order. It has been a small but influential publisher of liberation theology works. It was founded by Nicaraguan Maryknoll priest Miguel D'Escoto with Philip J. Scharper in 1970. Its editor-in- ...

, the publishing arm of

Maryknoll Maryknoll is a name shared by a number of related Catholic organizations, including the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (also known as the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America or the Maryknoll Society), the Maryknoll Sisters, and the Mary ...

Early life

Robert is the son of Carol Cummings and the American military analyst and whistleblower

Daniel Ellsberg Daniel Ellsberg (born April 7, 1931) is an American political activist, and former United States military analyst. While employed by the RAND Corporation, Ellsberg precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the ''Pent ...

. He is the older brother of epidemiologist

Mary Ellsberg Mary Carroll Ellsberg (born 1958) is an American epidemiologist whose research focuses on global health and violence against women. She is the director of the Global Women's Institute at George Washington University in Washington D.C. Ellsberg i ...

and author Michael Ellsberg. In 1975, at age 19, he dropped out of college, intending to spend a few months with the

Catholic Worker Movement The Catholic Worker Movement is a collection of autonomous communities of Catholics and their associates founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in the United States in 1933. Its aim is to "live in accordance with the justice and charity of Jesus ...

Career

He stayed to become the managing editor of The

Catholic Worker ''Catholic Worker'' is a newspaper published seven times a year by the flagship Catholic Worker community in New York City. The newspaper was started by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin to make people aware of church teaching on social justice. Hist ...

for two years (1976–78), a job that would introduce him to

Dorothy Day Dorothy Day (November 8, 1897 – November 29, 1980) was an American journalist, social activist and anarchist who, after a bohemian youth, became a Catholic without abandoning her social and anarchist activism. She was perhaps the best-known ...

and consequently would allow him to work with Day for the last five years of her life. Ellsberg returned to Harvard, and earned a degree in religion and literature, and later a Master's in

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

from

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, gov ...

. In 1984 his book ''By Little and By Little'' won a

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organization ...

. In 1987 he began work as editor-in-chief of Orbis Books. He is the author of several books, many of which have received awards; his ''Blessed Among All Women'' tied a Catholic Press Association record by winning awards for Gender, Spirituality, and Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith. He is the editor of the published diaries and letters of

Books

*''Gandhi on Christianity'' (1991) *''All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time'' (Crossroad, 1997) *''The Saints' Guide to Happiness: Practical Lessons in the Life of the Spirit,'' Doubleday, 2005. *''Blessed Among All Women: Reflections on Women Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time'' (Crossroad, 2006). *''The Duty Of Delight: The Diaries of

. (editor) Marquette University Press,

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, 2008 *''All the Way to Heaven: The Selected Letters of

. (editor) Marquette University Press,

, 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellsberg, Robert Catholic Workers Place of birth missing (living people) Jewish American writers 1955 births Living people Harvard Divinity School alumni 21st-century American Jews