The author of Reality and Relevance is Robert L. Grupp, who was born and raised in Mason City, Iowa.
He is a graduate of the College of Liberal Arts of the University of Dubuque, earned his Master of Divinity degree from the Theological Seminary of the University of Dubuque, and completed further graduate work at Cairo University in Egypt, Indiana University and the University of Minnesota.
A veteran of overseas work, Mr. Grupp served as an educator in the Occupied West Bank Area of Palestine, and as Executive Director of The Christian Center for Audio-Visual Services in Cairo, Egypt - serving with the Middle East Council of Churches.
His writings include training and information books for use in churches: Redeemed to Serve - Ordained to Lead; A Christian Primer; Joining Christ's Family; A Christian Glossary; Stretches and Starters; The Relevance of Christmas; Illuminators; Children and Communion; Holy Baptism and Sharing the Passover Meal as the People of the New Covenant. His first book from Xlibris is The Tracks of God, the story of Henry Oehmsen, World War II soldier in the Waffen SS and former prisoner of the Soviets.
He is currently working on a new biography: They Called Her Mama Mary Jeanne, the story of his sister's work among the children of Palestine.
For the past eighteen years Mr. Grupp has written and produced short daily radio broadcasts on Station KLEM, and also continues to write a weekly opinion column for the Le Mars Daily Sentinel.
He is married to Susan Lambert. The Grupps have two children and eight grandchildren.