Leading Causes of Life

Explores what happens when people focus their imaginations on living life completely, rather than simply avoiding death’s inevitable approach

What do you think about when you talk about life and death?

This is the question that sent Gary Gunderson on a journey toward life, realizing that if death defines our efforts, then it will win every time.  Once our imagination turns from death it becomes aparent that death isn't the only thing going on out there. The Leading Causes of Life focuses in on five powerful concepts:

• Connection
• Coherence
• Agency
• Blessing 
• Hope

To write the book, Gary partnered with Larry Pray, a widely traveled speaker who tested out the concepts he and Gary were writing about in places like Big Timber, Montana. Larry felt strongly that their work would only be accurate and useful if it rang true to people who surrounded themselves with life, wilderness, challenges, and the miracles that come with them.

Gary Gunderson, D.Min., M.Div., is the Senior Vice President for Health and Welfare Ministries for Methodist Healthcare and the director for the Interfaith Health Program at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. He is a commissioned Deacon in the United Methodist Church.

Lawrence M. Pray is a pastor of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) andcurrently serves the Christian Chruch (Disciples of Christ) in Joliet, Montana and consults with St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings, Montana. He is the Senior Pastoral Scholar for Methodist Healthcare in Memphis, Tennessee.