David Van Biema is the author of Mother Teresa: the Life and Works of a Modern Saint, currently being reissued by TIME books. The first Spanish-language edition of the book, La Madre Teresa: La vida y las obras de una santa moderna will appear in late September. Van Biema, a TIME contributor, worked at the magazine from 1993 until 2008, the last 10 years as chief religion writer. He is currently writing Speaking to God: A Cultural History of the Psalms for Simon & Schuster. He lives in New York City with his wife and son.
Why Mother Teresa Still Matters
How we remember a religious figure says a lot about ourselves