Martin Spencer Israel (30 April 1927 – 23 October 2007) was a British pathologist, Anglican priest, spiritual director and author of numerous books on Christian life and teaching.
Martin Spencer Israel[1][2][3] was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to a liberal Jewish family; his father was an ophthalmic surgeon.
He learnt about Christianity from the family's black African servants and was deeply impressed by the image of Jesus on the cross which convinced him that his life would be about reconciliation.
An outstanding scholar, he was educated first at Parktown Boys' High School, Johannesburg, then went on to study medicine at the University of Witwatersrand, where he was awarded a first class honours degree.
He was drawn to various mystical traditions and the works of people such as Carl Jung, Teilhard de Chardin and Martin Buber, discovering that he possessed considerable psychic sensitivity and had the gift of healing.