Having grown up in Tennessee, where he still lives, in a family of writers, publishers, and speakers, Robert Benson says that "Words and sentences and stories have mattered most to me for most all my life." For most of his life, he has been a freelance writer and editor. His books are about paying attention to the things that point us to the Sacred in life — known through prayer and liturgy and also through ordinary activities such as baseball, gardening, and travel. He leads retreats and speaks at conferences about prayer snd vocation.

Benson is an alumni of the Academy for Spiritual Formation, a two-year program of study and prayer in community. He is a member of The Friends of Silence & of the Poor, an international prayer community. He leads seminars and retreats on prayer, silence, writing, and spirituality.