 In 1987 Wolterstorff published "Lament for a Son" after the untimely death of his 25-year-old son Eric in a mountain climbing accident.In a series of short essays, Wolterstorff recounts how he drew on his Christian faith to cope with his grief.Wolterstorff explained that he published the book “in the hope that it will be of help to some of those who find themselves with us in the company of mourners.”

He has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, the University of Oxford, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Texas, the University of Michigan, Temple University, the Free University of Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit), and the University of Virginia.