Notable Christians Open to an Old-universe, Old-earth Perspective
The following individuals—respected authors, Bible scholars, scientists, pastors, linguists, and more—hold to a diversity
of views on the timing of God’s creation. And yet all have affirmed, in documented sources, that an ancient universe
and Earth (including big bang cosmology) pose no threat to Christian orthodoxy, but rather may be considered plausible
and valid interpretations, even literal interpretations, of the biblical text. Not one sees the question of age as a
crucial doctrinal issue.
John Ankerberg
(Lifetime: December 10, 1945–present)
- Minister
- Evangelist
- Television Show Host and Producer
- Philosopher
- Apologist
- Author
- Wikipedia Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ankerberg
- Web site: https://www.jashow.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnAnkerbergShow/
- Twitter: @JohnAnkerberg
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/johnankerberg
Brief Background
John Ankerberg is founder and president of the nationally televised The John Ankerberg Show. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago and holds three advanced degrees—an MA in church history and philosophy of Christian thought, an MDiv (with honors) from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a DMin from Luther Rice Seminary. He is the author, coauthor, or contributor of 158 books and study guides.
RTB Endorsement
I have found Dr. Hugh Ross to be remarkably humble, and in my dealings with him I have been impressed by his gentlemanly response to disparaging comments. My impression is that he handles Scripture with great respect and in line with standard hermeneutical practice.
Dr. Ross and the Reasons to Believe staff are providing a much-needed voice showing that science does not have to deny God. In fact, when science is approached without a naturalistic bias, it provides strong evidence for the existence of the biblical God.
In His Words
The Seventh “Day” Is Thousands of Years Long
Everyone agrees that it has been at least thousands of years since the time of creation, yet the Bible declares that God rested on the seventh day after his six days of creation (Gen. 2:2–3). According to the book of Hebrews, God is still in his Sabbath rest from creation (4:3–5); hence, the seventh day has been at least six thousand years long, even on the shortest of all the chronologies of humankind.
The Third “Day” Is Longer Than Twenty-Four Hours
On the third “day,” God not only created vegetation, but it also grew to maturity. The text says that on the third day “the land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds” (Gen. 1:12). To grow from seeds to maturity and produce more seeds is a process that takes much longer than a day, a week, or even a month for most plants. There is no indication in the text that its growth was anything but natural; it is its origin that was supernatural.
The Sixth “Day” Is Longer Than Twenty-Four Hours
It would also appear that the sixth “day” of creation was considerably longer than a solar day. Consider everything that happened during this one “day”:
First, God created all the many hundreds (or thousands) of land animals (Gen. 1:24–25).
Second, God “formed” man of the dust of the earth (Gen. 2:7). This Hebrew word (yatsar) means “to mold” or “form,” which implies time. Yatsar is used specifically to describe the work of a potter (cf. Jer. 18:2f.).
Third, God said, “I will make a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18). This indicates a time subsequent to the time of the announcement.
Fourth, Adam observed and named this whole multitude of animals (Gen. 2:19). As Robert Newman noted, “If every one of the approximately 15,000 living species of such animals (not to mention those now extinct) were brought to Adam to be named, it would have taken ten hours if he spent only two second on each.” This is hardly enough time for Adam to study each animal and determine an appropriate name for it. Assuming a minimum of only two minutes each, the process would have taken six hundred hours (or twenty-five days).
Fifth, Adam searched for a helpmate for himself, apparently among all the creatures God had made. “But for Adam no suitable helper was found”—implying a time of searching (Gen. 2:20).
Sixth, God put Adam to sleep and operated on him, taking out one of his ribs and healing the flesh (Gen. 2:21). This too involved additional time.
Seventh, Eve was brought to Adam, who observed her, accepted her, and was joined to her (Gen. 2:22–25).
In conclusion, it seems highly unlikely that all of these events—especially the fourth one—were compressed within a twenty-four-hour period or, more precisely, within the approximately twelve hours of light each day afforded.
Source: “What is the Biblical Evidence for Long Days in Genesis?”, The John Ankerberg Show, https://www.jashow.org/articles/science/creation/what-is-the-biblical-evidence-for-long-days-in-genesis/
Online Work
Article – Large 1500 article index
Author of
https://smile.amazon.com/John-Ankerberg/e/B000APF1S6
Dr. Gleason L. Archer
(Lifetime: May 22, 1916–April 27, 2004)
- Scholar
- Theologian
- Educator
- Author
- Wikipedia Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleason_Archer_Jr
Brief Background
Archer served as an assistant pastor of Park Street Church in Boston from 1945 to 1948. He then became a professor of biblical languages at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California from 1948 to 1965. From 1965 to 1986, he served as a professor of Old Testament and Semitics at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He became an emeritus faculty member in 1989. The remainder of his life was spent researching, writing, and lecturing.
Archer served as one of the 50 original translators of the NASB published in 1971. He also worked on the team which translated the NIV Bible published in 1978. His defense of the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy by proposing harmonization and exegesis regarding inconsistencies in the Bible made Archer a well-known biblical inerrantist. He stated: “One cannot allow for error in history-science without also ending up with error in doctrine.”
In His Words
[Referring to God’s Sabbath analogy in Exodus 20:10-11:]
By no means does this demonstrate that 24-hour intervals were involved in the first six ‘days,’ any more than the eight-day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles proves that the wilderness wanderings under Moses occupied only eight days.
Source: Book – Archer G., “A Response to the Trustworthiness of Scripture in Areas Relating to Natural Science,”, in Radmacher E.D., & Preus R.D., “Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible”, Academic Books, Grand Rapids MI, 1986, p329
it would seem to border on sheer irrationality to insist that all of Adam’s experiences in Genesis 2:15-22 could have been crowded into the last hour or two of a literal twenty-four-hour day.
Source: Book – Archer G., “Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties”, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids MI, 1982, pp. 59-60
From a superficial reading of Genesis 1, the impression would seem to be that the entire creative process took place in six twenty-four-hour days. If this was the true intent of the Hebrew author (a questionable deduction, as will be presently shown), this seems to run counter to modern scientific research, which indicates that the planet Earth was created several billion years ago.
Quote from: Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody, 1994), p. 196.
Darwin and his colleagues made the most determined efforts to overthrow the argument for God’s existence based upon the evidence of design in nature, and exploited every conceivable instance of dysteleology and purposelessness which they could discover.
Quote from: Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody, 1994), p. 209.
Author of
- Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
- New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties
- The Genesis Debate: Three Views on the Days of Creation
- The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 7: Daniel and the Minor Prophets
- The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Study Manual
- A Survey of Old Testament Introduction
- Three Views on the Rapture: Pre-, Mid-, or Post-Tribulation
- The Book of Job: God’s Answer to the Problem of Undeserved Suffering
Dr. John Battle
- Seminary president
- Professor
- Apologist
Brief Background
B.A., Highland College, 1967; M.Div., Faith Theological Seminary, 1970; S.T.M., Faith Theological Seminary, 1971; Th.D., Grace Theological Seminary, 1975. Assistant Professor of New Testament, Faith Theological Seminary, 1971-1977; Professor of New Testament, Faith Theological Seminary, 1977-1982; Associate Professor of New Testament, Western Reformed Seminary, 1983-1998; Professor of New Testament and Theology, Western Reformed Seminary, since 1998. He also currently serves as president of Western Reformed Seminary.
In His Words
In Mark 10:6, Jesus quotes Genesis 1:27: “From the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’” Many
young-earth creationists have latched onto this verse, interpreting it in a novel way that provides evidence for
their position of a 6,000 to 10,000 year old earth.1 However, careful study of this passage reveals the traditional
understanding of Jesus’ words is correct and the passage does not support a recent creation.Source: Article –
Examining Mark 10:6 Reasons To Believe – Seattle Area Chapter – News And Views (June 2004 p 2)
Online Work
- Article –
Examining Mark 10:6 Reasons To Believe – Seattle Area Chapter – News And Views (June 2004 p 2) - Article –
Charles Hodge, Inspiration, Textual Criticism, And The Princeton Doctrine Of Scripture - Article –
How Can God Be Just And Ordain Evil?
Michael Behe
(Lifetime: January 18, 1952–present)
- Professor
- Apologist
- Wikipedia Bio
- Discovery Institute Bio
- Web site
- Author
Brief Background
Dr. Michael Behe is a strong advocate for intelligent design and author of the groundbreaking book Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution. He graduated from Drexel University in 1974 with a BS in chemistry, continued his graduate studies in biochemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, and was awarded the PhD in 1978 for his dissertation research on sickle-cell disease. From 1978 to 1982, he did postdoctoral work on DNA structure at the National Institutes of Health. From 1982 to 1985 he was assistant professor of chemistry at Queens College in New York City, where he met his wife. In 1985 he moved to Lehigh University where he is currently professor of biochemistry. Dr. Behe is also a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. In his career he has authored over 100 articles and technical papers and is the author/coauthor of three books. His first book, Darwin’s Black Box, argues that living systems at the molecular level are best explained as being the result of deliberate intelligent design. Darwin’s Black Box has been reviewed by The New York Times, Nature, Philosophy of Science, Christianity Today, and over one hundred other periodicals. He and his wife reside near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with their nine children.
In His Words
It is often said that science must avoid any conclusions which smack of the supernatural. But this seems to me
to be both bad logic and bad science. Science is not a game in which arbitrary rules are used to decide what explanations
are to be permitted. Rather, it is an effort to make true statements about physical reality. It was only about
sixty years ago that the expansion of the universe was first observed. This fact immediately suggested a singular
event–that at some time in the distant past the universe began expanding from an extremely small size. To many
people this inference was loaded with overtones of a supernatural event–the creation, the beginning of the universe.
The prominent physicist A.S. Eddington probably spoke for many physicists in voicing his disgust with such a notion
8:Philosophically, the notion of an abrupt beginning to the present order of Nature is repugnant to me, as I think
it must be to most; and even those who would welcome a proof of the intervention of a Creator will probably consider
that a single winding up at some remote epoch is not really the kind of relation between God and his world that
brings satisfaction to the mind.Nonetheless, the Big Bang hypothesis was embraced by physics and over the years has proven to be a very fruitful
paradigm. The point here is that physics followed the data where it seemed to lead, even though some thought the
model gave aid and comfort to religion.Source: Article –
Molecular Machines: Experimental Support for the Design Inference
In private many scientists admit that science has no explanation for the beginning of life. . . . Darwin never imagined the exquisitely profound complexity that exists even at the most basic levels of life.
Source: Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution
Book links:
https://www.amazon.com/Michael-J.-Behe/e/B000APTWX6
Dr. James Montgomery Boice
(Lifetime: July 7, 1938–June 15, 2000)
- Pastor
- Theologian
- Author
- Educator
Bio Link
https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/bio/jamesmboice.html
Brief Background
Boice was pastor of Philadelphia’s historic Tenth Presbyterian Church for 32 years (1968–2000). Besides his local preaching and teaching ministries, he taught Bible on the radio and in numerous countries around the world. He was a leading spokesman for Reformed Christianity, and was a founding member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
Boice received an AB from Harvard University, a BD from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Theology from the University of Basel in Switzerland.
Called (by John MacArthur) the “greatest defender of inerrancy of our generation,” Boice served as chairman of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy from its foundation in 1977 through its completion in 1988. Under his leadership, the ICBI produced three historic creedal statements, “The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy,” “The Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics,” and “The Chicago Statement on the Application of the Bible to Contemporary Issues.”
Boice wrote nearly 40 books, many of them in the form of expository commentaries. Among his many books are Genesis: An Expositional Commentary (3 volumes), Foundations of the Christian Faith, Foundation of Biblical Authority, and Does Inerrancy Matter?
In His Words
We have come to the end of our examination of the various main views of creation . . .
First, we have dismissed atheistic evolution and have come close to dismissing theistic evolution as well. This means that the world of man and things did not come about by chance happenings over long periods of evolutionary history but as a result of God’s direct creative activity.
Second, we have suggested that any view that makes the earth a relatively new thing (on the order of twelve thousand to twenty thousand years old) flies in the face of too much varied and independent evidence to be tenable. Some would dispute this, of course. But in my judgment the earth and universe are indeed billions of years old.
Third, we have shown the possibility of God’s having formed the earth and its life in a series of creative days representing long periods. In view of the apparent age of the earth, this is not only possible—it is probable. Nothing is to be gained by insisting that God had to create all things in six literal twenty-four-hour days.
Quote from: James Montgomery Boice, Genesis: An Expository Commentary, Volume 1: Genesis 1–11 (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998), p. 78.
Book links:
https://www.amazon.com/James-Montgomery-Boice/e/B001H9XPUU
William Jennings Bryan
- Lawyer
- Author
- Lecturer
- Politician
- Publisher
- Philosopher
Bio Link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jennings_Bryan
Brief Background
William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925) – Born in Salem, Illinois, he studied law and Received a law degree in 1883 from
Union College in Chicago. After moving to Nebraska, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1890 and served
two terms. He became known as an accomplished author, lecturer, politician, publisher, and philosopher. He also
became known as a rousing, impassioned orator. At the 1896 Democratic convention, he mesmerized delegates with his
famous “Cross of Gold” speech and ended up the party’s presidential nominee. He ran for president on the Democratic
ticket three times (1896, 1900, 1908) but lost each election. Bryan also served as an Army Colonel in the Spanish-American
War. He supported Woodrow Wilson in the 1912 election and became Wilson’s secretary of state the following year.
A devout Christian all his life, Bryan spent his later years campaigning for prohibition and against the teaching
of evolution (He was a known proponent of the day-age theory of creation). In 1925, he served as prosecutor in the
infamous “monkey trial” of John Scopes, a Tennessee teacher arrested for teaching evolution. He died of a heart
attack on July 26, in Dayton, Tennessee, only days after the conclusion of the trial.
In His Words
[In 1925, at the famous Scopes Trial1 in Dayton, Tennessee, William Jennings Bryan was cross-examined – part of
the transcript follows:]Clarence Darrow (the ACLU lawyer) [D]: ‘Mr Bryan, could you tell me how old the Earth is?’
Bryan [B]:
‘No, sir, I couldn’t.’[D]: ‘Could you come anywhere near it?’
[B]:
‘I wouldn’t attempt to. I could possibly come as near as the scientists do, but I had rather be more accurate
before I give a guess.’[D]: ‘Does the statement, “The morning and the evening were the first day,” and “The morning and the evening were
the second day,” mean anything to you?’[B]:
‘I do not think it necessarily means a twenty-four-hour day.’[D]: ‘You do not?’
[B]:
‘No.’[D]: ‘Then, when the Bible said, for instance, “and God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning
were the second day,” that does not necessarily mean twenty-four-hours?’[B]:
‘I do not think it necessarily does.’ ‘I think it would be just as easy for the kind of God we believe in to make
the Earth in six days as in six years or in six million years or in 600 million years. I do not think it important
whether we believe one or the other.’[D]: ‘And they had the evening and the morning before that time for three days or three periods. All right, that
settles it. Now, if you call those periods, they may have been a very long time.’[B]:
‘They might have been.’[D]: ‘The creation might have been going on for a very long time?’
[B]:
‘It might have continued for millions of years.’Source: The World’s Most Famous Court Trial, Second Reprint Edition, Bryan College, Dayton, pp. 296, 302–303, 1990.
[Famous quote:]
The Rock of Ages is more important than the age of rocks
Online Work
- Article –
Cross of Gold - Book –
In His Image
Book links
https://www.amazon.com/William-Jennings-Bryan/e/B001HPIGQW
Dr. Walter Bradley
(Lifetime: December 27, 1943–present)
- Professor
- Apologist
- Author
- Bio
- Web site
- Testimony
- Wikipedia Bios
Brief Background
Walter Bradley received a BS in engineering physics and a PhD in materials science and engineering, both from the University of Texas at Austin). He taught for 8 years as an assistant and associate professor of metallurgical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, for 24 years as a professor of mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University (TAMU), and 10 years as a distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at Baylor University. During his time at TAMU he served as director of the Polymer Technology Center for 10 years, as department head of mechanical engineering for 4 years, division head of offshore composite materials in the National Science Foundation-sponsored Offshore Technology Research Center for 10 years, and director of the Polyethylene Industrial Consortium. He has published over 150 journal articles and conference papers and 10 book chapters on various topics in polymers (plastics), polymeric composite materials, and fracture and life prediction in metals, plastics, and polymeric composites. He is an elected fellow of ASM International (formerly known as the American Society for Metals) and received the 2011 Educator of the Year Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers. He was awarded the Charles W. Crawford Distinguished Service Award by the College of Engineering at TAMU in 1995, an award given to one professor out of 400 each year.
Walter Bradley has also performed seminal research on the origin of life, having published journal articles and coauthoring the popular book, The Mystery of Life’s Origin: Reassessing Current Theories, which remains the best-selling advanced level text on the origin of life.
In His Words
We believe that the “bara/asah” of Genesis 1 implies God working through miracle and process to effect creation.
We believe that the “yom” of Genesis I may be interpreted either “day” or “epoch.” In either case Genesis may
still be interpreted to allow for the large total time indicated by geology and astronomy. This model, usually
called progressive creationism, suggests that God created the major types of plant and animal life at various
times in geological history in a miraculous way and then worked through process (God acting in His customary way)
to develop the tremendous variety of plant and animal life we see today. To accept the compelling evidence for
geological age should not be equated with accepting the general theory of evolution (macroevolution).Source: Article –
The Trustworthiness of Scripture in Areas Relating to Natural Science
[A reprint of Chapter 5 (pp. 283-348) from Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible, Radmacher and Preus, eds. (Zondervan,
1984)]While these various nonradiometric methods of dating may be inaccurate for giving absolute ages, they occur at
rates that give incontrovertible evidence that the earth is much older than ten thousand years. Furthermore, one
cannot postulate here an uncertainty in assumptions as is done with radiometric dating since no assumptions are
involved. Unless God chose to create the universe with this clear impression of great antiquity, the earth must
actually be quite old.Source: Article –
The Trustworthiness of Scripture in Areas Relating to Natural Science
[A reprint of Chapter 5 (pp. 283-348) from Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible, Radmacher and Preus, eds. (Zondervan,
1984)]In conclusion we believe that progressive creationism achieves a very acceptable harmony of the scriptural and
scientific data without in any way compromising the inerrant view of Scripture or resorting to a metaphorical
or figurative interpretation where the context does not seem to suggest this interpretation.
Source: Article –
The Trustworthiness of Scripture in Areas Relating to Natural Science[A reprint of Chapter 5 (pp. 283-348) from Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible, Radmacher and Preus, eds. (Zondervan,
1984)]
Online Work
- Article –
The Trustworthiness of Scripture in Areas Relating to Natural Science
[A reprint of Chapter 5 (pp. 283-348) from Hermeneutics, Inerrancy, and the Bible, Radmacher and Preus, eds. (Zondervan,
1984).]
Coauthor of
- Book – Charles B. Thaxton, Walter L. Bradley and Roger L. Olsen, The Mystery of Life’s Origin: Reassessing Current Theories (Dallas, TX: Lewis and Stanley, 1984)
Dr. C. John “Jack” Collins
(Lifetime: 1954–present)
- Professor
- Apologist
- Author
- Bio
- Wikipedia bio
Brief Background
C. John “Jack” Collins is a North American academic and professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary, where he has served since 1993. He received a BS and MS (computer science and systems engineering) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MDiv from Faith Evangelical Seminary, and a PhD in Biblical Hebrew linguistics from the School of Archaeology and Oriental Studies, University of Liverpool. Collins was Old Testament chairman for the ESV Study Bible, served as ESV text editor for The English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament: English Standard Version, and is Old Testament editor of the ESV Study Bible. He has published numerous articles in technical journals, as well as The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. In 2000, his book on the theological and exegetical aspects of divine action, The God of Miracles: An Exegetical Examination of God’s Action in the World, was published by Crossway. It was also carried by InterVarsity Press in the UK the following year. His next book, Science and Faith: Friends or Foes? was also published by Crossway in 2003, followed by Genesis 1–4: A Linguistic, Literary, and Theological Commentary, published by P&R. Collins’s most recent book is Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?: Who They Were and Why You Should Care, in which he highlights the importance to Christian theology of believing that the fall of man was a historical event, and explores whether such a belief can be compatible with a Darwinian view of human origins. Collins has been a prominent voice in recent discussion among evangelicals on this topic.
In His Words
Let’s dispense with a few arguments that some have offered to support the ordinary day position. The first is the
claim that since the ‘vast majority’ of readers in the history of the church have held that the days are ordinary,
so should we – to do otherwise would be unbearable arrogance. The problem with this argument is that it assumes
that the ‘vast majority’ are right, regardless of the reasons that led to their reading. After the first century,
very few Christians read Hebrew at all, until about 1500; this means that this ‘vast majority’ arrived at their
reading of Genesis on the basis of the Greek Old Testament in the Eastern church, and the Latin Old Testament
in the West. These translations are good in some places and bad in others, and our ‘vast majority’ didn’t have
the resources to know which is which…
[Another] faulty argument is the claim that the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture is at stake. That is, the
Bible must be transparent in its meaning, and this favors the ‘simple’ reading. This argument is faulty because
it actually misuses the doctrine it is supposedly upholding. I know of no responsible statement of this doctrine
that claims that all parts of the Bible are equally easy to understand, or that we should prefer a ‘simple’ reading
no matter what…
[Another] false claim is the idea that Christians changed their interpretation of the days in order to make peace
with Darwinism. As a matter of fact, most of the interpretive options came into play before 1850 – and Darwin¹s
Origins of Species came out in 1859. The big factor for many in the church was the new geology that began in the
1700s which seemed to most to prove that the earth was much older than a few thousand years. And if someone wants
to make the counterclaim, ‘You see, that just proves that geology is naturalistic, too,’ he has to come to grips
with the simple fact that most of the early geologists were devout Christians who were far from being naturalistic…
Source: Book –
Science & Faith: Friends or Foes? (2003 pp 78-81).
Online Work
- Article – Jack Collins: “What happened to Adam and Eve? A literary-theological approach to Genesis 3
- Article – “Adam and Eve as Historical People and Why It Matters”
Books link
https://www.amazon.com/C.-John-Collins/e/B001JS2Z0A
Chuck Colson
(Lifetime: 1931-2012)
Brief Background
Chuck Colson (b. 1931) – conservative evangelical founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries and host of the radio program
”
BreakPoint.” Formerly Anglican and now Southern Baptist, he holds to Protestant distinctives but works for unity
with like-minded Catholics, believing the two groups have more commonalities than differences. Colson was a leading
architect of the declaration “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” His many books include his autobiography Born
Again, Six Million Angels, and How Now Shall We Live.
RTB Endorsement
I had a wonderful time at the conference with Hugh Ross, and everything I saw at the conference only confirmed
what I’ve always believed. He has a very strong, articulate voice in defense of truth. I appreciate very much
his ministry, Reasons To Believe, and consider him a very valued ally in a great cause to defend truth in the
world today, the one true God. – Chuck Colson, July 2004
In His Words
The Big Bang and Hoyle’s Steady State were mere abstractions, unable to be tested. Then, in 1964, Drs. Arno Penzias
and Robert Wilson of Bell Labs encountered continuous static on certain microwave frequencies. Rotating their
antenna in a vain attempt to remove the noise, they realized it was coming from all directions-permeating the
universe. Physicists hailed this as the first observational evidence of the Big Bang known as “cosmic background
radiation” or “the radio echo of creation.”…Today, advocates of the Big Bang think that their theory is a substitute for God. But it’s just the opposite. Hoyle
rejected the Big Bang in spite of the evidence because he knew that the Big Bang pointed irresistibly to the existence
of God…As we read the obituaries about Sir Fred Hoyle, the man who named the Big Bang, we might ask our skeptical neighbors:
If there was a Big Bang, isn’t it reasonable to recognize what Hoyle did-that there behind it [is]
a Big Brain. And might that not be the God of the Bible and of all creation?Source: Article –
The Big Bang According To Atheist, Sir Fred Hoyle
Author of
Online Work
Dr. Paul Copan
(Lifetime: 1962-present)
- Professor
- Author
- Lecturer
- Apologist
Brief Background
Paul Copan holds a BA from Columbia Bible College, an MA and MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a PhD from Marquette University. Dr. Copan holds the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he is currently serving as a professor. He has served as a visiting faculty member at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Bethel Seminary, and Alliance Theological Seminary. He has written and edited over numerous books in the areas of philosophy of religion, apologetics, theology, science and religion, and the historicity of Jesus Christ, and has contributed many articles to professional journals and has written a great number of essays for edited books. For six years he served as the president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, and he regularly speaks at universities, conferences, and church groups.
In His Words
Moreover, the theist can muster credible reasons for belief in God. For example, one can argue that the contingency
of the universe — in light of Big Bang cosmology, the expanding universe, and the second law of thermodynamics
(which implies that the universe has been “wound up” and will eventually die a heat death) — demonstrates that
the cosmos has not always been here. It could not have popped into existence uncaused, out of absolutely nothing,
because we know that whatever begins to exist has a cause. A powerful First Cause like the God of theism plausibly
answers the question of the universe’s origin. Also, the fine-tunedness of the universe — with complexly balanced
conditions that seem tailored for life — points to the existence of an intelligent Designer.Source: Article –
The Presumptuousness of Atheism
Author of
Online Work
- Article –
The Presumptuousness of Atheism - Article –
St. Augustine and the Scandal of the North African Catholic Mind - Article –
That’s True for You, But Not for Me - Article –
Questioning Presuppositionalism
Dr. William Lane Craig
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Brief Background
Dr. William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University in La Mirada, In His Words
Author of Online Work |
Dr. Norman Geisler
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Brief Background: Dr. Norman Geisler is author or coauthor of some fifty books and hundreds of articles. He has taught at the university and graduate level for forty three years and has spoken or debated in all fifty states and in twenty-five countries. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Loyola University and now serves as President of Southern Evangelical Seminary, in Charlotte, North Carolina. In His Words
Online Work
Author of
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Robert W. Godfrey
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Brief Background: Dr. Godfrey has taught church history at Westminster Seminary California since 1981, having previously taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Stanford University, and Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Currently he serves as the third President of Westminster Seminary California and is a minister in the United Reformed Churches. In His Words
Online Work
Author of
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Dr. Guillermo Gonzales
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Brief Background: Guillermo Gonzalez is an Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Iowa State University, He received his Ph.D. in Astronomy in 1993 from the University of Washington. He has done post-doctoral work at the University of Texas, Austin and at the University of Washington and has received fellowships, grants and awards from such institutions as NASA, the University of Washington, Sigma Xi (scientific research society) and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Gonzalez has extensive experience in observing and analyzing data from ground-based observatories, including work at McDonald Observatory, Apache Point Observatory and Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory. He has also published over sixty articles in refereed astronomy and astrophysical journals and captured the October 2001 cover story of Scientific American. In His Words
Online Work
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Hank Hannegraff
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Brief Background: Hank Hanegraaff (b. 1950) – conservative evangelical known to radio listeners as “The Bible Answer Man.” president of Christian Research Institute, which focuses on exposing doctrinal error and warning against aberrant religious groups. Hanegraaff is known for applying memory techniques to apologetics. Among his books are Christianity in Crisis, Counterfeit Revival, The FACE that Demonstrates the Farce of Evolution, The Third Day, Fatal Flaws, and 99 Reasons Why No One Knows When Christ Will Return. Though Hanegraaff may not hold to the Old-Earth position, he acknowledges that it is a valid interpretation. In His Words
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Jack Hayford
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Brief Background: Jack Hayford (b. 1934) – founding pastor of the Church on the Way, a Foursquare Gospel church. Also founder and chancellor of the King’s Seminary. Hayford hosts the Living Way TV and radio programs and has composed many choruses based on charismatic theology. His books include Answering the Call to Evangelism, Fearless Faith, How to Live through a Bad Day, The Beauty of Spiritual Language, The Spirit-Formed Church, Praying in the Spirit, and His Majesty, His Servant. He also produced the Spirit-Filled Life Bible and The Hayford Bible Handbook. In His Words
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Fred Heeren
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Brief Background: Science writer Fred Heeren has devoted the last seven years to a quest to get to the bottom of life’s big questions. As a skeptic, he has carried out the task, not by visiting gurus, but by looking at the pieces of evidence from science and history that bear on questions about the ultimate purpose—or meaninglessness—of the universe. Not trusting his studies of the scientific discoveries alone, Heeren has gone directly to the discoverers themselves: Nobel prize-winning astronomers, NASA team leaders, and theoretical physicists like Stephen Hawking and Alan Guth. Fred Heeren serves as editor of the quarterly journal, Cosmic Pursuit, a magazine for people who want to explore and debate the ultimate questions raised by science. He speaks at astronomy conventions, participates in debates, and talks to groups that are interested in hearing more about the latest evidence for the intelligent design of our cosmos. The world’s only cosmic reporter lives with his wife and five children in Olathe, Kansas. In His Words
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Charles Hodge
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Brief Background: (1797-1878) Famous biblical commentator. American theologian, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 28th of December 1797. Graduated in 1819 from the Princeton Theological seminary, where he became an instructor in 1820. In 1821, he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. He died at Princeton on the ~9th of June 1878. Hodge was one of the greatest of American theologians. In His Words
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Walter Kaiser
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Brief Background: Dr. Walter Kaiser is currently President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Colman M. Mockler Distinguished Professor of Old Testament. He is the author of numerous books including, Hard Sayings of the Old Testament, Toward an Old Testament Theology, The Messiah in the Old Testament, and, most recently, A History of Israel. RTB Endorsement
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Greg Koukl
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Brief Background: Greg received his B.A. in Bible from Azusa Pacific University, his Masters in Christian Apologetics from Simon Greenleaf University and is working on his Masters In Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at Talbot School of Theology. He hosts his own radio talk show advocating clear-thinking Christianity and defending the Christian world view. In His Words
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C. S. Lewis
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Brief Background: Famous apologist. Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland on November 29, 1898. He was attending Oxford college in 1917 when he joined the British army to fight in World War One. He was later wounded in the Battle of Arras. He returned to Oxford after the war. In 1925, he became Fellow of Language and Literature at Oxford. Lewis had always been an atheist but became a Christian in 1931. He then became a prolific Christian writer. Lewis’s books about Christianity have been some of the most read books of our time. He also wrote fiction and was a person friend of J. R. R. Tolkien. Lewis died on November 22, 1963, the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. In His Words
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Paul E. Little
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Brief Background: Paul Eagleson Little was born to Robert J. Little (of Moody Bible Institute) and Margaret Eagelson on December 30, 1928, in Philadelphia. He married Marie Huttenlock in 1953. They adopted 2 children, Deborah Ann (1957) and Paul Robert, Jr. (1958). His education consists of a BS in 1950 from the University of Pennsylvania, a MA in Biblical Literature from Wheaton College in 1958, and was a PhD candidate at New York University in 1975 when he died in an automobile accident. Some of his notable positions include numerous posts with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Assistant Professor of Evangelism at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Director of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization for Billy Graham, and served on the board of Trustees for Wheaton College. Paul had a vary prolific career – he was one of the leading evangelical writers and speakers of 60s and 70s, many of his books are still in circulation. In His Words
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Patricia Mondore |
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Brief Background: Patricia Mondore graduated from Houghton College and received her Masters from Syracuse University. She is the Pediatric Residency Program Coordinator at the SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. She is also a free lance Christian writer. She and her husband Robert have had numerous articles published and have co-authored several book manuscripts. She also writes and sings her own songs. Their latest project has been a study on the scientific accuracy of the Scriptures. In Her Words:
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Dr. James P. Moreland
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Brief Background: Dr. Moreland is a dynamic speaker. He has spoken on 175 college campuses around the country, spoken or debated on radio over 100 times and on television four times. He has made over eighty presentations to professionals. Dr. Moreland is also a prolific writer. He authored the book Love Your God With All Your Mind. He has contributed dozens of books, magazines and professional journals. Dr. Moreland has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri, masters degree in both Theology (Dallas Theological Seminary), and Philosophy (University of California-Riverside) and a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Southern California. He has planted Campus Crusade chapters on two college campuses in Colorado and started Campus Crusade in the state of Vermont. Additionally, Dr. Moreland has served as interim pastor or co-pastor for several churches. Currently, Dr. Moreland is professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, La Mirada, California. In His Words
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Robert C. Newman
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Brief Background: Robert C. Newman is Professor of New Testament at the Biblical Theological Seminary of Hatfield, Pennsylvania and Director of the Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute there. As a theologian he has earned the degrees of Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology. He has done further graduate work in biblical geography at the Institute of Holy Land Studies, and in biblical interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary. In the field of science, Dr. Newman received his under-graduate degree in physics from Duke University and his doctorate in theoretical astrophysics from Cornell University. He is co-author of four books: Science Speaks, Genesis One and the Origin of the Earth, The Evidence of Prophecy, and What’s Darwin Got to Do With It? A Friendly Conversation on Evolution . He has also published a number of articles in magazines, scientific and theological journals, dictionaries, and multi-author books. In His Words
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Greg Neyman |
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Brief Background: Greg Neyman is founder of Answers In Creation, an old earth website ministry aimed at advancing the acceptance of old earth belief. He is a graduate of Memphis State University, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology. He received the Outstanding Senior Award in Geology as the senior with the highest grade point average. He has done graduate level work towards a Masters in Religion at Liberty University. His works include over 1400 online articles in support of old earth creationism. In His Words
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Mark A. Noll
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Brief Background: Mark A. Noll, Ph.D. is the McManus Professor of Christian Thought at Wheaton College. He also teaches in the History and the Bible and Theology Departments. Dr. Noll is the Senior Director of the Institute for the Study of America Evangelicals (ISAE) at the college. He holds a BA in English from Wheaton College, an MA in comparative literature from the University of Iowa, an MA in church history from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Ph.D. in American religious history from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Noll’s main academic interests concern the interaction of Christianity and culture in 18th- and 19th century Anglo-American societies. He has written extensively on that subject, and his essays and reviews have appeared in a number of academic and popular journals. He is author of The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind and A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada, and many other books relating to Christian history and theology. In His Words
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Nancy Pearcey
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Brief Background: Nancy R. Pearcey is currently a visiting scholar at Biola University’s Torrey Honors Institute, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, and managing editor of the journal Origins and Design. Mrs. Pearcey is a frequent speaker at conferences and universities, and has been writing on science and Christian worldview since 1977.For nearly nine years she was policy director of the Wilberforce Forum, and executive editor of Colson’s “BreakPoint,” a daily radio commentary program analyzing current issues from a Christian worldview perspective. She also co-authored with Colson a monthly column in Christianity Today. Pearcey studied under Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland in 1971 and 1972, earned a master’s degree from Covenant Theological Seminary, and did graduate work at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. She is co-author with Charles Thaxton of the book The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy, and has contributed chapters to several other books, including Mere Creation, Of Pandas and People, and Pro-Life Feminism. Her articles have appeared in numerous journals and magazines. In Her Words
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Perry G. Phillips |
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Brief Background: former Software Quality Assurance Engineer, Comverse Network Systems. PhD in astrophysics; M.Div. in theology; MA in Hebrew. In His Words
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Dr. William D. Phillips
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Brief Background: William D. Phillips is truly an exceptional Christian scientist. He is an American physicist whose experiments using laser light to cool and trap atoms earned him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1997. He shared the award with Steven Chu and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, who also developed methods of laser cooling and atom trapping. Phillips received his doctorate in physics (1976) and completed his postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1978 he joined the staff of the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) in Gaithersburg, Md., and it was there that he conducted his award-winning research. Building on Chu’s work, Phillips developed new and improved methods for measuring the temperature of laser-cooled atoms. In 1988 he discovered that the atoms reached a temperature six times lower than the predicted theoretical limit. Cohen-Tannoudji refined the theory to explain the new results, and he and Phillips further investigated methods of trapping atoms cooled to even lower temperatures. One result of the development of laser-cooling techniques was the first observation, in 1995, of the Bose-Einstein condensate, a new state of matter originally predicted 70 years earlier by Albert Einstein and the Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose. In this state atoms are so chilled and so slow that they, in effect, merge and behave as one single quantum entity that is much larger than any individual atom. In His Words
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Mike Poole
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Brief Background: Mike Poole is currently Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Education at King’s College, London. With a background in science education, his research interests have centered on the interplay between science and religion with special reference to its educational context. He is the author of several books and some fifty articles and papers on the topic. In His Words
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Bernard L. Ramm
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Brief Background: (1916-1992), Bernard was an evangelical, a bold defender of inerrancy, as well as a Baptist Theologian. He taught at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. (He suggested the name “Biola” when it changed into a college). He also briefly headed the philosophy department at Bethel College and Seminary (St. Paul, Minn.), he then became director of graduate studies in religion at Baylor University in 1954. Later he taught at California Baptist Seminary (Covina), Eastern Baptist Seminary (Philadelphia), and the American Baptist Seminary of the West (Berkeley). Ramm also had a keen interest in science – in particular, combining Christian faith and science. He urged Christians not be afraid of education and the sciences. He was active in the American Scientific Affiliation for over forty years. In His Words
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Dr. Jay W. Richards
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Brief Background: Jay W. Richards is Vice President of the Discovery Institute, as well as Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. Jay has a Ph.D. (honors) in philosophy and theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was formerly a Teaching Fellow. From 1996-1998, he was executive and associate editor of The Princeton Theological Review, and president of the Charles Hodge Society at Princeton Theological Seminary. He has published in academic journals such as Religious Studies, Christian Scholars’ Review, The Heythrop Journal, Encounter, The Princeton Theological Review, Perspectives on Science and the Christian Faith: The Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation; as well as editorial features in The Washington Post, Seattle Post-Intelligencer and IntellectualCapital.com. He is editor and contributor, with William A. Dembski, of Unapologetic Apologetics: Meeting the Challenges of Theological Studies (InterVarsity Press, 2001), and editor and contributor with George Gilder of Are We Spiritual Machines?: Ray Kurzweil vs. the Critics of Strong AI (Discovery Institute Press, 2002). He is also author of The Untamed God: A Philosophical Exploration of Divine Perfection, Immutability, and Simplicity (InterVarsity Press, 2003), and co-author, with astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez, of the book The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery (Regnery, 2004). In His Words
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Dr. Hugh Ross
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Brief Background: Born in Montreal and raised in Vancouver, Canada. By age eight he was reading physics books and had decided to make astronomy his career. In the next several years his study of the big bang convinced him that the universe had a beginning, and thus a Beginner. In high school he set out to see which of the “holy” books seemed to agree with what he saw in nature. He was disappointed until he began to read the pages of the Bible. He was amazed at how in the very beginning (Genesis) not only did it’s author correctly describe the major events in the creation , but placed those events in the scientifically correct order and properly identified the earth’s initial conditions. He soon came to trust the Bible’s authority to the same degree as he trusted the laws of physics. Soon after he acknowledged Jesus Christ as his lord and Savior and became a Christian. Not long after that he founded Reasons To Believe in an effort to give others reasons to believe in the God of the Bible. In His Words
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Dr. Henry “Fritz” Schaefer III
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Brief Background: Schaefer is the Graham Perdue Professor of Chemistry and the director of the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry at the University of Georgia. He has served in professorships at the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Texas-Austin, the University of Paris, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and several others. Nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1994, he was cited for the period 1981-1997 as the sixth most-quoted chemist in the world. In His Words
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Francis Schaeffer
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Brief Background: Francis Schaeffer was a Presbyterian minister with an ability to see how the questions of meaning, morals, and value being dealt with by philosophy, were the same questions that the Bible dealt with, only in different language. Once an agnostic, Schaeffer came to the conclusion that Biblical Christianity not only gave sufficient answers to the big questions, but that they were the only answers that were both self-consistent and livable. He opened his Swiss home to travelers to discuss these things. Later he began lecturing in universities and writing a number of books. Perhaps no other Christian thinker of the twentieth century, besides C.S. Lewis, has had more influence on thinking people. In His Words
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C.I. (Cyrus Ingerson) Scofield
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Brief Background: (1843-1921), Bible student and author, born in Lenawee County, Michigan, reared in Wilson County, Tennessee, and privately educated. Fought in the Civil War from 1861-1865 under General Lee, his distinguished service earning him the Confederate Cross of Honor. Admitted to the Kansas bar in 1869, elected to the Kansas House of Representatives where he served for one year. President Grant appointed him United States Attorney for Kansas in 1873. Worked as a lawyer in Kansas and Missouri from 1869 to 1882. Converted at 36, he was ordained to the Congregational ministry in 1882, and served as pastor of the First Church, Dallas, Texas (1882-1895), and again (1902-1907); and of the Moody Church, Northfield, Massachusetts (1895-1902). Later years were spent lecturing on biblical subjects on both sides of the Atlantic. The work for which he is best remembered is his 1909 dispensational premillenial Scofield Reference Bible. (From “The Wycliffe Biographical Dictionary of the Church,” page 362, Elgin S. Moyer, 1982, © Moody Press, Chicago, IL) In His Words
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Chuck Smith Jr.
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Brief Background: Chuck Smith jr. started Capo Beach Calvary in Capistrano Beach, California, and has served as its pastor for 27 years. His father founded Calvary Chapel, a Southern California church that developed innovative ministries in the 1970s to reach young people in the counterculture. Today, Chuck is doing the same thing for emerging generations of the postmodern age. The father of five children, he and his wife, Barbara, also have five grandchildren, a cat and a dog, two fish and two turtles. In His Words
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David Snoke
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Brief Background: Dr. David Snoke received his Bachelor’s degree in physics (magna cum laude) from Cornell University in 1983 and his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990. He is presently Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh, where he has been since 1994. Before that, he was an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Physics in Stuttgart, Germany, and worked in industry at various times for the Westinghouse Research and Development Center in Pittsburgh and the Aerospace Corporation in Los Angeles. He has published two books with Cambridge University Press on the physics of Bose-Einstein Condensation, and he has published over 50 articles in refereed scientific journals on his research on the optics of semiconductors and other materials – as well as several articles on Christianity and science for World magazine and for Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, the journal of the American Scientific Affiliation. He is director of the Photonics program at the University of Pittsburgh and directs a laser laboratory funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. He is currently preparing a new textbook for Addison-Wesley on general solid state physics theory. David Snoke is also a licensed preacher and an elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), and has published several articles and a short book on the relationship of science and faith. He and his wife have homeschooled their four children for the past 14 years and are active in the Pittsburgh East Area Christian Homeschoolers (PEACH), their local homeschool support group. Natural Philosophy: A Survey Of Physics and Western Thought was developed from materials originally used in a physics class taught for that group. In His Words
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Lee Strobel
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Brief Background: An award-winning journalist for thirteen years with the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, was a spiritual skeptic until 1981. Author of the Gold medallion Award-winning books The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith, he is a teaching pastor at Saddleback Valley Community Church. He and his wife live in Orange County, California. In His Words
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Ken Taylor
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Brief Background: Ken Taylor authored the Living Bible and founded Tyndale House Publishers in the 1960s. Before his passing in 2005, he served as the chairman of the board for Tyndale. RTB Endorsement
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Benjamin B. Warfield
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Brief Background: (1851-1921), B. B. Warfield studied under Charles Hodge and was a strong defender of the divine inspiration and authority of Scripture as well as a pillar for Reformation in his day. Warfield’s life-long ministry was to refute theological liberalism. He was also a great Biblical commentator of Western Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary fame. Warfield wrote extensively, and his many articles continue to be published and translated around the world. He was also known for his keen interest in science. In His Words
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This document has been primarily compiled by Lane Coffee, RTB Volunteer Apologist.