Contributors

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  John Chrysostom

  Archbishop
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Team Members

John Chrysostom
Archbishop
John Chrysostom, Archbishop, (350 – 407 AD) - Known as one of the greatest preachers of all time, John’s nickname, “Chrysostom” means “golden tongue”. His sermons are full of wisdom and illustrations still used by pastors today. He grew up in a Christian home and was dissuaded by his mother from becoming a hermit. He eventually became the Bishop of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul, Turkey). He often preached against the politicians of his day who he believed were doing harm to the church and society. Eventually this led to his banishment. He once stated, “Preaching makes me well. As soon as I open my mouth to speak, all my weariness is gone.”
 
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  Richard Baxter

  Anglican Priest
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Richard Baxter
Anglican Priest
Richard Baxter, (1615 – 1691) served as an Anglican priest in England, during days of deep unrest, a civil war, and great political instability. His writings and sermons call Christians to holy living, even if it is costly. He coined the term “Mere Christianity” which C.S. Lewis adopted for his classic work.
 
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  Joel Woodruff

  President, C.S. Lewis Institute
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Joel Woodruff
President, C.S. Lewis Institute
Joel Woodruff, President, C.S. Lewis Institute, has worked in higher education, “tent-making,” nonprofit administration, and pastoral ministries in Alaska, Israel, Hungary, France, and Northern Virginia. He served as Dean of Students, Chaplain, and Professor of Bible & Theology at European Bible Institute, where he helped train Europeans both for professional ministry and to be Christian leaders in the marketplace. Prior to joining the Institute, he was on the leadership team of Oakwood Services International, a nonprofit educational and humanitarian organization. He is a graduate of Wheaton College, earned his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and has a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. As a Parish-Pulpit Fellow, he studied Biblical Backgrounds & Archaeology in Israel for a year.
 
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  Todd Harper

  Speaker
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Todd Harper
Speaker
Todd Harper, Speaker, as the founder of Generous Giving, has been spreading the biblical message of generosity and encouraging Christians to excel in the grace of giving for 20 years. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and entrepreneurship from Baylor University and spent 11 years with Campus Crusade for Christ International. Prior to joining Generous Giving, Todd was a partner in an investment management firm, advising high net worth clients on growing and using wealth wisely.
 
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  Michael Ward

  Professor
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Michael Ward
Professor
Michael Ward is a member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford and Professor of Apologetics at Houston Baptist University. He studied English at the University of Oxford, theology at the University of Cambridge, and he earned his PhD in Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. He is the author and editor of multiple books, most notably the award-winning Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis, After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man and The Cambridge Companion to C.S. Lewis. On the fiftieth anniversary of Lewis’s death, Dr. Ward unveiled a permanent national memorial to Lewis in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey, London.

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  Randy Newman

  Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism, CSLI
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Team Members

Randy Newman
Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism, CSLI
Randy Newman (1956-2024) was the Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism at the C.S. Lewis Institute. He taught at several evangelical seminaries. After serving for over 30 years with Campus Crusade for Christ, he established Connection Points, a ministry to help Christians engage people’s hearts the way Jesus did. He has written seven books, Questioning Evangelism, Corner Conversations, Bringing the Gospel Home, Engaging with Jewish People, Unlikely Converts: Improbable Stories of Faith and What They Teach Us About Evangelism, Mere Evangelism. and his most recent, Questioning Faith: Indirect Journeys of Belief through Terrains of Doubt. Randy has also written numerous articles about evangelism and other ways our lives intertwine with God’s creation. He earned his MDiv and PhD in Intercultural Studies from Trinity International University. Randy went home to be with the Lord in May 2024.
 
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  Kevin Offner

  InterVarsity Staff
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Kevin Offner
InterVarsity Staff
Kevin Offner, has been on staff with InterVarsity for 31 years, serving students in New England and now the metro Washington DC area. He currently oversees faculty and graduate student ministry on 4 campuses in Washington, DC. Kevin is interested in orthodox Christian theology across a wide spectrum of traditions, seeking agreement without compromise.
 
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  Ken Wilson

  Medical Doctor
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Ken Wilson
Medical Doctor
Ken Wilson, graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Texas system, followed by an Orthopedic Residency and Hand Fellowship. He then taught as a full-time academic professor at Oregon’s medical school for many years. While maintaining his hand surgery practice, Dr. Wilson decided to pursue theology. He graduated magna cum laude from Faith Lutheran Seminary with a M.Div. degree, then magna cum laude from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary with a Th.M. degree. Dr. Wilson attended the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom where he received his doctorate in theology with the thesis, “Augustine’s Conversion from Traditional Free Choice to ‘Non-free Free Will’: A Comprehensive Methodology.”
 
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  George Marsden

  Professor
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Team Members

George Marsden
Professor
George Marsden, Professor of History Emeritus at University of Notre Dame, is an influential historian who has written extensively on the interaction between Christianity and American culture, particularly on Christianity in American higher education and on American evangelicalism. He is well known for his biography Jonathan Edwards: A Life. He has authored other books including The Soul of the American University, Religion and American Culture, and Fundamentalism and American Culture. His most recent book is C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity”: A Biography. Marsden studied at Haverford College, Westminster Theological Seminary, and Yale University; he has taught at Calvin University, Duke University, and the University of Notre Dame, and is now scholar in residence at Calvin University.