About

Norman Leo Geisler

July 21st, 1932 – July 1st, 2019

Dr. Norman Geisler, PhD, was a prolific author, veteran professor, speaker, lecturer, traveler, philosopher, apologist, evangelist, and theologian. To those who ask, “Who is Norm Geisler?” some have suggested, “If you can imagine a cross between Thomas Aquinas and Billy Graham, you’re not too far off.” A mentor to countless apologists and theologians, several consider him to be the grandfather of classical, evangelical Christian apologetics–a wide-ranging, holistic apologetic that would encompass foundational matters like knowing truth about reality, to knowing God exists by reasoning from effects to their causes, to the historical trustworthiness of the four gospel accounts, to the fact of the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead, to the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, to Jesus’s view of the Bible as without error. True to his middle name, Norm was a lion; he was certainly one of the greatest defenders of the reliability, inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy of the Bible in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. 

Norm authored or co-authored over 100 books and hundreds of articles. He taught theology, philosophy, and classical Christian apologetics on the undergraduate and graduate level for over 50 years and served as a professor at some of the finest seminaries in the United States, including Trinity Evangelical Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, Veritas International University, and Southern Evangelical Seminary.

Click here to view a great 13-minute interview of Norm on YouTube. 

 

Education

  • Emmaus Bible School, 1950 (diploma) 
  • William Tyndale College, 1950-55 (diploma)
  • University of Detroit, 1956-57
  • Wheaton College, 1958 (B.A. in philosophy)
  • Wheaton Graduate School, 1960 (M.A. in theology)
  • William Tyndale College, 1964 (Th.B.)
  • Wayne State University Graduate School, 1964 (work in philosophy)
  • University of Detroit Graduate School, 1965-66 (work on M.A. in philosophy)
  • Northwestern University, Evanston, 1968 (work in philosophy)
  • Loyola University, Chicago, 1967-70 (Ph.D. in philosophy)

Professional Experience

  • Graduate Assistant in Bible-Philosophy Department, Wheaton College, 1959
  • Part-time Instructor in Bible at Detroit Bible College, 1959-1962
  • Full-time Assistant Professor of Bible and Apologetics at Detroit Bible College, 1963-1966
  • Full-time Associate Professor of Philosophy at Trinity College, 1970-1971
  • Visiting Professor of Philosophy of Religion, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1969-1970
  • Chairman of Philosophy of Religion, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1970-79
  • Professor of Systematic Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1979-1988
  • General Editor and Director of Publications for the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (ICBI), 1977-1987
  • Member of the Drafting Committee for the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (ICBI), 1977-1987
  • Dean of Liberty Center for Research and Scholarship, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, 1989-1991
  • Co-founder of Southern Evangelical Seminary, 1992
  • Dean of Southern Evangelical Seminary, 1992-1999
  • President of the Evangelical Theological Society, 1998
  • President of Southern Evangelical Seminary, 1999-2006
  • Dean of Southern Evangelical Seminary, 2006-2007
  • Distinguished Senior Professor of Theology and Apologetics, Southern Evangelical Seminary, 2014-2019
  • Co-founder of the International Society of Christian Apologetics, 2006
  • President of the International Society of Christian Apologetics, 2006-2008
  • Co-founder of Veritas Evangelical Seminary (later Veritas International University), 2007
  • Chancellor of Veritas International University, 2007-2019
  • Distinguished Professor of Apologetics at Veritas International University, 2007-2019
  •  General Editor of Defending Inerrancy, 2014-2019
  • Retired from teaching and writing in May 2019
  • Passed from this world into the presence of Christ on July 1st, 2019

Pastoral/Pulpit Ministries

  • Director of Northeast Suburban Youth for Christ, near Detroit, 1952-54
  • Pastor of Dayton Center Church, Silverwood, Michigan, 1955-57 (ordained here 1956)
  • Assistant Pastor of River Grove Bible Church, River Grove, Illinois, 1958-59
  • Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Warren, Michigan, 1960-63
  • President of Alumni of Detroit Bible College, 1961-62
  • Several interim pastorates in Michigan, Illinois, and Texas, 1965+
  • “Quest for Truth,” radio ministry 1981-1991
  • Senior Pastor of Southern Evangelical Church, Charlotte, NC, 2003-2007
  • Internationally known speaker at churches, retreats, pastor’s conferences, universities, radio, and television from 1960 to 2018.

Books Authored, Co-Authored, and/or Edited by Dr. Geisler

  1. A General Introduction to the Bible (Moody, 1968)
  2. Christ the Theme of the Bible (Moody, 1968 | Bastion Books, 2012)
  3. Ethics: Alternatives and Issues (Zondervan, 1971)
  4. The Christian Ethic of Love (Zondervan, 1973)
  5. Philosophy of Religion (Zondervan, 1974)
  6. From God to Us (Moody, 1974)
  7. * To Understand the Bible Look for Jesus (1975, reprint and retitle of #2)
  8. Christian Apologetics (Baker, 1976)
  9. A Popular Survey of the Old Testament (Baker, 1977)
  10. The Roots of Evil (Zondervan, 1978) (Second edition, Zondervan, 1981)
  11. Inerrancy (Zondervan, 1979)
  12. Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective (Baker, 1980)
  13. Options in Contemporary Christian Ethics (Baker, 1981)
  14. Biblical Errancy: Its Philosophical Roots (Zondervan, 1981 | Bastion Books, 2022)
  15. Decide for Yourself: How History Views the Bible (Zondervan, 1982)
  16. The Creator in the Courtroom “Scopes II “: The 1981 Arkansas Creation-Evolution Trial (Baker, 1982)
  17. What Augustine Says (Baker, 1982 | Bastion Books, 2022)
  18. Is Man the Measure?  An Evaluation of Contemporary Humanism (Baker, 1983)
  19. Cosmos: Carl Sagan’s Religion for the Scientific Mind (Quest, 1983)
  20. Religion of the Force (Quest, 1983)
  21. To Drink or Not to Drink: A Sober Look at the Problem (Quest, 1984)
  22. Perspectives: Understanding and Evaluating Today’s World Views (Here’s Life, 1984)
  23. Christianity Under Attack (Quest, 1985)
  24. False Gods of Our Time: A Defense of the Christian Faith (Harvest House, 1985)
  25. A General Introduction to the Bible, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded (Moody, 1986)
  26. Reincarnation Sensation (Tyndale, 1986)
  27. Origin Science (Baker, 1987)
  28. Philosophy of Religion (Expansion and Revision of #5) (Baker, 1988; W&S 2004; Bastion Books, 2022)
  29. Signs and Wonders (Tyndale, 1988 | Bastion Books, 2019)
  30. * Worlds Apart: A Handbook on World Views (Revision and retitle of #22) (Baker, 1991; W&S 2004; Bastion Books, 2022)
  31. Knowing the Truth About Creation (Servant, 1989 | Bastion Books, 2013)
  32. The Infiltration of the New Age (Tyndale, 1989)
  33. The Battle for the Resurrection (Thomas Nelson, 1989 | Bastion Books, 2013)
  34. Apologetics in the New Age (Baker, 1990)
  35. Come Let Us Reason: An Introduction to Logical Thinking (Baker, 1990)
  36. When Skeptics Ask: A Handbook on Christian Evidences (Baker, 1990, 2013)
  37. Gambling: A Bad Bet (Fleming H. Revel, 1990 | Bastion Books, 2013)
  38. The Life and Death Debate (Greenwood, 1990)
  39. In Defense of the Resurrection (Quest, 1991 | Bastion Books, 2015)
  40. Thomas Aquinas: An Evangelical Appraisal (Baker, 1991)
  41. Matters of Life and Death: Calm Answers to Tough Questions  (Baker, 1991)
  42. Miracles and the Modern Mind: A Defense of Biblical Miracles (Baker, 1992 | Bastion Books, 2012)
  43. When Critics Ask: A Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Victor, 1992) (Co-authored with Thomas Howe) 
  44. Answering Islam (Baker, 1993)
  45. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences (Baker, 1995)
  46. Love is Always Right (Word, 1996)
  47. Creating God in the Image of Man? The New ‘Open’ View of God: Neo-Theism’s Dangerous Drift (Bethany, 1997)
  48. When Cultists Ask (Baker, 1997)
  49. The Counterfeit Gospel of Mormonism (Harvest House, 1998)
  50. Legislating Morality (Bethany, 1998) (Co-authored with Frank Turek)
  51. Baker’s Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (Baker, 1999)
  52. Chosen But Free: A Balanced view of God’s Sovereignty and Free Will (Bethany, 1999)
  53. Unshakable Foundations (Bethany, 2001)
  54. Why I Am a Christian: Leading Thinkers Explain Why They Believe (Baker, 2001)
  55. The Battle for God: Responding to the Challenge of Neotheism  (Kregel, 2001)
  56. Living Loud: Defending Your Faith (Broadman & Holman, 2002) (Co-authored with Joseph Holden)
  57. Answering Islam, Updated and Revised (Bethany, 2002) (Co-authored with Abdul Saleeb)
  58. Who Made God? And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith (Zondervan, 2003)
  59. Is Your Church Ready?  Motivating Leaders to Live an Apologetic Life (Zondervan, 2003)
  60. I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Crossway, 2004) (Co-authored with Frank Turek) 
  61. Systematic Theology, Vol. 1 (Bethany, 2002)
  62. Systematic Theology, Vol. 2 (Bethany, 2003)
  63. Systematic Theology, Vol. 3 (Bethany, 2004)
  64. Systematic Theology, Vol. 4 (Bethany, 2005)
  65. Bringing Your Faith to Work: Answers for Break-Room Skeptics (Baker, 2005)
  66. * Correcting the Cults: Expert Responses to Their Scripture Twisting (Baker, 2005, reprint of #48)
  67. * Why I Am a Christian : Leading Thinkers Explain why They Believe (revised for Baker, 2006)
  68. Integrity at Work: Finding Your Ethical Compass in a Post-Enron World  (Baker, 2007)
  69. Creation and the Courts: Eighty Years of Conflict in the Classroom and the Courtroom (Crossway, 2007)
  70. A Popular Survey of the New Testament (Baker, 2007)
  71. Love Your Neighbor: Thinking Wisely about Right and Wrong (Crossway, 2007)
  72. Reasons for Faith: Making a Case for the Christian Faith (Crossway, 2007)
  73. Conviction Without Compromise: Standing Strong in the Core Beliefs of the Christian Faith (Harvest House, 2008; NGIM, 2022) (Co-authored with Ron Rhodes)
  74. The Apologetics of Jesus: A Caring Approach to Dealing with Doubters (Baker, 2008)
  75. Conversational Evangelism (Harvest House, 2009, 2014) (Co-authored with David Geisler)
  76. Is Rome the True Church? (Crossway, 2008)
  77. * The Big Book of Bible Difficulties (Baker 2008, reprint of #43) (Co-authored with Thomas Howe) 
  78. * Making Sense of Bible Difficulties (Baker, 2009, abridgement of #43/#77) (Co-authored with Thomas Howe) 
  79. Chosen But Free: A Balanced View of God’s Sovereignty and Free Will (Third edition, revised and expanded, Bethany, 2010)
  80. Christian Ethics, Second Edition (Baker, 2010)
  81. If God, Why Evil?  (Bethany, 2011)
  82. Systematic Theology in One Volume (Bethany, 2011; Bastion Books, 2021)
  83. Defending Inerrancy: Affirming the Accuracy of Scriptures for a New Generation (Baker, 2012)
  84. Reasons for Belief: Easy-to-Understand Answers to 10 Essential Questions (Bethany, 2012) (Co-authored with Patty Tunnicliffe) 
  85. Reasons for Belief Study Guide (Bastion Books, 2014)
  86. A Popular Handbook of Biblical Archaeology: Discoveries that Confirm the Reliability of Scripture (Bethany, 2012) (Co-authored with Joe Holden)
  87. The Big Book of Christian Apologetics (Baker, 2012) (Minor revision of The Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics)
  88. * Christian Apologetics (revised, Baker, 2012)
  89. Twelve Points that Show Christianity is True (NGIM, 2012)
  90. Explaining Biblical Inerrancy: The Chicago Statements on Biblical Inerrancy, Hermeneutics, and Application with Official ICBI Commentary (Bastion Books, 2013)
  91. * The Christian Ethic of Love (2012, a minor revision of #4)
  92. From God to Us (Moody, 2012) (a major revision and update of #6 with some additions from #25.)
  93. Is the Pope Infallible: A Look at the Evidence (Bastion Books, 2012)
  94. * The Roots of Evil, Third Edition (Bastion Books, 2013. A Minor revision of #4)
  95. Should Believers Make Ashes of Themselves? Cremation, the Burning Question (Bastion, 2013)
  96. * Should Old Aquinas Be Forgotten?  (Bastion Books, 2013. Revision and expansion of #37)
  97. The Atheist’s Fatal Flaw (Baker, 2014) (Co-authored with Daniel McCoy) 
  98. The Jesus Quest: the Danger from Within (Xulon, 2014) (Co-authored with F. David Farnell)
  99. The Bible’s Answer to 100 of Life’s Biggest Questions (Baker, 2015)
  100. The Shack: Helpful or Hurtful?  (Bastion Books, 2011)
  101. Teacher’s Guide to Twelve Points That Show Christianity is True (NGIM, 2012).
  102. Beware of Philosophy (Bastion Books, 2012)
  103. A History of Western Philosophy: Vol 1: Ancient and Medieval (Bastion Books, 2012)
  104. A History of Western Philosophy: Vol 2: Modern and Contemporary (Bastion Books, 2012)
  105. * A Handbook on World Views: A Catalogue for Worldview Shoppers (Bastion Books, 2013) (A minor revision of Worlds Apart) 
  106. * Biblical Inerrancy: The Historical Evidence (Bastion Books, 2013)(A minor Revision of #15)
  107. * What in Cremation is Going On? (Bastion Books, 2014) (Abridgement of # 86)
  108. The Official Study Guide to I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist (Xulon Press, 2014)
  109. The Religion of the Force (Bastion Books, 2015) (Update and expansion of #19, co-authored with Richard Howe) 
  110. God: A Philosophical Argument (Bastion Books, 2015)
  111. Evidence of an Early New Testament Canon (Bastion Books, 2015) (Co-author with Shawn Nelson)
  112. Romans in Logical Form (Bastion Books, 2015) (Co-author with Shawn Nelson)
  113. Vital Issues in the Inerrancy Debate (Wipf & Stock, 2016) (review) (Editor and contributor)
  114. How to Know God (Bastion Books, 2016) (In English and Spanish) (Co-authored with Christopher Haun)
  115. A Prolegomena to Evangelical Theology (NGIM.org, 2016)
  116. A Popular Survey of Bible Doctrine (NGIM.org, 2015)
  117. A Prolegomena to Evangelical Theology (NGIM.org, 2016)
  118. The Bible: Its Origin, Nature and Collection: NGIM Guide to Bible Doctrine, Book 1 (NGIM.org, 2015)
  119. The Doctrine of God: NGIM Guide to Bible Doctrine, Book 2 (NGIM.org, 2015)
  120. The Doctrine of Christ: NGIM Guide to Bible Doctrine, Book 3 (NGIM.org, 2016)
  121. The Doctrine of Creation: NGIM Guide to Bible Doctrine, Book 4 (NGIM.org, 2016)
  122. The Doctrine of Angels & Demons: NGIM Guide to Bible Doctrine, Book 5 (NGIM.org, 2016)
  123. Preserving Orthodoxy: Maintaining Continuity with the Historic Christian Faith on Scripture (Bastion Books, 2017)
  124. Somewhere Under the Rainbow: A Christian look at Same-Sex “Marriage” (Bastion Books, 2017)
  125.  Having Fun Under the Sun: A Study of Ecclesiastes (Bastion Books, 2018)
  126.  The Collected Work of Norm Geisler, Volumes 1-5 (Bastion Books, 2019) Vol. 1 (1964-1979) | Vol. 2 (19xx-19xx)| Vol. 3 (19xx-19xx)| Vol. 4 (19xx-19xx)| Vol. 5 (19xx-19xx)

Translations of Dr. Geisler’s Books

Book Contributions

  • The Harvest Handbook of Christian Apologetics (Harvest, 2018)
  • Four Views on Eternal Security (Zondervan, 2002)
  • “Colossians” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary on the New Testament
  • Predestination and Free Will: Four Views of Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom (IVP, 1986)
  • MissionShift: Global Mission Issues in the Third Millennium (B&H, 2010)
  • Evangelicals Engaging Emergent: A Discussion of the Emergent Church Movement (B&H, 2009)
  • The Apologetics Study Bible (2007)
  • The Portable Seminary: A Master’s Level Overview in One Volume (Bethany House, 2006)
  • Passionate Conviction: Contemporary Discourses on Christian Apologetics (B&H, 2007)
  • The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (1999. A “managing editor.”)
  • The Cult of the Virgin: Catholic Mariology and the Apparitions of Mary (1992)
  • “Biblical Studies” in Opening of the American Mind: The Integration of Biblical Truth in the Curriculum of the University (Baker, 1991)
  • “God, Evil, and Dispensations” in Walvoord: A Tribute (Moody, 1982)
  • “What is Apologetics and Why do we Need It?” in The Harvest Handbook of Christian Apologetics (Harvest Publishers, 2018)
  • Why I’m Still A Christian: Leading Thinkers Explain Why They Believe (Baker, 2001)

Debates

[Many of these debates are expected to eventually become available in MP3 format for purchase at http://NGIM.org]

  • “Can the Existence of God Be Proven?” with Professor Milton Rosenberg at College of Lake County (1973)
  • “Sexual Morality: Relative or Absolute?” with Professor Kenneth Simonson at College of Lake County (1973)
  • “Is Christianity Credible?” with Dr. Michael Scriven at University of Calgary (1974)
  • “Is Humanistic Ethics Superior to Biblical Christianity?” with Dr. Joseph E. Barnhart at North Texas State University (January 24, 1974)
  • “Can the Existence of God Be Proven?” with Dr. Jonathan Saville (Spring 1976) at University of California, San Diego
  • “The Existence of God,” Southern Methodist University (March 1977)
  • “Is Christianity Credible?” with John Riteris at IUPU, Indianapolis (November 2, 1977)
  • “The Reasonableness of God’s Existence” with Dr. William Wisdom, Temple University (November 8, 1979)
  • “Does God Exist?” with Dr. Wisdom, Temple University (February 1980)
  • “Christianity vs. Humanism” with Dr. K. Kolenda, Rice University (March 14, 1980)
  • “Inerrancy of Scripture” with Dr. Norman Beck (January 1981)
  • “Does God Exist?” with Dr. William De Vries, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts (April 8, 1981)
  • “The Inerrancy of Scripture” with Dr. Thor Hall, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
  • “Creation/Evolution” with Dr. Claud Rupert (January 10, 1982, NBC-TV)
  • “Creation vs. Evolution” with Dr. Paul Edwards (May 1983
  • “Should Creationism be Taught (as science) in the Public School? with Fred Edwards and Steve Schafersman (May 6, 1983)
  • “Does God Exist?” with Harry Benswanger (April 9, 1984)
  • “Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?” a TV debate with Rabbi Kushner (1984)
  • “Should Creation be Taught in Public Schools?” with Philip Kitcher (November 8, 1985)
  • “Should Roe vs. Wade (Abortion) Decision Be Reversed?” with Charlotte Taft (January 17, 1986)
  • “Christianity vs. Secular Humanism” with Dr. Paul Kurtz (1986), author of Humanist Manifesto II
  • “Is Christianity Rational” with Harvey Siegel (1987)
  • “Process Theism vs. Classical Theism” with John Cobb (April 1988)
  • “Should Creation be Taught in the Public Schools” with ACLU attorney Crawford (March 5, 1991)
  • “Did Jesus Rise from the Dead” with Farrel Til (March 1994)

Honors and Recognitions

  • Graduated with honor from Wheaton College (1958)
  • Chosen as an “Outstanding Educator of America” (1975)
  • Philosophy of Religion chosen as a “Choice Evangelical Book of the Year” by Christianity Today (1975)
  • First president of Evangelical Philosophical Society (1976)
  • Elected to the Wheaton Scholastic Honor Society (1977)
  • Invited to become a founding member of the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (1977)
  • Listed in Who’s Who in Religion, Writers Who’s Who, and Men of Achievement
  • Honored as Alumnus of the Year – William Tyndale College (1982)
  • Quoted in Time magazine (Jan. 1982, Sept. 1985)
  • General Introduction to the Bible won the Cornerstone Magazine book of the year award in its category (1986)
  • When Skeptics Ask was nominated for the Medallion Award of the year in the category of Missions/Evangelism (1991)
  • President of Evangelical Theological Society (1998)
  • Gold Medallion Award for Legislating Morality (1999)
  • Silver Medallion Award for Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics (2000)
  • Founder and first President of the International Society of Christian Apologetics (2006)
  • Outreach Magazine recognized If God, Why Evil? as the 2012 Outreach Resource in Apologetics
  • I Am Put Here for the Defense of the Gospel: Dr. Norman L. Geisler: A Festschrift in His Honor by Terry L. Miethe (Editor) (Pickwick Publications, 2016)
  • “Norm Geisler: Not Qualified” An Award-winning Documentary Honoring the Life of Norman Geisler by Norm Geisler International Ministries, 2022
  • Southern Evangelical Seminary renamed their “Veritas Graduate School” to the “Norman L. Geisler Graduate School of Apologetics” in May 2019

Family

  • Married for 64 years (as of 2019) to wife Barbara Jean Cate, graduate of Fort Wayne Bible College (Taylor University), whom he met at a Youth for Christ rally.
  • Dr. and Mrs. Geisler have six children (Ruth, David, Daniel, Rhoda, Paul, & Rachel), fifteen grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren (as of 2019).