Renowned Apologist Joins PHC Faculty
One of contemporary Christianity’s leading apologists joined the faculty of Patrick Henry College in fall 2007. Dr. John Warwick Montgomery, author of more than 40 books in five languages on the issues of human rights and biblical apologetics, has been named a Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Christian Thought at PHC. Dr. Montgomery, who lives by turn in France, England, and the United States, will arrive on campus to teach classes in spring 2008, and will thereafter spend each fall semester teaching core courses in philosophy and apologetics, and a course entitled Philosophy of Law and Human Rights.
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Courtesy of www.jwm.Christendom.co.uk Dr. John Warwick Montgomery (pictured here with his wife Lanalee) joined PHC’s faculty in fall 2007. |
The landmark affiliation brings direct access to and association with Dr. Montgomery’s International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights. The Academy is a summer-study program that meets in Strasbourg, France, where young Christian men and women from across the globe travel to learn to defend historic biblical faith in a “secular age devoid of a solid basis for human rights.” PHC plans to award several academic credits to PHC students who attend the Academy.
Explaining his scholarly attraction to PHC, Dr. Montgomery says, “We believe that Patrick Henry’s concern to impact the secular mindset for Christ in law and politics conjoins exactly with the reason for the Academy’s success,” adding that Patrick Henry’s students “should have primacy of place among the 20 enrollees accepted each summer for this important and wonderful international experience.”
The Faculty and Advisory Board for the Academy includes Christian academics and apologists like Gary Habermas, Josh McDowell, and J.P. Moreland, among many others.
Dr. Montgomery first learned of Patrick Henry College through a BBC documentary and came away “much impressed” with the mission of the college. After learning that Dr. Gene Edward Veith had become academic provost at PHC, Dr. Montgomery contacted him.
“I have greatly respected Dr. Veith’s theological and academic perspective,” Dr. Montgomery notes. “I support classical education which takes Scripture and historic Christian theology with all seriousness.”
Dr. Veith replies, “Dr. John Warwick Montgomery is one of the giants in Christian thought. He is one of the most influential voices in apologetics today. His spiritual children include Billy Graham and many others.”
Dr. Montgomery’s writings on theological issues initially attracted Patrick Henry College President Graham Walker’s attention as a teenager. Having first read Dr. Montgomery’s book History and Christianity as a new Christian in his teens, Dr. Walker recalls how its profound effect prompted him to give his copy to his skeptic grandmother.
“The book is one of the most cogent and concise vindications of the historical reliability of the New Testament documents I have ever seen,” Dr. Walker says.
Besides his extensive literary corpus, Dr. Montgomery holds 10 earned degrees, is an ordained Lutheran minister and English barrister, and is admitted to practice as a lawyer before the Supreme Court of the United States. According to his website, www.jwm.christendom.co.uk, he has argued cases before the European Court of Human Rights, was in China during the events of Tiananmen Square in June 1989, was in Fiji during its 1987 bloodless revolution, and was involved in assisting East Germans to escape during the time of the Berlin Wall.
PHC is eager to welcome this fascinating man to its faculty.
About the author
David Halbrook is director of communications at Patrick Henry College. |
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