Meet Josh McDowell

While a student at Kellogg College in Michigan, Josh McDowell was challenged by a group of Christian students to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity. He was sure that Christianity was worthless, but nevertheless accepted the challenge, targeting the resurrection of Christ as the key event to discredit. When he discovered compelling historical evidence for the reliability of the New Testament and the resurrection, he struggled to bring his will to admit that what he had found was the truth. He finally accepted Christ as his savior.

McDowell transferred to evangelical Wheaton College to finish his degree. While there, he began traveling on weekends to speak at churches and youth rallies. After graduation, he entered Talbot Theological Seminary and continued his speaking ministry, Focus on Youth. In 1964, he joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. He has now been a traveling representative for Campus Crusade for over 30 years and heads the Josh McDowell Ministry International organization.

Today Josh McDowell is known as one of the most articulate and popular youth speakers in the world, having spoken to more than seven million young people in at least 84 countries. He is the author of 51 books, and has been featured in eight films, 21 videos, two television specials, an ongoing television series, and a weekly radio program. In 1996, Christianity Today named his book Evidence that Demands a Verdict "the most popular apologetics handbook of our time." His films and books have won numerous awards, including Golden Eagle awards for the films The Sexual Puzzle and Who Do You Listen To: Sex in the Age of AIDS.

His book Don't Check Your Brains at the Door: Know What You Believe and Why, a working theology for junior high and high school students, won a Gold Medallion Award. The book explores the observation that, all too often, Christian students trip blithely off to secular colleges or jobs -- and return with their faith shattered. Why? Many teens don't really know what or why they believe. This entertaining book enables teens to firmly secure their faith. Then, when questions and doubts come, they'll have a strong foundation and a ready defense to keep them from faltering. Among his work is Vote of Intolerance, a futuristic political thriller involving a governor's campaign turned ugly and dangerous when liberal freedoms clash with Christian values.

Upcoming projects for McDowell are releases in his Beyond Belief campaign--The Cross Culture Revolution, Belief Matters Video Series, Belief Matters Workbook, In Search of Certainty, The Revolt Video Series, The Revolt Workbook, The Deceivers, True or False Workbooks, Family Devotions 2, Youth Devotions 2, and Children Demand a Verdict.

Josh McDowell and Dottie, his wife of 23 years, live in Dallas with two of their four children.

Updated June 2003.