Gavin R. Ortlund (born 1983[1]) is a writer, theologian, and Christian apologist. Ortlund is the author of eight books and multiple academic articles.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] He serves as President of Truth Unites, a ministry which seeks to promote gospel assurance through theological depth. He is also Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.
Education
editGavin Ortlund holds a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary, an MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary and a BA in religion and philosophy from the University of Georgia.[9]
Career
editComing from a Presbyterian background, after finishing his Master's Degree, Ortlund was on his way to become a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America. Due to concerns regarding pedobaptism, he will instead be ordained in the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference and serve 6 years as an associate pastor of Sierra Madre Congregational Church[10][11]. He will later became pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai (ABCUSA)[11]. Ortlund is currently serving as a theologian in residence at Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee (an Acts 29 Network affiliated church).[12]
Ortlund has written multiple books, including Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future and Finding the Right Hills to Die on: The Case for Theological Triage.[13][14][15] Ortlund has debated Trent Horn (a member of Catholic Answers) on several issues, including purgatory and baptismal regeneration.[16][17] He has criticized John MacArthur and others for "prioritizing worship over loving your neighbor, obedience to government and maintaining a good witness", emphasizing the command to obey authorities.[18][19][20]
In his book Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn't: The Beauty of Christian Theism, Ortlund argues that the idea of the existence of God is "more satisfying to both mind and heart" than naturalism.[21] Ortlund has written a commentary on the work of Anselm.[22][23] He has written on Christian unity, criticizing sectarianism as well as doctrinal indifference.[24][25] Ortlund has opposed those who call for "an end to the Reformation".[26][27]
Ortlund has defended the doctrine of divine simplicity and the Thomistic view of the beatific vision.[28][29][30][31]
He has defended the view that Noah's flood was a regional event and not a global event, arguing that such a position is consistent with "an effort to take seriously the meaning of the text, which involves what the original author meant the original readers to take from it in its original context."[32] This claim has caused controversy within Evangelicalism and ignited accusations of theological liberalism (which he denied as being true).[33][34]
Personal life
editGavin Ortlund is the grandson of Ray and Anne Ortlund and the son of Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.[35] His brothers include Eric Ortlund, a professor at Oak Hill College in London,[36] and Dane Ortlund, author of the popular Christian book Gentle and Lowly.[37] Gavin Ortlund is married and has five children.[6]
References
edit- ^ Ortlund, Gavin (2020). Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway. p. 6.
- ^ Ortlund, Gavin (2020-04-27). "Gavin Ortlund: Finding the Right Hills to Die On". OutreachMagazine.com. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "John MacArthur Appears on Fox News at Night; "We Are the Most Essential Reality in the World"". Christian News Now. 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Apologist and Pastor Gavin Ortlund on Whether or Not the Bible Supports Slavery". blackchristiannews.com. 11 October 2019. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Dash, Darryl (2021-08-03). 8 Habits for Growth: A Simple Guide to Becoming More Like Christ. Moody Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8024-9974-5.
- ^ a b "Gavin Ortlund - Academia.edu". independent.academia.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Written to Christians or Almost Christians? Mohler and Schreiner Debate Warning Passages at TGC21". News - SBTS. 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Vincent, Benjamin (20 July 2022). "Why We Shouldn't Practice Liturgy 'A La Carte'". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
In his book Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals, historical theologian and Baptist pastor Gavin Ortlund
- ^ "Gavin Ortlund". Reasons to Believe. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Gavin Ortlund". Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ a b "Gavin Ortlund". Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Our leadership". Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Publications". 2010-05-08. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Gavin Ortlund". The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Barcellos, Richard C. (2020-10-12). Trinity and Creation: A Scriptural and Confessional Account. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 978-1-7252-8034-2.
- ^ "Did the Church Fathers Believe in Purgatory? (Response to Gavin Ortlund)". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Rebutting Gavin Ortlund on Baptismal Regeneration". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Klett, Leah MarieAnn (2020-08-04). "John MacArthur addresses critics, says church is not 'spreading anything but the Gospel'". The Christian Post. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Parke, Caleb (2020-08-04). "California pastor defies coronavirus orders despite threat of arrest: Newsom 'not the head of the church'". Fox News. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Takeaways from the Debate over Tim Keller's "Third Way" | Justin Lee". First Things. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
is guilty of subordinating the commands of Scripture to the demands of political expedience. "[A]voiding tribalism and seeking winsomeness is NOT a strategy that can be discarded once we arrive in a 'negative world,'" tweeted pastor and author Gavin Ortlund
- ^ Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn't. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. 2021.
- ^ "Anselm's Pursuit of Joy - CUAPress". Catholic University of America Press. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Ortlund, Gavin R. (2020). Anselm's Pursuit of Joy: A Commentary on the Proslogion. Catholic University of America Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctv125jsqj. ISBN 978-0-8132-3275-1. JSTOR j.ctv125jsqj. S2CID 219745556.
- ^ Smith, Brandon D. (23 April 2020). "When Should Doctrine Divide, and When Should Unity Prevail?". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Ortlund, Gavin (2020-05-12). "Gavin Ortlund: Which Hills to Die On?". Peaceful Science.
- ^ "5 Myths about the Reformation". Crossway. 2019-10-31. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Ortlund, Gavin. "Finding the Right Hills to Die On". UCCF Leadership Network. Retrieved 2022-08-14.
- ^ Ortlund, Gavin (November 2021). "Will we see God's essence? A defence of a Thomistic account of the beatific vision". Scottish Journal of Theology. 74 (4): 323–332. doi:10.1017/S0036930621000739. ISSN 0036-9306. S2CID 246017433.
- ^ Ortlund, Gavin (2014-07-08). "What Difference Does Divine Simplicity Make?". Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ Ortlund, Gavin (2014). "Divine Simplicity in Historical Perspective: Resourcing a Contemporary Discussion". International Journal of Systematic Theology. 16 (4): 436–453. doi:10.1111/ijst.12068. ISSN 1463-1652.
- ^ Ortlund, Gavin (October 2014). "Divine Simplicity in Historical Perspective: Resourcing a Contemporary Discussion: Divine Simplicity in Historical Perspective". International Journal of Systematic Theology. 16 (4): 436–453. doi:10.1111/ijst.12068.
- ^ "Why a Local Flood?". 2015-01-03. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
- ^ "Theologian Claims Noah's Flood Was Regional, Not Global". ChristianHeadlines.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ "Noah's Ark Controversy: Theologian's Genesis Flood Claim Ignites Social Media Reaction". Faithwire. 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ^ Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra (January 24, 2018), How Ray Ortlund Became Foster Father to a Generation of Church Planters
- ^ "Eric Ortlund", Oak Hill College, retrieved October 18, 2022
- ^ Gavin Ortlund (January 2022). 10K subscribers LIVE Q+A. Event occurs at 23:12.