The Christian Research Institute (CRI) is an
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
apologetics
Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
ministry. It was established in October 1960 in the state of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
by
Walter Martin (1928–1989). In 1974, Martin relocated the ministry to
San Juan Capistrano, California
San Juan Capistrano (Spanish for "St. John of Capistrano") is a city in Orange County, California, located along the Orange Coast. The population was 34,593 at the 2010 census.
San Juan Capistrano was founded by the Spanish in 1776, when St. ...
. The ministry's office was relocated in the 1990s near
Rancho Santa Margarita
:''This article refers to the San Luis Obispo County, California, land grant. For the city of Rancho Santa Margarita, see Rancho Santa Margarita, California''
Rancho Santa Margarita was a Mexican land grant in the Santa Lucia Mountains, in ...
. In 2005, the organization moved to its present location in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
.
Background
The establishment of CRI in 1960 is closely linked to
Walter Martin. It represents one of the pioneering organizations in what is called the
Christian countercult movement
The Christian countercult movement or the Christian anti-cult movement is a social movement among certain Protestant evangelical and fundamentalist and other Christian ministries ("discernment ministries") and individual activists who oppose r ...
, but also relates to the wider history of
Evangelical Christian
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual exper ...
apologetics
Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
in the mid-twentieth century.
Martin is considered one of the first full-time career apologists to have specialized in Christian countercult apologetics. In 1949, Martin began his forays into the theological analysis of various groups, such as
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
,
Christian Science
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes informally know ...
,
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of t ...
and
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (when not lowercase) ...
. Much of this early work coincided with his tertiary studies at
Shelton College
Shelton College was a private, Christian, liberal arts college that was located in Cape May, New Jersey. It was involved in a landmark case requiring religious schools to acquire a state license to grant academic degrees.
The college motto was ...
and
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
during the 1950s.
In 1953, Martin became acquainted with the
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
radio
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
teacher
Donald Grey Barnhouse
Donald Grey Barnhouse (March 28, 1895 – November 5, 1960), was an American Christian preacher, pastor, theologian, radio pioneer, and writer. He was pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1927 to his deat ...
. Barnhouse was the founding editor (1950) of the monthly periodical ''
Eternity
Eternity, in common parlance, means Infinity, infinite time that never ends or the quality, condition, or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside time, whereas ...
'' magazine. Stephen Board, in his study of the history of evangelical
periodicals
A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a Academic journal, journal ...
, has observed that during its first decade of publishing ''Eternity'' was built around Barnhouse's personality and his own particular causes.
In 1954, Barnhouse invited Martin to be a
columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...
in ''Eternity'' magazine, and then between 1955 and 1960 Martin served as a regular contributing editor. Martin wrote a number of articles about
cults
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
, which formed the embryonic texts for various books he wrote. However, Martin also wrote
book reviews
__NOTOC__
A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit.
A book review may be a primary source, opinion piece, summary review or scholarly revie ...
, examined general apologetics and
doctrinal
Doctrine (from la, doctrina, meaning "teaching, instruction") is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system ...
issues, and also considered social questions such as
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
.
The early 1950s witnessed the publication of several books that Martin wrote, or co-wrote with Norman Klann, such as ''Jehovah of the Watchtower'' (1953), ''The Christian Science Myth'' (1954), ''The Rise of the Cults'' (1955) and ''The Christian and the Cults'' (1956). Barnhouse wrote the foreword to ''The Christian Science Myth'', and his support for Martin's ministry was crucial in legitimating countercult apologetics to the wider church constituency. In 1960, Barnhouse died from a
brain tumor
A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...
only a few weeks before Martin formally established CRI. By that time Martin had become an emerging apologist whose ministry and reputation was gaining recognition in
parachurch organizations
Parachurch organizations are Christian faith-based organizations that work outside and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism. Parachurch organizations seek to come alongside the church and specialize in things that indivi ...
like the
American Tract Society
The American Tract Society (ATS) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian but evangelical organization founded on May 11, 1825, in New York City for the purpose of publishing and disseminating tracts of Christian literature. ATS traces its lineage back thro ...
,
Evangelical Theological Society
The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) is a professional society of Biblical scholars, educators, pastors, and students "devoted to the inerrancy and inspiration of the Scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ" and "dedicated to the oral excha ...
,
National Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) is an association of evangelical denominations, organizations, schools, churches and individuals, member of the World Evangelical Alliance. The association represents more than 45,000 local churches ...
, and
National Religious Broadcasters
National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is an international association of evangelical communicators. While theologically diverse within the evangelical community, NRB members are linked through a Declaration of Unity that proclaims their joint comm ...
.
Early ministry development
The basic charter for CRI began with the aim of serving as a bureau of information on
cults
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
, other religions, and
Christian apologetics
Christian apologetics ( grc, ἀπολογία, "verbal defense, speech in defense") is a branch of Christian theology that defends Christianity.
Christian apologetics has taken many forms over the centuries, starting with Paul the Apostle in ...
.
Walter Martin subsequently gave this summary profile about CRI: "The Institute's purpose is to supply primary data on all the cults, and non-Christian missionary activities, both here and abroad. It is the function of this Institute to index the major cults and to supply resumes of their origin, history, and doctrines, with bibliographical material aimed at specifically evangelizing and refuting their respective teachings."
CRI was assisted by individual donors and by charitable grants from organizations like the
Pew Foundation
The Pew Charitable Trusts is an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO), founded in 1948.
With over 6 billion in assets, its stated mission is to serve the public interest by "improving public policy, informing the public, a ...
. CRI was administered by a Board of Directors that included Martin's brother-in-law Everett Jacobson.
In the early 1960s, much of CRI's activities centered on Martin's itinerant preaching ministry in churches and with
parachurch organizations
Parachurch organizations are Christian faith-based organizations that work outside and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism. Parachurch organizations seek to come alongside the church and specialize in things that indivi ...
. Martin delivered seminars throughout North America on the problems churches and missionaries faced with cults. He utilized the emergence of
audio-cassette tapes with several of his seminar presentations recorded and initially distributed by Bible Voice Inc. in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and the Audio Bible Society in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
(later through Vision House and finally by CRI itself).
Martin also developed a profile on radio initially as a co-host of
Barnhouse's ''
Bible Study Hour'', then as a regular panel guest on the
Long John Nebel
Long John Nebel (born John Zimmerman; June 11, 1911 – April 10, 1978) was an influential New York City talk radio show host.
From the mid-1950s until his death in 1978, Nebel was a hugely popular all-night radio host, with millions of regular ...
show in the 1960s. Martin then became the host of his own shows, ''The Bible Answer Man'' and ''Dateline Eternity''. The shows became nationally syndicated and accelerated in popularity following the ministry's relocation to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
Martin sought to develop a library of resources on cults and apologetics, including books, audio files, and periodicals. He encouraged the development of a bureau of speakers associated with CRI, which in the 1960s included figures such as Walter Bjorck, Floyd Hamilton, James Bjornstad and Shildes Johnson. Other prominent theologians who were affiliated with CRI included Harold O. J. Brown and
John Warwick Montgomery
John Warwick Montgomery (born October 18, 1931) is a lawyer, professor, Lutheran theologian, and author living in France. He was born in Warsaw, New York, United States. From 2014 to 2017, he was Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy at ...
. The intention was to maintain a network of scholars involved in apologetics.
CRI produced various tracts about the
Mormons
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
and
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
, distributed tapes, books and booklets by Martin, and initially ran a periodical in 1961–62 known as ''Religious Research Digest''. In 1968, the ministry published a 26-page booklet ''UFO: Friend Foe or Fantasy''.
In 1963, Martin conceived of the idea of creating a computer data bank of apologetics information. The concept was subsequently framed under the acronym SENT/EAST (Electronic Answering Search Technology). In 1968, a
symposium
In ancient Greece, the symposium ( grc-gre, συμπόσιον ''symposion'' or ''symposio'', from συμπίνειν ''sympinein'', "to drink together") was a part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was acc ...
of scholars was convened in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
where the plans for CRI's computerized apologetics data bank were presented in lectures by Martin and John Warwick Montgomery. Much of these details were reported in ''
Christianity Today
''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...
'' and then in Montgomery's book ''Computers, Cultural Change and the Christ''.
Transfer to California
In 1974 Martin left
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
and relocated to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, and this also entailed the transfer of CRI. In the early stages Martin was assisted by
Bob
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
* Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname ...
and
Gretchen Passantino as staff members in CRI. Martin also became part of the teaching faculty of the newly formed
Melodyland School of Theology in
Anaheim
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
, where
countercult apologetics
Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
was integrated into the curriculum and the 13,000 volumes of CRI's library was housed there. Later the ministry opened an office in
El Toro El Toro, Spanish for "the bull", may refer to:
Geography
* El Toro (Mallorca), a neighbourhood in the municipality of Calvià on the island of Mallorca
* El Toro, Castellón, a town in Castellón, Spain
* El Toro (Jujuy), a rural municipality and ...
, and then shifted to larger premises in
Irvine Irvine may refer to:
Places On Earth Antarctica
*Irvine Glacier
*Mount Irvine (Antarctica)
Australia
*Irvine Island
*Mount Irvine, New South Wales
Canada
*Irvine, Alberta
* Irvine Inlet, Nunavut
United Kingdom
*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
.
The upsurge of interest in Martin's work and CRI coincided with the
Jesus People
The Jesus movement was an evangelical Christian movement which began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and primarily spread throughout North America, Europe, and Central America, before it subsided in the la ...
revolution, the
counterculture
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Hou ...
, and the social conflicts over new
cults
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...
in the 1970s. During the 1970s and 1980s a number of younger apologists were mentored by Martin through CRI and included
Cal Beisner, Todd Ehrenborg, Craig Hawkins, Carole Hausmann, Kurt Van Gorden, John Weldon, George Mather, Paul Carden, Rich Poll,
Robert M. Bowman Jr.
Robert M. Bowman Jr. (born 1957) is an American Evangelicalism, Evangelical Christian theologian specializing in the study of apologetics.
Biography
Bowman received the Master of Arts, M.A. in Biblical studies, Biblical Studies and Theology fr ...
, Kenneth Samples, and Elliot Miller. The profile of CRI increased with the widespread sales of Martin's book ''
The Kingdom of the Cults
''The Kingdom of the Cults'', first published in 1965, is a reference book of the Christian countercult movement in the United States, written by Baptist minister and counter-cultist Walter Ralston Martin.Michael J. McManus, "Eulogy for the god ...
'' (now with approximately 750,000 copies sold), his audio-tape albums, his radio ministry, and his appearances on national television.
Martin was also involved in the establishment of the
MA program in apologetics at the Simon Greenleaf School of Law (now
Trinity Law School
Trinity Law School is the law school of Trinity International University, an evangelical Christian university in Bannockburn, Illinois. Although it is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (as part of Trinity International University) ...
) in 1980. Martin taught there on cults and the
occult
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
throughout the 1980s, and was assisted from time to time by
Bob
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
* Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname ...
and
Gretchen Passantino.
In 1977, CRI launched a new quarterly periodical called the ''Christian Research Institute Newsletter'', which in 1978 was retitled ''Forward''. Through this periodical analyses were published about such movements as
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna may refer to:
* International Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), known Colloquialism, colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnav ...
,
Jonestown
The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name "Jonestown", was a remote settlement in Guyana established by the Peoples Temple, a U.S.–based cult under the leadership of Jim Jones. Jonestown became internationall ...
,
Rajneesh
Rajneesh (born Chandra Mohan Jain; 11 December 193119 January 1990), also known as Acharya Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and later as Osho (), was an Indian Godman (India), godman, Mysticism, mystic, and founder of the Rajneesh movement. H ...
, the
New Age
New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...
and
Satanism
Satanism is a group of ideological and philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966, although a few hi ...
.
In 1983 CRI established the Instituto Cristão de Pesquisas (ICP), an affiliate ministry in
São Paulo, Brazil
SAO or Sao may refer to:
Places
* Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD
* Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso
* Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S ...
. Founded by staff researcher Paul Carden, it was eventually led by Martin disciple Paulo Romeiro.
In 1987 ''Forward'' was revamped as ''Christian Research Journal'', which was initially devised as a triennial publication. In 1990, the journal was enlarged in size and became a quarterly publication, and has since become a monthly periodical. The ''Christian Research Journal'' has won several awards of excellence from the
Evangelical Press Association
The Evangelical Press Association is a professional association serving the Christian periodical publishing industry, including magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and content-rich websites. Its members produce some 200 periodical titles with a co ...
. The journal now covers a wider range of issues in addition to cults, such as general apologetics, ethical apologetics,
world religions
World religions is a category used in the study of religion to demarcate the five—and in some cases more—largest and most internationally widespread religious movements. Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are always includ ...
, and theological controversies. It also includes contributed essays by authors who are not staff members with CRI.
Ministry post-1989
On June 26, 1989,
Martin Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austral ...
died at his home of a heart attack at age 60. The news of Martin's death was reported in various Christian periodicals.
Hank Hanegraaff
Hendrik "Hank" Hanegraaff (born 1950), also known as the "Bible Answer Man", is an American Christian author and radio talk-show host. Formerly an evangelical Protestant, he joined the Eastern Orthodox Church in 2017. He is an outspoken figure wi ...
succeeded Martin as the ministry's president.
Both at the time of Martin's death and then in the immediate years to follow, a number of staff researchers associated with CRI began to emerge as authors of various
countercult apologetics books. These authors included
Richard Abanes
Richard Abanes (; born October 13, 1961) is an American writer and actor. As an author/journalist, Abanes specializes in the area of socio-religious issues, cults, the occult, world religions, the entertainment industry, and pop culture. Since 199 ...
,
Robert M. Bowman, Erwin M. de Castro, Craig Hawkins, Robert J. Lyle, Elliot Miller, B. J. Oropeza, Ron Rhodes, and Kenneth Samples. Many of these authors left CRI and started their own organizations or joined others.
Controversies
Countercult apologetics
Due to the controversial nature of the
Christian countercult movement
The Christian countercult movement or the Christian anti-cult movement is a social movement among certain Protestant evangelical and fundamentalist and other Christian ministries ("discernment ministries") and individual activists who oppose r ...
, both
Martin Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austral ...
and CRI have been involved in various theological and social conflicts. During Martin's lifetime a variety of conflicts erupted between himself and various leaders of religious groups, but especially with
Mormons
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
. These clashes sometimes led to public debates and even a lawsuit filed by Martin for alleged
defamation
Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
.
For a short time in the late 1970s CRI and Martin were involved in a controversy over claims that apologists had located part of the manuscript of the
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...
, which allegedly had been
plagiarized
Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...
from a novel by
Solomon Spaulding
Solomon Spalding (February 20, 1761 – October 20, 1816) was an American author who wrote two related texts: an unfinished manuscript entitled ''Manuscript Story – Conneaut Creek'', and an unpublished historical romance about the lost civilizati ...
. The case was argued in a book, ''Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon?'' by Wayne Cowdrey, Howard Davis and Donald Scales. However, the case was seriously questioned by
Christian apologists
Christian apologetics ( grc, ἀπολογία, "verbal defense, speech in defense") is a branch of Christian theology that defends Christianity.
Christian apologetics has taken many forms over the centuries, starting with Paul the Apostle in ...
and Mormonism critics
Jerald and Sandra Tanner
Jerald Dee Tanner (June 1, 1938 – October 1, 2006) and Sandra McGee Tanner (born January 14, 1941) are American writers and researchers who publish archival and evidential materials about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Sa ...
in ''Did Spaulding Write the Book of Mormon?'' It was also rebutted by
Mormon apologists
Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
Robert and Rosemary Brown in volume two of their series of books ''They Lie in Wait to Deceive''. Edward Plowman reported on the CRI claims in ''
Christianity Today
''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...
'' magazine in July 1977, and then in October 1977 updated his report with evidence that pointed to the collapse in credibility of the claims.
A book entitled ''Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon? – The Spalding Enigma'' (
Concordia Publishing House
Concordia Publishing House (CPH), founded in 1869, is the official publishing arm of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). Headquartered in St Louis, Missouri, at 3558 S. Jefferson Avenue, CPH publishes the synod's official monthly magaz ...
, July 2005) attempts to revive the original argument. Co-authors Cowdrey, Davis, and Vanick attempt to show that
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon (February 19, 1793 – July 14, 1876) was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.
Biography Early life
Rigdon was born in St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on February 19, 1793. He was ...
did in fact visit
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, the last residence of Spalding, before 1820. A paper authored by
LDS
LDS may refer to:
Organizations
* LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, US Religion
* Latter Day Saint movement (LDS movement), a collection of independent church groups
**The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest group within t ...
affiliated research group
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. ThFoundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS)was established in 1979 as a ...
(FARMS) devoted nearly 130 pages to review the 2005 book and its claims.
Widow of CRI news editor William Alnor gives her account of the controversies involving Walter Martin and
Hank Hanegraaff
Hendrik "Hank" Hanegraaff (born 1950), also known as the "Bible Answer Man", is an American Christian author and radio talk-show host. Formerly an evangelical Protestant, he joined the Eastern Orthodox Church in 2017. He is an outspoken figure wi ...
in her account called, "Dueling Bible Answer Men" parts 1 and 2 by Jackie Alnor.
Financial accountability
The "Group for CRI Accountability," which included terminated employees, alleged that CRI's 1992 withdrawal from the
Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) is an American financial standards association representing Evangelical Christian organizations and churches, which qualify for tax-exempt, nonprofit status and receive tax-deductible co ...
(ECFA) was to avoid restrictions on financial dealings with its chief executive,
Hank Hanegraaff
Hendrik "Hank" Hanegraaff (born 1950), also known as the "Bible Answer Man", is an American Christian author and radio talk-show host. Formerly an evangelical Protestant, he joined the Eastern Orthodox Church in 2017. He is an outspoken figure wi ...
. After it had rejoined, a 2003 ECFA audit found CRI to be out of compliance with a number of financial standards. This resulted in sanctions requiring that "the board of directors be strengthened" and a "significant reimbursement" be made to CRI.
Ministry Watch
Ministry Watch is an independent American evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the cent ...
issued a Donor Alert in 2004 regarding CRI's failure to respond to repeated requests to explain corrective steps it has taken in regard to findings of violations of three of ECFA’s Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship.
Conversion of Hank Hanegraff to Eastern Orthodoxy
CRI President
Hank Hanegraff was
baptized
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
into the
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
church on
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Holy ...
, April 9, 2017. In a subsequent broadcast Hanegraff responded to charges that he had "walked away from the Christian faith" due to his departure from
Protestant Christianity
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
. "If I have caused any to stumble I humbly ask for forgiveness. My purpose in reading this is not so much to respond to anyone, but to reassure... I have never been more deeply in love with the Lord Jesus Christ and his body the church." CRI has defended the Eastern Orthodox doctrine of
theosis in a video on the CRI website. Hanegraff's conversion has raised questions among evangelicals, who point to major differences between Eastern Orthodoxy and evangelical Protestantism.
References
External links
Christian Research Institute(covers publications from 1977–1997)
{{Authority control
Christian countercult organizations
Political organizations based in the United States
Critics of Mormonism
Evangelical parachurch organizations
Christian organizations established in 1960
1960 establishments in New Jersey
Christian charities based in the United States
Charities based in New Jersey