Veritas International University (VIU) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Christian university A Christian college is an educational institution or part of an educational institute dedicated to the integration of Christian faith and learning in traditional academic fields. Christian colleges in the United States Many Christian colleg ...

located in Santa Ana, California. Founded in 2008, the university began as a seminary before transitioning to a university with the addition of undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. The university now offers doctoral degrees as well.

History

Veritas International University was established by

Norman Geisler Norman Leo Geisler (July 21, 1932 – July 1, 2019) was an American Christian systematic theologian and philosopher. He was the co-founder of two non-denominational evangelical seminaries ( Veritas International University and Southern Evange ...

and Pastor Joseph Holden in 2008 as Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Santa Ana, California. The founders envisioned a school which would become like

Southern Evangelical Seminary Southern Evangelical Seminary is a Christian college in Matthews, North Carolina, United States. History The seminary was established in 1992 by Norman Geisler and Ross Rhoads. The college, Southern Evangelical Bible College (SEBC), was esta ...

for the western U.S. Beginning with the objective to train Christian leaders specializing in classical

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 ...

, the seminary expanded its programs to include various degree offerings, including

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

, Biblical History, Education, and Theology. The name change to Veritas International University was approved in late 2017, and implemented in January 2018. Veritas International University was accredited in 2014 by the

Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools The Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) is a U.S. based institutional accreditation organization that focuses on Christian colleges, universities, and seminaries seeking collegiate accreditation in the United Stat ...

(TRACS), and is recognized by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Departmen ...

Academics

Veritas International University has nine-degree programs, held within three schools: Veritas College & Seminary, VIU School of Archaeology, and the VIU Norman L. Geisler School of Apologetics. Each school is part of the university, emphasizing their respective areas of study that includes Christian studies, biblical studies, theological studies,

Near Eastern archaeology Near Eastern archaeology is a regional branch of the wider, global discipline of archaeology. It refers generally to the excavation and study of artifacts and material culture of the Near East from antiquity to the recent past. Definition The ...

and biblical history, apologetics, and pastoral studies. ''The Best Schools and Colleges'' ranked Veritas International University's graduate program in Christian apologetics as the sixth best in the United States.

Doctrinal stance

Veritas International University has an evangelical doctrinal statement that emphasizes "three legs" of biblical authority: inspiration,

infallibility Infallibility refers to an inability to be wrong. It can be applied within a specific domain, or it can be used as a more general adjective. The term has significance in both epistemology and theology, and its meaning and significance in both fi ...

, and

biblical inerrancy Biblical inerrancy is the belief that the Bible "is without error or fault in all its teaching"; or, at least, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact". Some equate inerrancy with biblical ...

. In addition to its approach to biblical studies, Veritas maintains a focus on classical theology, apologetics, and

Thomistic philosophy Thomism is the philosophical and theological school that arose as a legacy of the work and thought of Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), the Dominican philosopher, theologian, and Doctor of the Church. In philosophy, Aquinas' disputed questions ...

Campus

Veritas International University's main campus is in Santa Ana, California with a satellite teaching site in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Notable Current and Former Faculty

* Steven Collins, author and archaeologist *

, author, theologian *

Skip Heitzig Skip Heitzig (born 1955) is the American founder and senior pastor of Calvary Church, a Calvary Chapel fellowship located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Personal A native of Southern California, Heitzig has three siblings (his brother, Bob, died in a ...

, pastor and author *Joseph Holden, Current President & Co-Founder. Additionally serves as Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Temecula Valley and Adjunct Faculty at

Calvary Chapel Bible College Calvary Chapel Bible College is an unaccredited evangelical Christian Biblical studies college located at 26409 CA-189 in Twin Peaks, California. The campus relocated to Murrieta Hot Springs in Murrieta, California from 1994 to 2022 before retu ...

Daniel Janosik Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

, Islamic Expert

External links

Official website

References

{{authority control Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Education in Santa Ana, California Universities and colleges in Orange County, California Educational institutions established in 2008 Seminaries and theological colleges in California 2008 establishments in California