Ernest Calvin Beisner (born 6 December 1955) is an American Christian interdisciplinary scholar and writer in the fields of theology, Christian apologetics, church history, political philosophy, and environmental ethics and stewardship. He is the founder and national spokesman of the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. Beisner earned a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Religion and Philosophy from the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

in 1978, an M.A. in Society with Specialization in Economic Ethics from

International College, Los Angeles International College, a small, private, non-traditional and unaccredited college, was founded in Los Angeles in the early 1970s by Linden G. Leavitt. It was licensed to issue degrees by the California State Department of Education and its degrees ...

in 1983, and a Ph.D. in Scottish History with a dissertation on the life and political thought of the 17th-century Scottish Covenanter lawyer and politician Sir James Stewart of Goodtrees (1635-1713) from the

University of St. Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

in 2003. He taught interdisciplinary studies at

Covenant College Covenant College is a private, liberal arts, Christian college in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, located near Chattanooga, Tennessee. As the college of the Presbyterian Church in America, Covenant teaches subjects from a Reformed theological w ...

from 1992 to 2000 and historical theology and social ethics at Knox Theological Seminary from 2000 to 2008. He has been a fellow of the

Institute on Religion and Democracy The Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) is an American Christian conservative think tank that promotes its views among mainline Protestant churches, as well as advocating for its values in the public square. Its critics claim that it has bee ...

and an adjunct fellow of the

Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty is an American research and educational institution, or think tank, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, (with an office in Rome) whose stated mission is "to promote a free and virtuous society ch ...

. Beisner has been an elder in both the

Presbyterian Church in America The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is the second-largest Presbyterian church body, behind the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the largest conservative Calvinist denomination in the United States. The PCA is Reformed in theology and presb ...

and the

Orthodox Presbyterian Church The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) is a confessional Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States, with additional congregations in Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. It was founded by conservative members of the Presbyter ...

, and is a former editor of ''Discipleship Journal''.
Beisner believes
that environmental stewardship consistent with Christian worldview, theology, and ethics involves people working together to enhance the fruitfulness, the beauty, and the safety of the earth, to the glory of God and the benefit of their neighbors, thus addressing the two Great Commandments to love God and to love neighbor. The Heritage Foundation gave him th
"Outstanding Spokesperson for Faith, Science, and Stewardship"
award at the Heartland Institute's Ninth International Conference on Climate Change in 2014. Hi
biography at the Cornwall Alliance's website
states that he has lectured at universities, seminaries, conferences, and churches in North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia; testified as an expert witness on the ethics and

economics of climate change The economics of climate change concerns the economic aspects of climate change; this can inform policies that governments might consider in response. A number of factors make this and the politics of climate change a difficult problem: it is a l ...

and climate and energy policy before committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives; briefed the White House Council on Environmental Policy; and presented a paper to a scholarly colloquium on climate change of the Pontifical Institute for Justice and Peace at the Vatican in Rome in 2007. He is a frequent guest on Christian secular radio talk shows.

Bibliography

* ''The Teachings of Witness Lee and the Local Church'', 1977 * ''Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?'', 1980 * ''God in Three Persons'', 1984, 2004 * ''Answers for Atheists, Agnostics, and Other Thoughtful Skeptics'', 1985, 1993 (also published in Russian, Estonian, and Korean) * ''Psalms of Promise: Celebrating the Majesty and Faithfulness of God'', 1988, 1994 * ''Prosperity and Poverty: The Compassionate Use of Resources in a World of Scarcity'', 1988, 2001 * ''Prospects for Growth: A Biblical View of Population, Resources, and the Future'', 1990, 2004 * ''Man, Economy, and the Environment in Biblical Perspective: The 1991 Staley Distinguished Christian Scholar Lectures at Covenant College'', 1994 * ''Evangelical Heathenism: Examining Contemporary Revivalism'', 1996 * ''Where Garden Meets Wilderness: Evangelical Entry into the Environmental Debate'', 1997 * ''"Jesus Only" Churches'', 1998 * ''What Is the Most Important Environmental Task Facing American Christians Today?'', 2008, revised 2014 * ''Social Justice vs. Biblical Justice: How Good Intentions Undermine Justice and Gospel'', 2013, revised 2018 * ''What Can Theology Say to Science about Climate Change?'', 2014 * ''Is Capitalism Bad for the Environment?'', 2017

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beisner, E. Calvin Living people 1955 births American Christian theologians University of Southern California alumni Alumni of the University of St Andrews Editors of Christian publications