Erwin Lutzer
Encyclopedia
Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer is an evangelical
Christian
pastor
, teacher and author. He is currently the senior pastor of Moody Church
, in Chicago
, Illinois
.
, from 1971 to 1977. During that time he completed an M.A.
in Philosophy
from Loyola University Chicago
. He then entered the PhD
program at Loyola to pursue a doctorate in Philosophy. In subsequent years, Lutzer has received two honorary
doctorates, an LL.D.
from Simon Greenleaf School of Law and a Doctor of Divinity
from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary.
, in Chicago's Lincoln Park
neighborhood. The church and its ministries have grown significantly under his leadership, leading to the construction of a new Christian Life Center to complement the existing 75-year-old building.
and across the world through the Internet
. Sunday morning services at the church are streamed live, worldwide, through the church's website. Lutzer speaks internationally at churches, conferences and retreats.
and the bestselling One Minute After You Die: A Preview of Your Final Destination. More recently, Lutzer’s book critiquing Dan Brown
’s best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code
, entitled The Da Vinci Deception, was featured on national broadcasts in both secular and Christian markets.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, teacher and author. He is currently the senior pastor of Moody Church
Moody Church
The Moody Church is a historic Protestant church in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. right|thumb|270px|-Building:...
, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Career
Dr. Lutzer served as senior pastor of Edgewater Baptist Church, ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, from 1971 to 1977. During that time he completed an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
. He then entered the PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
program at Loyola to pursue a doctorate in Philosophy. In subsequent years, Lutzer has received two honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
doctorates, an LL.D.
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
from Simon Greenleaf School of Law and a Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary.
Moody Church
Since January 1980, Lutzer has been the senior pastor of Moody ChurchMoody Church
The Moody Church is a historic Protestant church in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. right|thumb|270px|-Building:...
, in Chicago's Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park, Chicago
Lincoln Park, is one of the 77 community areas on Chicago, Illinois North Side, USA. Named after Lincoln Park, a vast park bordering Lake Michigan, the community area is anchored by the Lincoln Park Zoo and DePaul University...
neighborhood. The church and its ministries have grown significantly under his leadership, leading to the construction of a new Christian Life Center to complement the existing 75-year-old building.
Radio
Dr. Lutzer is the speaker on three radio broadcasts: "Songs in the Night," "Running to Win" and "The Moody Church Hour." These broadcasts are heard on radio stations across the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and across the world through the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Sunday morning services at the church are streamed live, worldwide, through the church's website. Lutzer speaks internationally at churches, conferences and retreats.
Author
Dr. Lutzer has authored more than 30 books, including Hitler’s Cross, which won a Gold Medallion award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers AssociationEvangelical Christian Publishers Association
The is an international non-profit trade association whose member companies are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide...
and the bestselling One Minute After You Die: A Preview of Your Final Destination. More recently, Lutzer’s book critiquing Dan Brown
Dan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
’s best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
, entitled The Da Vinci Deception, was featured on national broadcasts in both secular and Christian markets.
Legal Issue
In a decision of December 30, 2010, Erwin Lutzer was found liable by the Illinois Appellate Court, which awarded the plaintiff, Richard Duncan (a former pastor of Moody Church who had resigned in 1992), the sum of $276, 306 in damages http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:MgjMav52u8oJ:www.state.il.us/court/Opinions/AppellateCourt/2010/2ndDistrict/December/2091078.pdf+vs.+bervin+peterson&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShNg0lgHCbReyjongmgk7iVgFfuU-7FSO2ompCzOphEDIZYUTZOpOKKpQ3IIX5gmNrZe_YL4oY_JQazuBJ7889K21r9BOrYXA7FmtrLPZ5i9JC3bYhATR18OU_S8lspokEwedDx&sig=AHIEtbQ4w4z2IB_vbsy11aCiqAjv6KNj3Q. The complaint against Pastor Lutzer claimed invasion of privacy. It was filed subsequent to Pastor Lutzer having sent a number of personal documents relating to Duncan’s alleged marital and personal problems to the senior clergy of the plaintiff’s new church.Works
- One Minute After You Die: A Preview of Your Final Destination, ISBN 0-8024-6322-3
- The Da Vinci Deception, ISBN 0-8423-8430-8
- Jesus, Lover of a Woman’s Soul (with Rebecca Lutzer), ISBN 0-8423-8426-X
- Christ Among Other gods, ISBN 0-8024-1649-7
- How to Say No to a Stubborn Habit, ISBN 1-56476-331-5
- Hitler’s Cross, ISBN 0-8024-3583-1
- The Doctrines that Divide, ISBN 0-8254-3165-4
- Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible, ISBN 0-8024-8439-5
- The Vanishing Power Of Death : Conquering Your Greatest Fear, ISBN 0-8024-0945-8
- The Truth About Same-sex Marriage : 6 Things You Need To Know About What's Really At Stake, ISBN 1-5964-4160-7
- Where Was God? : Answers to Tough Questions About God And Natural Disasters, ISBN 1-4143-1144-3
- Is God on America's Side?: The Surprising Answer and Why it Matters During This Election Season, ISBN 0-8024-8951-6
- Oprah, Miracles, and the New Earth : A Critique, ISBN 0-8024-8953-2