J. I. Packer

James Innell Packer (born July 22, 1926 in Gloucester, England) is a British-born Canadian Christian theologian in the Calvinist/Reformed tradition. He currently serves as the Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is considered to be one of the most important evangelical theologians of the late 20th century. Packer also served as general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible.

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July 22 - 1926 - Gloucester - England - Christian theologian - Calvinist/Reformed - Regent College - Vancouver - British Columbia - Evangelical - English Standard Version

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The son of a clerk for the Great Western Railway, Packer won a scholarship to Oxford University. It was as a student at Oxford where he first met C.S. Lewis whose teachings would become a major influence in his life. In a meeting of the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, Packer committed his life to Christian service.

Related Topics:
Great Western Railway - Oxford University - C.S. Lewis - Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union

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After briefly teaching Greek at Oak Hill College in London, Packer entered Wycliffe Hall to study theology and was ordained a priest in the Church of England. He became recognized as a leader in the Evangelical movement in the Church of England. In 1978, he signed the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, which affirmed the conservative position on Biblical inerrancy.

Related Topics:
Greek - London - Ordained - Church of England - Evangelical movement - Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy - Biblical inerrancy

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In 1979, Packer moved to Vancouver to take up a position with Regent College. A prolific writer and frequent lecturer, Packer is widely regarded in Protestant circles as one of the most important theologians and church historians of the modern era. He is a frequent contributor to and an executive editor of Christianity Today. In recent years, he has become an outspoken proponent of the ecumenical movement but believes that unity should not come at the expense of abandoning orthodox Protestant doctrine. Nonetheless, his advocacy of ecumenicism has brought sharp criticism from some conservatives.

Related Topics:
Christianity Today - Ecumenical movement - Orthodox

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Packer served as general editor for the English Standard Version, an Evangelical revision of the Revised Standard Version.

Related Topics:
English Standard Version - Revised Standard Version

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