At a “Skis & Skeptics” retreat during my junior year at prep school, I committed my life to Christ and began a serious Christian walk. Soon after, friends confronted me with a pile of books. “Now that you’re a Christian,” they said, “you’ll want to read these.”

The pile included works by C. S. Lewis, Francis Shaeffer, John Stott, J.I. Packer, and Os Guinness as well as Scripture Union’s daily Bible reading guide, Encounter with God.

“Is this what Christians do?” I asked.

“Yes,” they answered, "this is what Christians do." And not knowing anything better, I began reading, thinking, and writing.

As it turned out, their answer was more wishful thinking than fact. Nonetheless their encouragement was the genesis of what has become my passion: developing a Christian Heart (spirituality)  and a Christian Mind (worldview) in myself and in others.

At Bates College in Maine, I majored in philosophy—Martin Heidegger in one hand, Francis Shaeffer in the other. Then I received my Master of Divinity and later my Doctor of Ministry in Christian Spirituality at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Over the years I’ve worked in business, done youth ministry with  FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities & Schools),  and pastored a church in California’s Silicon Valley. Then for nearly five years I worked with Chuck Colson, managing his daily BreakPoint radio commentary, founding a magazine, writing, speaking, and developing curriculum including the Centurions Program, an adult distance-learning program in Christian worldview.

Since then I have been associated with the Institute on Religion & Democracy—first as president and now as a scholar. My focus is the intersection between faith and the public square, space where worldview makes all the difference in the world.

I have also joined The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation as a Senior Fellow and will be blogging there regularly.

My speaking experience includes preaching, congressional testimony, lectures, small groups, and retreats. I have spoken and written extensively on prayer, work and vocation, Christian worldview, faith and politics, environmentalism, bioethics, human life, and religious liberty.

I am available to speak at churches, retreats, conferences, banquets, campuses, and to other groups. Requests can be made using the Contact page of this website.

My wife, Dottie, and I just celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. We have one son, Jon who is married to Emily and living in Wyoming. I am an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and we attend McLean Presbyterian Church in Northern Virginia. As a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, I affirm the Westminster Confession of Faith.

At rest I love skiing, golf, fly fishing, jazz guitar, cooking (and eating), literature, laughing, and Maine.