John Piper American theologian, Calvinist-Baptist minister and writer. Date of Birth: 11.01.1946 Country: USA

1. Biography of John Piper
2. Early Life and Education
3. Ministry and Writing Career
4. Christian Hedonism and Theology

Biography of John Piper

John Piper is an American theologian, Calvinistic Baptist minister, and writer. He served as a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota for 33 years. Many of his books have been honored with the Christian Book Award, including 'Spectacular Sins', 'What Jesus Demands from the World', 'Pierced by the Word', 'God's Passion for His Glory', and the best-selling books 'Don't Waste Your Life' and 'The Passion of Jesus Christ'. The evangelical organization 'Desiring God' was named after his book 'Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist', published in 1986.

Early Life and Education

John Piper was born on January 11, 1946, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His father was an itinerant preacher, and the family frequently moved from place to place. Eventually, the Pipers settled in Greenville, South Carolina, where John and his older sister completed their schooling. Piper initially planned to study medicine in college but decided to become a minister during an illness. He attended Wheaton College from 1964 to 1968, studying literature and philosophy. Romantic literature awakened a poetic gift in John, and he now writes poems for special family celebrations and composes narrative poems based on the lives of biblical characters for his congregation during the four weeks of Advent.

Ministry and Writing Career

Piper earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and defended his doctoral degree in the New Testament at the University of Munich, Germany, from 1971 to 1974. His dissertation, 'Love Your Enemies', was published by Cambridge University Press. After completing his doctorate, Piper studied the Bible at Bethel University and Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from 1974 to 1980.

In 1980, Piper became the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and served in that role for 33 years until March 31, 2013. He burst onto the evangelical scene after the publication of his book 'Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist' in 1986 and has since continued to publish numerous works. In 1994, he founded the religious organization 'Desiring God Ministries', which distributes his articles and books, organizes conferences and seminars, and more.

Piper took an eight-month sabbatical from his church ministry from May 1, 2010, to January 9, 2011. In June 2011, he announced his intention to step down as pastor, but the candidate for his successor was only named in March 2012. Jason Meyer became his successor in May. On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013, Piper delivered his final sermon as the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church. In an open letter to his congregation, he shared his plans to relocate to Tennessee so that the new church leadership could develop their own strategy without his presence.

Christian Hedonism and Theology

In his theological views, John Piper adheres to the concept of Christian hedonism and teaches that "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" and that the highest pursuit of God (His glory) and the deepest and longest-lasting happiness of humans are united in one pursuit, namely, the pursuit of joy in God.