Dr. William Lane Craig Named Wheaton College Alumnus of the Year

Dr. William Lane Craig, an internationally known Christian philosopher and theologian, will be presented as Alumnus of the Year for Distinguished Service to Society 2014 by the Wheaton College Alumni Association during Alumni Weekend, May 9-10.

Craig, a 1971 graduate of Wheaton College, is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Professor of Philosophy at Houston Baptist University. The author or editor of more than 40 books, including his signature work, Reasonable Faith, Craig has debated influential atheists including Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. A 2013 profile in the Chronicle of Higher Education describes Craig as “Christian philosophy's boldest apostle.”

“Dr. Craig is a keen thinker and prolific writer on critical issues of philosophy and theology,” says Wheaton College Alumni Association Board President Kurt Tillman ’78. “His ability to converse on the loftiest concepts with the sharpest minds of our time, and then to make those concepts understandable and actionable for popular audiences, exemplifies the Wheaton ideals of integration of faith and learning and service for Christ and His Kingdom. For that reason, the Wheaton College Alumni Association sought to recognize his contribution to society with this award.”

Craig graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and communication from Wheaton College. He went on to earn master’s degrees in the philosophy of religion and church history and in the history of Christian thought from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Birmingham (England) and a doctorate in theology from the University of Munich.

In addition to his books, Craig has published articles in more than 100 articles in professional journals of philosophy and theology. In 2007, he founded the web-based ministry Reasonable Faith in order to provide an articulate and intelligent voice in defense of biblical Christianity in the public arena. Craig and his wife, Jan, have two adult children.