Monday Morning Quarterbacking--"Greg Bahnsen: The Man Atheists Feared Most" by Mike Robinson

The late Dr. Greg Bahnsen died much too young.  He was a dynamo of a scholar, author, pastor and debater.  Bahnsen graduated from Westmont College, Westminster Seminary before earning a Ph.D. in philosophy under Dallas Willard at USC.  His books on apologetics and his debates are legendary for the few of us who follow such things.  

Bahnsen died in 1995 at the young age of 47 from complications from heart surgery. He suffered from health problems his whole life including diabetes and cardiac ailments.  Yet, one would never guess that he ever had a sick day in his life watching him cut down atheists on debate stage after debate stage.  

Neither would one conjecture listening or reading or watching him that he lived a turbulent life.  Other than constantly wrestling with illness, his wife was unfaithful and eventually left him and he had a contentious relationship with colleagues leading to a short stint as a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.  

Despite living a life that movies are made of (and Bahnsen, like me, was a film buff), little has been written about the man's life.  Mike Robinson took up the challenge even though he admits near the end of his work that he felt unworthy of such a task and pleads for others to take up the mantle.  Robinson's book, "The Man Atheists Feared Most," is not perfect--his fanboy side shines through, he doesn't spend as much time on his subject's personal life and he is often too repetitive but for a fan of Dr. Bahnsen, like myself, it is a welcome addition if only available via a digital format.  

Yet, the author left me wanting more and not in a bad way.  I do hope others take up his plea and possibly even consider taking a comprehensive biography of the Dr. Bahnsen and turning into a film (are my buddies in Scottsdale at Pure Flix listening?).  I don't want to lapse too far into fan boy territory myself, but I truly want to know more about the man and his work.  Like me, he was not only obsessed with philosophy, theology, apologetics and politics but also movies and classic rock (what I wouldn't give to have coffee with the dude!).  I revel in the man's work but also want to know what his favorite movie was and favorite band, etc.  Let's hope others take up this call.  

"Greg Bahnsen: The Man Atheists Feared Most" is available from Amazon.com via Kindle for $9.95.  I recommend it.