Charles Caldwell Ryrie facts for kids

Charles Caldwell Ryrie (born March 2, 1925 – died February 16, 2016) was an important American Bible scholar and Christian teacher. He taught at Dallas Theological Seminary and was also a president at what is now Cairn University. Many people think he was one of the most important American theologians of the 1900s.

Ryrie was the editor of The Ryrie Study Bible. This special Bible includes more than 10,000 notes written by him. It was first published in 1978 and has sold over 2 million copies. He was a strong supporter of a Christian belief system called dispensationalism.

Early Life and Education

Charles Ryrie was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up in Alton, Illinois. His family had a long history of Christian faith. His grandfather helped start one of the earliest Plymouth Brethren churches in the United States. This church began in Alton in 1849.

After finishing high school in 1942, Charles went to The Stony Brook School. He then attended Haverford College. He first planned to work in banking, like his father. However, during college, he met Lewis Sperry Chafer. Chafer was the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary. After this meeting, Ryrie decided to dedicate his life to Christian ministry.

He left Haverford to study theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. Haverford College still gave him his bachelor's degree in 1946. He earned his Master of Theology (Th.M.) in 1947. Two years later, he received his Th.D. in 1949. He continued his studies and earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from the University of Edinburgh in 1954. He also received another degree, a Litt.D., from Liberty University School of Divinity.

Dr. Ryrie had three children and three grandchildren.

Teaching Career and Books

Ryrie started his teaching career at Midwest Bible and Missionary Institute. This school later became part of Calvary Bible College. In 1948, he joined Westmont College. There, he became the dean of men and led the Department of Biblical Studies and Philosophy.

He returned to Dallas Theological Seminary in 1953. He taught systematic theology there. For a few years, from 1958 to 1962, he served as president of Philadelphia Biblical University (now Cairn University). He also taught as an adjunct faculty member at Cairn University from 1991 to 2001.

After returning to Dallas Theological Seminary again, he became the dean of doctoral studies. He held this position until he retired in 1983. Charles Ryrie wrote 32 books during his career. These books have sold over 1.5 million copies. His famous study Bible has sold more than 2.6 million copies.

Ryrie was also a big collector of rare Bibles and old Bible manuscripts. In 2016, his collection was sold for a lot of money. A very old copy of a Wycliffe's Bible New Testament from the 1400s sold for over $1.6 million at an auction.

Death

Charles Caldwell Ryrie passed away on February 16, 2016. He died in Dallas, Texas.

See also

In Spanish: Charles C. Ryrie para niños