R. C. Sproul facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
R. C. Sproul
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| Born |
Robert Charles Sproul
February 13, 1939 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | December 14, 2017 (aged 78) Altamonte Springs, Florida, U.S.
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| Education | Westminster College Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Whitefield Theological Seminary |
| Occupation | Professor, pastor |
| Spouse(s) |
Vesta Ann Voorhis
(m. 1960) |
| Children | 2, including R. C. Sproul Jr. |
| Theological work | |
| Tradition or movement | Reformed |
| Main interests | Classical apologetics Systematic theology Biblical Inerrancy |
Robert Charles Sproul (/sproʊl/ sprohl; February 13, 1939 – December 14, 2017) was an American theologian and a pastor. He was a follower of Calvinism, a branch of Protestant Christianity. He was also the person who started Ligonier Ministries. This organization was named after the Ligonier Valley near Pittsburgh, where it began.
Sproul's teachings were heard daily on his radio show, Renewing Your Mind. This show was popular in the United States and other countries. He also helped create an important document called the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy in 1978. This statement talks about the Bible being without error. Many people remember Sproul for helping to bring back and explain Reformed theology in recent times.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Robert Charles Sproul was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the second child of Robert Cecil Sproul and Mayre Ann Sproul. His father was an accountant and fought in World War II.
When he was 15, Sproul had to stop playing high school sports. He did this to help support his family. He loved sports teams from Pittsburgh, like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sproul earned several college degrees. He studied at Westminster College, Pennsylvania (graduating in 1961). He also attended Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (1964), the Free University of Amsterdam (1969), and Whitefield Theological Seminary (2001).
He taught at many colleges and seminaries. These included Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Mississippi. He also taught at Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale.
One of Sproul's teachers and mentors was John Gerstner. They wrote a book together called Classical Apologetics in 1984. Sproul's ministry, Ligonier Ministries, also recorded Gerstner's lessons.
Family Life
R. C. Sproul married Vesta Voorhis in 1960. They had two children together. Their children were named Sherrie Dorotiak and Robert Craig Sproul.
In 1993, Sproul was a passenger on an Amtrak train. This train was involved in a crash called the 1993 Big Bayou Canot train wreck. He sometimes shared his experience from that event.
Career and Teachings
Ligonier Ministries holds several conferences each year. One of the main conferences is in Orlando, FL. Sproul was often a main speaker at these events.
He also served as a co-pastor at Saint Andrew's Chapel. This is a church in Sanford, Florida. He became an elder in the United Presbyterian Church in the USA in 1965. Later, around 1975, he joined the Presbyterian Church in America. He was also part of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
Sproul strongly supported Calvinism in his many books, audio, and video lessons. He taught that God is holy and has complete control over everything. This was a key idea in his Renewing Your Mind lessons. He also believed that headcovering should be practiced in churches.
Sproul was a critic of the Catholic Church. He spoke out against a document from 1994 called Evangelicals and Catholics Together.
In 2003, a special book was published to honor him. It was called After Darkness, Light: Essays in Honor of R. C. Sproul. Many other important theologians wrote parts of this book.
Health and Passing
On April 18, 2015, Sproul had a stroke. He was taken to the hospital. Five days later, on April 23, he went home. He did not have any lasting problems from the stroke. However, doctors found that he had diabetes. This condition needed to be managed with diet and medical care.
Sproul had smoked cigarettes for a long time. Because of this, he suffered from a lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. On December 2, 2017, he was hospitalized because he had trouble breathing. This was due to an infection that made his lung condition worse, likely from the flu.
After 12 days in the hospital, Sproul passed away on December 14, 2017. He was 78 years old.
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See also
In Spanish: R. C. Sproul para niños
