Dr. Craig Keener, Asbury Theological Seminary F.M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, received first place in Christianity Today’s 2020 book awards in the biblical studies category.

In his book Christobiography: Memory, History, and the Reliability of the Gospels, Dr. Keener’s book shows how the gospel writers followed the literary practices of writers in their day. His book explores the nature of ancient biography and urges readers to appreciate the writers’ method and degree of accuracy in recounting the ministry of Jesus.

“Critics sometimes pounce on variations among the Gospels to challenge their overall reliability,” Keener said. “Some defenders ignore the variations. But the degree of variation, paraphrase, rearrangement and so on matches what ancient readers expected in reliable biographies—an expectation to which both critics and defenders have sometimes failed to pay attention.”

“We are extremely proud of Dr. Keener and honored to have such an esteemed professor  on our faculty,” said Dr. Timothy C. Tennent, President of Asbury Theological Seminary. “Dr. Keener’s scholarship and heart for the church and its mission is evident throughout his work.”

Dr. Keener has authored 28 books, six of which have won book awards in Christianity  Today. His IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (1993), now in its  second revised edition (2014), has sold more than half a million copies.

He is married to Médine Moussounga Keener, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of  Paris 7. She was a refugee for 18 months in her nation of Congo. Together, they write and speak on the issues of racism, ethnicity and reconciliation in Africa and the U.S. Craig is current president of the Evangelical Theological Society.

In October, Christianity Today interviewed Dr. Keener about his book. Read the full article on their website.