John Stephen Piper (born January 11, 1946, Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a Reformed Baptist minister, author, and theologian, currently serving as senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He oversees the evangelical organization Desiring God, which is named after his book Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (1986). Biography Piper was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Bill and Ruth Piper. When he and his older sister were still young, the Pipers moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he spent the rest of his youth and graduated from Wade Hampton High School. His father was an itinerant evangelist who actively ministered through international radio and Bible courses until his death in March 6, 2007.Things I Have Learned Piper has written a tribute to his mother, who died in 1974, in the booklet, What's the Difference? (Crossway Books, 1990) which is also chapter one of the book, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Crossway Books, 1991). On January 11, 2006, Piper announced that the month beforehand, he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to a letter sent to his church, he and his doctors believe that the cancer is fully treatable. Piper's reaction to his diagnosis was: "This news has, of course, been good for me. The most dangerous thing in the world is the sin of self-reliance and the stupor of worldliness. The news of cancer has a wonderfully blasting effect on both. I thank God for that. The times with Christ in these days have been unusually sweet." He married Noël Henry in 1968, and together they have four sons, a daughter, and several grandchildren. Education Piper attended Wheaton College (1964-68), where he majored in literature and minored in philosophy. Studying Romantic Literature with Clyde Kilby stimulated the poetic side of his nature and today he regularly writes poems to celebrate special family occasions as well as composing story-poems (based on the life of a Biblical character) for his congregation during the four weeks of Advent each year. Following college, he completed a Bachelor of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (1968-71). While at Fuller, he took as many courses as he could from Daniel Fuller, the most influential living teacher in his life, and through Fuller he discovered the writings of Jonathan Edwards, his most influential non-living teacher. Piper did his doctoral work in New Testament Studies at the University of Munich, Munich, West Germany (1971-74). His dissertation, Love Your Enemies, was published by Cambridge University Press and Baker Book House. Upon completion of his doctorate he went on to teach Biblical Studies at Bethel University and Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for six years (1974-80). Ministry In 1980, after what he described as an irresistible call of the Lord to preach, Piper became Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he has been ministering ever since. Piper was catapulted onto the evangelical scene after the publication of his book Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (1986) and has continued to publish a number of other books further articulating his theological perspective. In 1994 he founded Desiring God Ministries as a ministry of his church to provide all of Piper's sermons and articles from the last 27 years online for free, as well as offering books, CDs, and DVDs and regularly hosting conferences. Feature: The Gospel in 6 Minutes. Piper's motto in ministry, preaching, and teaching is: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him," and he calls those who live out this motto Christian Hedonists. Piper places a heavy emphasis on the objective and absolute nature of truth and is confident in the Christian's ability to grasp that truth through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. According to Piper, those who do not know Christ do not possess the truth or eternal life. His work sharply divides between conservatives and liberals, condemning the alleged "relativism" of the latter. Theological views Christian hedonism Piper promotes the idea of eudaimonism, a philosophy that defines right action as that which leads to "well being." He derived this position from the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Blaise Pascal, and C.S. Lewis among others. He calls it Christian hedonism. Calvinism Piper is a Reformed Baptist and holds to a Calvinist soteriology. Gender roles Piper holds to a complementarian view of gender roles, and he helped edit Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood with Wayne Grudem. Miscellaneous Piper holds to an abstentionist position on the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and he has said, "Total abstinence is the best way to treat alcohol today, but total abstinence should not be a requirement for membership in the local church." Selected works - Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Multnomah, 1986; 2nd edition, 1996, 3rd edition, 2003).
- The Pleasures of God (Multnomah, 1991; Expanded edition, 2000).
- Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions (Baker, 1993, 2nd Edition 2003).
- Future Grace, or, The Purifying Power of Living By Faith In Future Grace (Multnomah, 1995).
- Brothers, We Are Not Professionals (Broadman & Holman, 2002).
- Don't Waste Your Life (Crossway, 2003).
- When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy (Crossway, 2004).
- What Jesus Demands from the World (Crossway, 2006).
References - 2007 Christian Book Awards Winners - Christian Life category
- 2004 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners - Devotional category
- 1999 Gold Medallion Book Awards Winners - Theology/Doctrine category
- Christian Bestsellers List, August 2007
- Christian Bestsellers List, June 2004
- Things I Have Learned :: Desiring God Blog
- Cancer Update :: Desiring God Blog
- Poems by Date :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Desiring God :: God-centered resources from the ministry of John Piper
- Desiring God Blog
- We Want You to Be a Christian Hedonist! :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- I Baptize You with Water :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- What does Piper mean when he says he's a seven-point Calvinist? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Does James Contradict Paul? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Olympic Spirituality, Part 1 :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Letter to a Friend Concerning the So-Called "Lordship Salvation" :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Definitions and Observations Concerning the Second Coming of Christ :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- What Must Happen Before the Day of the Lord? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Did Israel Stumble in Order That They Might Fall? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- What Happens When You Die? The Dead Will Be Raised Imperishable :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- What does John Piper believe about dispensationalism, covenant theology, and new covenant theology? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Why Then the Law? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- What Does It Mean to Fulfill the Law in Romans 8:3-4 :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Hagar and Slavery Vs. Sarah and Freedom :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Israel and Us Reconciled in One Body :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Israel, Palestine and the Middle East :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Are Signs and Wonders for Today? :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Spiritual Gifts and the Sovereignty of God, Panel Discussion :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- The Authority and Nature of the Gift of Prophecy :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
- Recovering: Chapter 2
- Online Books by Title :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library
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