Eric Metaxas

Eric Metaxas
Eric Metaxas at Socrates in the City in 2022
Eric Metaxas at Socrates in the City in 2022
Born (1963-06-27) June 27, 1963 (age 61)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationAuthor, talk show host
Alma materYale University
Genre
Website
ericmetaxas.com Edit this at Wikidata
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Eric Metaxas (born June 27, 1963) is an American author, speaker, and conservative radio host. He has written three biographies, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery about William Wilberforce (2007), Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2011), and Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World (2017). He also published a memoir, Fish Out of Water: A Search for the Meaning of Life (2021) as well as several books, including If You Can Keep it (2017) and Letter to the American Church (2022). He has also written humor, children's books and scripts for VeggieTales.

Biography

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Metaxas was born in the New York City neighborhood of Astoria, Queens and grew up in Danbury, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale University (1984, B.A., English).[1][2] While there, he edited the Yale Record, the nation's oldest college humor magazine. Metaxas lives in Manhattan with his wife and daughter.[3] He is Greek on his father's side and German on his mother's; he was raised in a Greek Orthodox environment.[4]

Although he was raised in the Greek Orthodox Church and has not formally left the denomination (saying he has "great respect" for it), Metaxas has attended Calvary-St. George's Episcopal Church.[5][6] He has spoken at Times Square Church.[7] Metaxas describes himself as a "Mere Christian" in the words of C.S. Lewis. In 2007, he said his books "don't touch upon anything at all where Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians differ. They express just the basics of the faith, from a basic, ecumenical Christian viewpoint. They only talk about the Christian faith that they have agreement on."[5] In his book Martin Luther,[8] however, Metaxas criticized the political power structures that had emerged from the medieval Catholic Church and that it was only with Luther that the "true Gospel" was rescued "from under its crushing welter of ecclesiastical and political medieval structures."[8]

Writing

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Metaxas is the author of more than thirty children's books, including the bestsellers Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving[9] and It's Time to Sleep, My Love, illustrated by Nancy Tillman.[10] His books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages.

Metaxas's works If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty and Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life are both New York Times bestselling books.[11][12]

Metaxas's biography of Wilberforce, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, was the companion book to the 2006 film.[13]

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy was named the 2010 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Christian Book of the Year.[14] Bonhoeffer is a New York Times best seller, climbing to #1 in the e-book category.[15] It also won the 2011 John C. Pollock Award for Christian Biography awarded by Beeson Divinity School and a 2011 Christopher Award.[16][17] Although the book is popular in the United States among evangelical Christians, Bonhoeffer scholars have criticized Metaxas's book as unhistorical, theologically weak, and philosophically naive.[18] Professor of German history and Bonhoeffer scholar Richard Weikart, for example, credits his "engaging writing style," but claims Metaxas has a lack of intellectual background to interpret Bonhoeffer properly.[19] The biography has also been criticized by Bonhoeffer scholars Victoria Barnett[20] and Clifford Green.[18] Despite these widespread and substantial criticisms of his work by experts on Bonhoeffer, Metaxas' book has been praised by popular magazines as a "weighty, riveting analysis of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer" which "bring[s] Bonhoeffer and other characters to vivid life".[21][22]

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World became a New York Times bestselling book in October 2017 [23][24] and claimed a New York Times Editor's Pick in December 2017.[25] Carlos Eire gave the book a full page review in the New York Times, stating, "Metaxas knows how to tell a story and how to develop characters, and this talent makes his narrative at once gripping and accessible." But he also accused Metaxas of doing naive Whig history, portraying Luther as "a titanic figure who single-handedly slays the dragon of the Dark Ages, rescues God from an interpretive dungeon, invents individual freedom and ushers in modernity."[26] Catholic church historian John Vidmar writes that Metaxas ignored more than a century of scholarship on Luther in order to write a "sweeping and largely uncritical endorsement for Martin Luther." In order to reach his conclusions, Vidmar writes, "Metaxas needs to misunderstand, denigrate, and then caricature centuries of human effort and achievement in language that is colloquial, casual, and often flippant."[27]

If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty, released June 14, 2016.

Seven Women, released November 2016.[28]

Seven More Men, released in April 2020, is the sequel to Seven Men.[29]

Is Atheism Dead?, released October 19, 2021, is a response to the 1966 TIME cover Is God Dead?.[30]

Fish Out of Water: A Search for the Meaning of Life, released February 2, 2021.

Letter to the American Church, released September 20, 2022.

Other writing has been published in the Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.[31][32]

Political views

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Metaxas is a prominent supporter of Donald Trump.[33][34] In 2019, Metaxas published two children's books called Donald Builds the Wall and Donald Drains the Swamp in a series called "Donald the Caveman". Other characters in the book include those Metaxas has called "an angry little girl who looks a little bit like AOC" and "an angry, crazy old man who looks a little bit like a guy named Bernie."[35] In a November 2019 interview with Franklin Graham, Metaxas said that "screaming protesters" to Trump were "almost demonic".[36][37]

After the 2020 presidential election, Metaxas endorsed Donald Trump's claim that the election was tainted by voter fraud,[38] predicting on Twitter: "Trump will be inaugurated. For the high crimes of trying to throw a U.S. presidential election, many will go to jail." Metaxas also told Trump on Metaxas's radio show that "Jesus is with us in this fight" to overturn the 2020 election. "I'd be happy to die in this fight," Metaxas added.[39][40] In an appearance on Charlie Kirk's show, he repeated the claim saying, “We need to fight to the death, to the last drop of blood.”[41]

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Metaxas told his followers not to get the vaccine.[42]

Radio show

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In April 2015, Metaxas began hosting The Eric Metaxas Show. The show is a two-hour, daily, nationally-syndicated radio program broadcast from the Empire State Building in New York and syndicated by the Salem Radio Network.[43] Notable guests have included Dick Cavett, David Brooks, Kirsten Powers, Kathie Lee Gifford, N. T. Wright, Peter Hitchens (brother of Christopher Hitchens), Jimmie "J.J." Walker, Andrew Garfield,[44] Maria Butina,[45] Milo Yiannopoulos,[46] Ross Douthat, Tony Shalhoub, Morgan Freeman, Jeff Allen, Senator Rand Paul, Joseph Fiennes, Darryl Strawberry, and Suzy Welch.[47]

Eric Metaxas also broadcasts on the Salem News Channel.[48] His show began streaming on the Salem News Channel in November 2021.[49]

Other activities

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Metaxas speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference

Metaxas is the founder and host of a New York City event series called "Socrates in the City: Conversations on the Examined Life," where he interviews thinkers and writers, and is labeled as a forum on "life, God, and other small topics" in Metaxas' book about the series.[50] Guests to SItC have been the likes of, and not limited to Francis Collins, Malcolm Gladwell, Sir John Polkinghorne, Kathleen Norris, Richard John Neuhaus, Dick Cavett, N. T. Wright, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Dm. Alice von Hildebrand, Peter Hitchens, Sir Jonathan Sacks, and Caroline Kennedy.[51][52]

In the late 1990s Metaxas wrote BreakPoint radio commentaries for former Richard Nixon aide and Prison Fellowship founder Charles "Chuck" Colson. Upon Colson's death in 2012, Metaxas, along with John Stonestreet, became the voice of BreakPoint, which now airs weekdays on 1350 outlets across the country.[53]

Metaxas speaking at Ocean Grove, New Jersey (2018)

On February 2, 2012, Metaxas was the keynote speaker for the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast.[54] Metaxas has testified before Congress about the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S. and abroad, and he spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2013 and 2014 on the issue of Religious Freedom.[55][56][57]

Metaxas was awarded the Becket Fund's Canterbury Medal in 2011 and the Human Life Review's Defender of Life Award in 2013.[58][59] Metaxas has received honorary doctorate degrees from Hillsdale College, Liberty University, Sewanee: The University of the South, Ohio Christian University, and Colorado Christian University.[60][61][62][63]

On August 27, 2020, Eric Metaxas was at Trump's Republican National Convention acceptance speech on the White House lawn. Afterwards, Metaxas left the White House with a crowd of people, entering streets where protesters had been staging demonstrations. Video footage (shared on Instagram and later removed) showed anti-Trump protester Anthony Harrington biking past a group of Trump supporters, yelling "Fuck Trump, fuck you!" As Harrington passed by, Metaxas punched him in the head.[64] Metaxas later admitted punching Harrington because Harrington was verbally abusive and he "felt threatened." Harrington disputed this characterization, stating, "He attacked me. I wasn't threatening or intimidating. I was on a rented bicycle," and that he may pursue a civil case against Metaxas.[65][66][67]

References

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  1. ^ Stanley, Paul (March 4, 2013). "Eric Metaxas to Christian CEOs: Have You Lost the Joy of Serving God?" The Christian Post. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Metaxas, Eric (May 27, 2013). "Palm Beach Atlantic University" (commencement address). Retrieved January 8, 2020
  3. ^ "Author Biography: HarperCollins Publishers". harpercollins.com.
  4. ^ "Deep thrills". ericmetaxas.com. June 19, 2006. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Vicki J. Yiannias (August 1, 2007). "Eric Metaxas and the God Question". Greek News. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  6. ^ Sarah Pulliam Bailey (July 29, 2013). "Is Eric Metaxas the next Chuck Colson Updated". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  7. ^ "Eric Metaxas". Times Square Church.
  8. ^ a b Metaxas, Eric (2017). Martin Luther: The Man who Rediscovered God and Changed the World. Viking. p. 249.
  9. ^ "Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving". Publishers Weekly. August 1999. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  10. ^ "It's Time to Sleep, My Love". Macmillan Publishers. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  11. ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - July 17, 2016 - The New York Times". The New York Times.
  12. ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - November 16, 2014 - The New York Times". The New York Times.
  13. ^ Metaxas, Eric. "Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas". Harpercollins.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  14. ^ "Christian Book Expo 2009: Christian Book Award". Christianbookexpo.com. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  15. ^ "The New York Times Best Sellers". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  16. ^ "John C. Pollock Award for Christian Biography". Beeson Divinity School Samford University. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  17. ^ "The Christophers". The Christophers. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  18. ^ a b Green, Clifford (October 5, 2010). "Hijacking Bonhoeffer". The Christian Century. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  19. ^ Richard Weikart, "Metaxas' Counterfeit Bonhoeffer: An Evangelical Critique: Review of Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy", California State University. [1] Archived December 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ "Review of Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile vs. the Third Reich". Journal.ambrose.edu. September 3, 2010. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  21. ^ "Nonfiction Book Review: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy: A Righteous Gentile vs. the Third Reich by Eric Metaxas, Author". Publishers Weekly. April 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  22. ^ "Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  23. ^ "Bestsellers: Hardcover Nonfiction". New York Times. October 20, 2017.
  24. ^ "Inside The List: A Biographer of Martin Luther Promotes Faith in the Face of Evil". New York Times. October 13, 2017.
  25. ^ "10 New Books We Recommend This Week - The New York Times". The New York Times. December 28, 2017.
  26. ^ Eire, Carlos (December 24, 2017). "The Year of Luther". The New York Times Book Review. p. 9.
  27. ^ Vidmar, John (2018). "Review of Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World". Historian. 80 (3): 617–619. doi:10.1111/hisn.12984. S2CID 149937948.
  28. ^ Eden Books website, Seven Women
  29. ^ "Seven Men". Eric Metaxas. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  30. ^ "Is Atheism Dead?". Eric Metaxas. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  31. ^ Eric, Metaxas (February 16, 2001). "No More Pluto, No More ++Taupe". The New York Times. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  32. ^ Metaxas, Eric (December 25, 2014). "Science Increasingly Makes the Case for God". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 19, 2015 – via WSJ.com.
  33. ^ "Eric Metaxas, evangelical intellectual, chose Trump, and he's sticking with him". History News Network. February 23, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  34. ^ "Popular Christian author Eric Metaxas stands by Donald Trump". Deseret News. October 12, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  35. ^ Wishon, Jennifer (September 20, 2019). "'Donald Builds the Wall': Eric Metaxas Offers Humorous Look at Trump vs. 'The MSNBC-13 Gang'". CBN News. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  36. ^ Fry, Madeline (December 20, 2019). "How evangelical leaders conflate religion and politics". Washington Examiner. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  37. ^ Wehner, Peter (November 25, 2019). "Are Trump's Critics Demonically Possessed?". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  38. ^ "Newsweek on Metaxas". Newsweek. April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  39. ^ Gerson, Michael (December 7, 2020). "Opinion | Evangelicals like Eric Metaxas are directing Trump's sinking ship. That feeds doubts about religion". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  40. ^ Smietana, Bob (November 30, 2020). "Eric Metaxas, Christian radio host, tells Trump, 'Jesus is with us in this fight'". Religion News Service. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  41. ^ "Right-wing radio host Eric Metaxas: "We need to fight to the death, to the last drop of blood"". Media Matters for America. December 10, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  42. ^ Dias, Elizabeth; Graham, Ruth (April 5, 2021). "White Evangelical Resistance Is Obstacle in Vaccination Effort". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  43. ^ "Salem Media Group and Eric Metaxas Join Forces with a New Daily Show". PR News Wire (Press release). Camarillo, Calif. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  44. ^ "Have you heard the Eric Metaxas Show? Highlights Ahead!". ericmetaxas.com. June 13, 2015. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  45. ^ "Maria Butina". The Eric Metaxas Show. July 15, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2018 – via SoundCloud.
  46. ^ The Eric Metaxas Show, Milo Yiannopoulos Interview with Eric Metaxas, retrieved January 13, 2019
  47. ^ "Featured Guests". The Eric Metaxas Show.
  48. ^ "Salem News Channel | The Most Respected and Reliable Conservative Voices Today". Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  49. ^ "Eric Metaxas | Salem News Channel". October 13, 2020.
  50. ^ Metaxas, Eric (October 13, 2011). Life, God, and Other Small Topics: Conversations from Socrates in the City. ISBN 9781101550403. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  51. ^ "Socrates in the City". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  52. ^ "The World Leaders Forum | Judson University". judsonu.edu. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  53. ^ "About BreakPoint". Prison Fellowship. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  54. ^ "Obama says faith mandates him to care for the poor". The Washington Post. May 23, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  55. ^ "Rise of Anti-Semitism in Europe, Threat to other Faiths & Democracy Addressed at Hearing". Chris Smith. February 27, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  56. ^ "Eric Metaxas CPAC 2013". YouTube. March 16, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  57. ^ "CPAC 2014 - Eric Metaxas, Author". YouTube. March 7, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  58. ^ "The Canterbury Medal Dinner". The Becket Fund. 2014. Archived from the original on July 4, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  59. ^ "Great Defender of Life Dinner". The Human Life Review. 2014. Archived from the original on May 30, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  60. ^ "Hillsdale". Hillsdale. 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  61. ^ "Liberty University Baccalaureate Speaker Eric Metaxas Fortifies Graduates for a Life of Faith, Receives Honorary Doctorate". PRWeb. 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  62. ^ "Easter Convocation Will Bestow Doctor of Divinity Degrees". Sewanee: The University of the South. 2015. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  63. ^ "Eric Metaxas on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  64. ^ Will Sommer (August 31, 2020). "Trump Ally Allegedly Punched Protester After White House Speech". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  65. ^ Paul Glader (September 3, 2020). "Exclusive: Author Eric Metaxas Admits Punching D.C. Protester And Offers Context". Religion Unplugged. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  66. ^ Jenkins, Jack (September 1, 2020). "Eric Metaxas confirms he punched protester, says protester was to blame". Religion News Service. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  67. ^ Dean, Jamie (August 31, 2020). "Protester disputes Metaxas account of RNC altercation". World Magazine. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
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