Gavin Rutherford Ortlund^[1] (born June 30, 1983^[2][3]) is an American Reformed theologian^[4] and Christian apologist. Ortlund is the author of eight books and multiple academic articles.^[5][6][7][8] He serves as President of Truth Unites, a ministry which seeks to promote gospel assurance through theological depth. He is also Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Gavin Ortlund holds a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary, an MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary and a BA in religion and philosophy from the University of Georgia.^[13] Ortlund Post Doctoral Research Fellowship was at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding.^[9]

Coming from a Presbyterian background, after finishing his Master's Degree, Ortlund was on his way to become a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America. Due to concerns regarding pedobaptism, he was rebaptized (previously being baptized in the Church of Scotland as an infant) and instead received his ordaination from the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference.^[14] He stayed in CCCC for 6 years, time in which he served as an associate pastor of Sierra Madre Congregational Church from October 2014 to November 2016.^[15][16] He next became Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Ojai (ABCUSA), in Ojai, California^[16] where he stayed until 2023.^[17] Ortlund is currently serving as a theologian in residence at Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee (an Acts 29 Network affiliated church).^[18][9]

Ortlund has debated Trent Horn (a member of Catholic Answers) on several issues, including purgatory and baptismal regeneration.^[19][20] He has criticized John MacArthur and others for "prioritizing worship over loving your neighbor, obedience to government and maintaining a good witness", emphasizing the command to obey authorities.^[21][22][23]

Ortlund has written multiple books, including:^[9]

• Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future (Crossway, 2019). Church history is important today. The history of Protestantism is important today.^[24]

• Finding the Right Hills to Die on: The Case for Theological Triage. (Crossway, 2020), Essential doctrines of the faith, non-essential doctrines, and prioritize doctrine.^[25][26]

• In his book Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn't: The Beauty of Christian Theism (Baker Academic, 2021), Ortlund argues that the idea of the existence of God is "more satisfying to both mind and heart" than naturalism.^[27] Ortlund has written a commentary on the work of Anselm.^[28][29] He has written on Christian unity, criticizing sectarianism as well as doctrinal indifference.^[30][31] Ortlund has opposed those who call for "an end to the Reformation".^[32][33]

• What it Means to be Protestant: The Case for an Always Reforming Church. Grand Rapids, (Zondervan, 2024). The defense of the Protestant tradition.^[34]

• Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness (Crossway, 2023)^[35]

• Retrieving Augustine’s Doctrine of Creation: Ancient Wisdom for Current Controversy (IVP Academic, 2020) How would Augustine of Hippo understand Genesis 1-3.^[36]

• Anselm’s Pursuit of Joy: A Commentary on the Proslogion, (Catholic University of America Press, 2020) Commentary on Anselm of Canterbury's Proslogion. ^[37]

• I and II Kings: A 12-Week Study. Knowing the Bible (Crossway, 2017) To help Bible readers better understand and apply God’s Word^[38]

• Ortlund has defended the doctrine of divine simplicity and the Thomistic view of the beatific vision.^{[39][40][41][42]}

• Ortlund has defended the view that Noah's flood was a regional event and not a global event, arguing that such a position is consistent with "an effort to take seriously the meaning of the text, which involves what the original author meant the original readers to take from it in its original context."^[43] This claim has caused controversy within Evangelicalism and ignited accusations of theological liberalism (which he denied as being true).^[44][45]

• Ortlund has written many academic papers and online articles on a wide array of theological and Biblical topics. ^[9]

• Ortlund has posted many videos on a wide array of theological and Biblical topics.^[46]

Ortlund has been an assistant and adjunct teacher at:^[9]

• Western Seminary, 2024
• St. Anselm, Bethel College and Seminary, 2018, 2020 ^[47]
• Fuller Theological Seminary, 2012-2013, 2016
• Covenant Theological Seminary, 2006-2008

Current and past Membership and Fellowships:^[9]

• Fellow, The Tim Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics ^[48]
• Fellow, The Center for Baptist Renewal ^[49]
• Fellow, Credo ^[50]
• Member, The Center for Pastor Theologians (St. Basil Fellowship) ^[51]
• Visiting Scholar at Reasons to Believe
• Editorial Board, Themelios (2016-2021)
• Evangelical Theological Society
• International Association for Anselm Studies ^[52]

Gavin Ortlund is the grandson of Ray and Anne Ortlund and the son of Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.^[53] His brothers include Eric Ortlund, a professor at Oak Hill College in London,^[54] and Dane Ortlund, author of the popular Christian book Gentle and Lowly.^[55] Gavin Ortlund is married and has five children.^[12]

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