Craig A Evans

Craig Alan Evans, born in 1952, is an American scholar specializing in biblical studies. He has authored or edited a substantial number of books and published extensively in academic journals. Evans holds degrees from Claremont McKenna College, Western Baptist Seminary, and Claremont Graduate University. He has held distinguished professorships at The Bible Seminary in Katy, Texas, and previously at Houston Christian University and Acadia Divinity College. His academic career also includes teaching positions at McMaster University and Trinity Western University. Evans served as the editor of the Bulletin for Biblical Research for over a decade. His work often engages with the historical Jesus and the interpretation of ancient texts.

In his 2008 book, "Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels," Evans critically examined contemporary academic approaches to the historical Jesus. He argued that many scholars were creating inaccurate portrayals of Jesus by distorting the available evidence. Evans specifically took issue with scholars such as Bart D. Ehrman and groups like the Jesus Seminar, as well as authors of noncanonical texts like the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Judas, which he considered to be of late origin and lacking historical reliability, or even outright forgeries. He also dismissed popular works like "The Da Vinci Code" as sensationalist fiction.

Evans's extensive academic career has involved significant teaching and leadership roles. He is currently a Distinguished Research Professor at The Bible Seminary in Katy, Texas, where he directs graduate programs in Biblical History and Archaeology, and Biblical Languages and Culture. Previously, he was the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Christian University. His earlier academic appointments include positions at Acadia Divinity College, McMaster University, and Trinity Western University. For eleven years, he led the Bulletin for Biblical Research, a significant publication in his field.