Lewis Sperry Chafer

Born in Rock Creek, Ohio, in 1871, Lewis Sperry Chafer became known as an American evangelist, Bible teacher, and theologian. Before gaining wide recognition as a writer, he spent years in itinerant ministry and was also known for his work as a gospel singer and speaker.

He is best remembered as the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, established in 1924, where he also served as its first president. Chafer played an important role in shaping the school’s early direction and became one of the best-known defenders of dispensational theology in the English-speaking world.

His best-known work is the multi-volume Systematic Theology, which brought together his teaching on Scripture, grace, the church, and prophecy. Even decades after his death in 1952, his influence can still be seen in evangelical theological education and in readers interested in classic dispensational thought.