Gary Thomas (author)

{{Short description|American Christian literature author}} {{COI|date=December 2014}} {{Infobox writer  | name = Gary Thomas | image = | alt = | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|10|24}} | birth_place = | death_date =  | death_place = | resting_place = | occupation = Author, speaker, and pastor | language = | nationality = American | ethnicity = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = | period = | genre = | subject = Christianity | movement = | notableworks = ''Sacred Marriage''<br/>''Sacred Pathways''<br/>''Authentic Faith'' | spouse = Lisa Thomas | partner = Lisa Thomas | children = | relatives = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = {{Official URL}} | portaldisp = }}

'''Gary L. Thomas''' (born October 24, 1961) is an American evangelical minister and writer of Christian literature.

==Education==

Thomas received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Western Washington University in 1984. He then studied under the Christian theologian J. I. Packer at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, receiving a master's degree in 1988 with a concentration in systematic theology.<ref name="About Gary Thomas">{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Gary|title=About Gary Thomas|url=http://garythomas.com/about/|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, in 2006 in recognition of his contributions made in the field of spiritual formation.

Following from his speaking and published writing, Thomas has been heavily influenced by various other authors. These include Elton Trueblood, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, J. I. Packer, and other books that he considers to be Christian Classics<ref name="Christian Classics">{{cite web |last1=Thomas |first1=Gary |title=The Great Christian Classics List |url=https://garythomas.com/2020/07/29/the-great-christian-classics-list/ |website=Gary Thomas |access-date=13 April 2026 |date=29 July 2020}}</ref>. His first work, ''Thirsting for God'', is primarily a synthesis of material from the Christian Classics.<ref name="Missioner">{{cite journal|last=Richmond|first=Donald|title=An Interview with Gary Thomas – Center for Evangelical Spirituality|journal=The Anglican Missioner|date=November 2005|volume=4|issue=2|pages=8–11}}</ref>

==Career==

===Pastor, teacher, and speaker=== Thomas is a regular teaching pastor at Second Baptist Church Houston, the fourth-largest church in the United States in 2013, with over 21,000 in weekly attendance.<ref name="Second Baptist Church">{{cite web|title=Second Baptist Church Media Center|url=http://www.second.org/west/sermon-resources.aspx|publisher=Second Baptist Church|access-date=17 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024072015/http://www.second.org/West/sermon-resources.aspx|archive-date=24 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He has regularly appeared on Christian television shows and radio programs such as ''Focus on the Family'', ''100 Huntley Street'', and ''Family Life Today''.<ref name="Focus on fam (design for marriage)">{{cite web|last=Heffernan|first=Carol|title=God's Design For Marriage|url=http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/gods_design_for_marriage/marriage_gods_idea/gods_design_for_marriage.aspx|publisher=Focus On the Family|access-date=12 July 2013}}</ref> Thomas has also spoken at many large Christian conferences such as the AACC (National Christian Counseling) conference, Billy Graham's Training Center (The Cove), where he is a regular speaker, and at numerous denominational and individual church events.<ref name="Billy grham training center">{{cite web|title=Snapshots from the greatest sermon in history|url=http://www.thecove.org/Event/events-detail/e-1105-snapshots-from-the-greatest-sermon-ever-preached/|publisher=Billy Graham Training Center|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref><ref name="AACC conference">{{cite web|title=AACC American Christian Counseling Conference|url=http://www.worldconference.net/|publisher=AACC|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref> Since 2000, Thomas has been speaking at his own Sacred Marriage Seminars and has now spoken in 49 states and 8 countries.<ref name="About Gary Thomas" />

Thomas is an adjunct faculty member teaching at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.<ref name="Western Seminary">{{cite web|title=Gary Thomas faculty page|url=http://www.westernseminary.edu/admissions/faculty/adjunct/gary-thomas|publisher=Western Seminary|access-date=26 Nov 2014}}</ref> He regularly gives talks on marriage and family issues.<ref name="west sem (june)">{{cite web|title=The Western Front|url=http://www.westernseminary.edu/files/publications/wave/Wave_June2013.pdf|publisher=Western Seminary Courses|access-date=12 July 2013}}</ref>

===Author===

Thomas is the author of 20 published books. His most notable works include ''Sacred Marriage'', ''Sacred Pathways'', and ''Authentic Faith''. ''Publishers Weekly'' once said "Thomas himself shows great potential for becoming the Henri Nouwen of evangelicalism."<ref name="About Gary Thomas" /><ref name="ReligionIn1996">{{cite journal|title=Religion In Review|journal=Publishers Weekly|date=January 8, 1996|pages=32}}</ref>

====''Sacred Marriage''==== In ''Sacred Marriage'', Thomas asserts that marriage is an area for spiritual formation, approaching marriage not from a "how to have a better marriage" perspective, but rather as a spiritual discipline, designed to help us grow closer to God and deeper in our faith; he teaches that "marriage is designed to make you holy more than it is to make you happy."<ref name="Focus on fam (design for marriage)" /> Thomas has been quoted as describing marriage as an "arena for discipleship."<ref name="star phoenex">{{cite news|last1=Polachic|first1=Darlene|title=Author's seminar offers insights on marriage|url=https://thestarphoenix.com/news/Author+seminar+offers+insights+marriage/10889880/story.html|access-date=17 March 2015|agency=Canada.com|publisher=The Star Phoenex|date=March 14, 2015}}</ref>

''Sacred Marriage'' has been praised by various Christian authors and pastors. John Ortberg, author of ''The Life You've Always Wanted'', said ''Sacred Marriage'' "gives wise, historically informed counsel to help couples not merely enjoy their marriage, but use their relationship to form Christ in one another."<ref name="John Ortberg Book">{{cite book|last=Ortberg|first=John|title=The Life You've Always Wanted|year=2002|publisher=Zondervan|isbn=9780310246954|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeyouvealway2002ortb|url-access=registration}}</ref> Kay Warren, the wife of Rick Warren who is pastor of the 3rd largest church in America, Saddleback Church, and author of ''The Purpose Driven Life'', said "I enthusiastically recommend it to couples contemplating, or who have already entered in marriage, as [Thomas] shows is the most powerful tool God has for molding and shaping us into the image of his Son."<ref name="Kay Warren Staff pick">{{cite web|last=Warren|first=Kay|title=Staff Picks – Kay Warren|url=http://service.saddleback.com/resources/recommendedreading/kaywarren/|publisher=Saddleback Resources|access-date=17 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202004906/http://service.saddleback.com/resources/recommendedreading/kaywarren/|archive-date=2 December 2014}}</ref> Sheila Wray Gregoire has criticised the first edition of the book, arguing that it contains "inaccurate information about vaginismus and about neuroscience" and does not cite her book ''The Great Sex Rescue''. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/2021/10/i-have-become-she-who-must-not-be-named/|title=I Have Become "She Who Must Not be Named"|date=5 October 2021}}</ref>

====''Sacred Pathways''==== In ''Sacred Pathways'', Thomas attacks an asserted "one size fits all spirituality" that he said seeks to turn devotional times into "cookie cutter experiences", and instead explores nine different pathways or "spiritual temperaments" to describe how people relate to God in very different ways.<ref name="Kay Warren Staff pick" />

==Publications==

*''The Glorious Pursuit: Embracing the Virtues of Christ''. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1998. {{ISBN|1-5768-3052-7}} *''Seeking the Face of God''. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1999. {{ISBN|0-7369-0019-5}} *''Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. {{ISBN|0-310-24282-7}} *''Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul's Path to God''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. {{ISBN|9780310242840}}. *''Authentic Faith: The Power of a Fire-Tested Life''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002. {{ISBN|0-310-23692-4}} * {{cite journal  |date=Spring 2002 |title=Wise Christians clip obituaries |journal=Knowing & Doing |pages=12–15, 23 |url=https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/wise-christians-clip-obituaries/ }} *''Not the End but the Road: The Journey Toward a Virtuous Life''. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2004. {{ISBN|1-5768-3603-7}} *''Sacred Parenting: How Raising Children Shapes Our Souls''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004. {{ISBN|0-310-24734-9}} *''Devotions for Sacred Marriage: A Year of Weekly Devotions for Couples''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. {{ISBN|0-3102-5595-3}} *''Devotions for Sacred Parenting: A Year of Weekly Devotions for Parents.'' Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. {{ISBN|0-3102-5596-1}} *''Sacred influence: How God Uses Wives to Shape the Souls of Their Husbands''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006. {{ISBN|978-0-3102-7768-2}} *''The Beautiful Fight: Surrendering to the Transforming Presence of God Every Day of Your Life''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007. {{ISBN|978-03102-7273-1}} *''Holy Available: What If Holiness Is About More than What We Don't Do?''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009. {{ISBN|978-0-3102-9200-5}} *''Pure pleasure : why do Christians feel so bad about feeling good?''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009. {{ISBN|0-310-29080-5}} *''Room management in mainstreamed/Integrated classrooms''. Educational Research, CO : David C Cook, 2014. {{ISBN|978-1-4347-0490-0}}*l. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. {{ISBN|0-310-29081-3}} *''Simply Sacred: Daily Readings''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0310329688}} *''Thirsting For God: Spiritual Refreshment for the Sacred Journey''. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-7369-2890-8}} *''Sacred Search: What if It's Not About Who You Marry, but Why?''. Colorado Springs, CO : David C Cook, 2013. {{ISBN|978-1-4347-0489-4}} *''The Sacred Search: Couple's Conversation Guide''. Colorado Springs, CO : David C Cook, 2013. {{ISBN|978-1-4347-0549-5}} (Co-authored with Steve and Rebecca Wilke) *''A Lifelong Love: What If Marriage is About More Than Just Staying Together?''. Colorado Springs, CO : David C Cook, 2014. {{ISBN|978-1-4347-0490-0}} *''Cherish: The One Word That Changes Everything For Your Marriage''. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017. {{ISBN|978-0-310-34726-2}}

==Awards== In 2003, ''Authentic Faith'' won the Gold Medallion Award in the "Christian Living" category.<ref name="ECPA Winners list 2003">{{cite web|title=ECPA Christian Book Award Winners|url=http://christianbookexpo.com/christianbookawards/gm2003.php|publisher=ECPA (Evangelistic Christian Publishers Association)|access-date=17 July 2013}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== * {{Official website}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Gary}} Category:1961 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American male writers Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers Category:20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States Category:21st-century American male writers Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers Category:21st-century Baptist ministers from the United States Category:American evangelicals Category:American male non-fiction writers Category:American motivational speakers Category:American religious writers Category:Baptist writers Category:Clergy from Houston Category:People from Puyallup, Washington Category:Western Washington University alumni Category:Writers from Houston