Knowing God

J. I. (James Innell) Packer was one of the leading evangelical theologians in the second half of the 20th century, both in British and North American ecclesial contexts. His influence spanned a variety of denominational and theological identities, although he is commonly associated with Anglicanism, evangelicalism, and Calvinism. His most widely known accomplishments are as an author (Knowing God being his most successful book), professor, and collaborator on scholarly and theological projects. He was the general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible (one of the leading modern translations), a signatory of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (the belief that, as the divinely inspired word of God, the Bible is infallible), a frequent contributor to Christianity Today, and a leader in the complementarian movement (a subset of evangelical theology, dealing with male and female gender roles). Many prominent evangelicals also credit Packer with being the leading force in the reintroduction of the Puritan theological heritage to modern readership.

Packer was born in Gloucestershire, England, and attended Oxford University, where he first became acquainted with the theological writings of the Puritans. Puritanism had been a Calvinist-influenced theological movement within Anglicanism in the early 16th and 17th centuries, before flowing into the nascent evangelical movement.