Jimmy Akin
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Jimmy Akin is a Catholic apologist for Catholic Answers who has authored several books on Catholic apologetics, evangelization, liturgy, and controversial issues. He is also a primary contributor to This Rock magazine and has appeared on radio and television defending and explaining the Catholic faith. (Note that although "Jimmy" is both his given and current name, for a time he went by "James.")
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[edit] Background
Jimmy Akin was born in Texas and raised as a Protestant. At the age of 20, he experienced a profound conversion to Christ and planned on becoming a Protestant minister or seminary professor. In time, Jimmy became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and was "under care of session" toward becoming a minister.
An extensive study of Scripture convinced him of the truth of the Catholic faith, and he felt compelled in conscience to enter the Catholic Church. As he explains in his conversion story in Surprised by Truth (Basilica Press, 1994), reprinted as "A Triumph and a Tragedy" in This Rock (April 1995):
"Renee helped give me the gift of Catholicism because as a result of my marriage to her I studied Catholic theology harder than I otherwise would have. Even though I was studying it so I could try to pull her out of the Church, it was that very study which led me to recognize that the Catholic faith is the faith of the Bible."
The same is true of many recent fundamentalist and evangelical converts to the Catholic faith (Tim Staples, Scott Hahn, and many others featured on "The Journey Home" program of EWTN). The Bible brought them to Catholicism and they recognized the Catholic Church as the true "Bible Church."
Jimmy Akin was received into the Catholic Church in the hospital room of his wife, Renee, who died of cancer in the early 1990s, while the two were still in their twenties.
[edit] Catholic Answers
Jimmy serves as the Director of Apologetics and Evangelization for Catholic Answers. He has authored hundreds of articles and other publications for the organizations and related ones, such as Ignatius Press. He is a weekly guest in the national radio program Catholic Answers Live.
[edit] Jimmy Akin.Org
In addition to his work at Catholic Answers, Jimmy maintains a blog [1], which consistently ranks in the top 1000 blogs of the TTLB Ecosystem.
On his blog Jimmy answers questions dealing with Catholic apologetics, theology, canon law, moral theology, liturgy, and scriptural studies. He also deals with many other topics of interest to him, including science, humor, science fiction, and current affairs.
[edit] Publications
- The Salvation Controversy (Catholic Answers, 2001)
- Mass Confusion: The Do's and Don'ts of Catholic Worship (Catholic Answers, 1999)
- Mass Appeal: The ABCs of Worship (Catholic Answers, 2003)
- Cracking the Da Vinci Code booklet, 2004
[edit] External links
- Catholic Answers home page
- Jimmy Akin's Blog
- A Triumph and a Tragedy conversion story (April 1995 This Rock)
