Bryan Litfin is Professor of Bible & Theology in the Rawlings School of Divinity at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. Previously, he served for 16 years as Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and 3 years as an editor and writer at Moody Publishers.
Bryan received his PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. His undergraduate work was at the University of Tennessee in the field of Communications.
Bryan is married to Carolyn, and they have two adult children. Bryan enjoys teaching, hiking in the mountains, writing, and investing in the lives of students, especially when he gets to take them on study abroad trips in the lands of church history. Bryan and Carolyn worship at Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Visit his Books page to read more about his wide array of fiction and non-fiction books, which include:
Nero and Paul (Thomas Nelson, 2026): Co-authored with beloved talk show host and singer/songwriter, Kathie Lee Gifford, Nero and Paul is the second in the Ancient Evil/Living Hope series. Combining historical accuracy with narrative imagination, Nero and Paul drops you into the drama of human pride and divine destiny that unfolded on the stage of imperial Rome.
Herod & Mary (Thomas Nelson, 2024), book one in the Ancient Evil/Living Hope series, co-authored with Kathie Lee Gifford, tells the true story of King Herod’s ancient evil—and how a young girl named Mary gave birth to the true King of the Jews.
The Story of the Trinity (Baker Books, 2025) provides an easy-to-read account of how the one God of Israel came to be understood as Trinitarian—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—leading to the famous Council of Nicaea and its Nicene Creed.
Wisdom from the Ancients (Harvest House, 2022) is a collection of thirty short lessons from the early church.
After Acts (Moody Publishers, 2015) sorts through legends and traditions to reveal what really happened to Jesus’s apostles after their biblical story ended.
Getting to Know the Church Fathers (Baker Academic, 2016) is a general introduction to the Early Church Fathers.
Early Christian Martyr Stories (Baker Academic, 2014) is an easy-to-read collection of texts about the heroic martyrs who gave their lives for Christ in the arenas of ancient Rome.
Fiction:
Bryan’s best-selling fiction series is the Chiveis Trilogy, an adventure saga about a brave army scout and a beautiful farmer’s daughter who rediscover the lost Scriptures of God in a future, post-nuclear world. See the plot summaries of the three books below. Purchase them on Amazon here: The Sword, The Gift, The Kingdom.
Bryan has also authored a historical fiction trilogy, Constantine’s Empire (Revell), set in the age of ancient Rome. Find them on Amazon here: The Conqueror (2020), Every Knee Shall Bow (2021), and Caesar’s Lord (2022).
Bryan my heart rejoices when I see how God has blessed you and Carolyn and your beautiful children.
You have been gifted with a talent of expressing your beliefs and thoughts in a manner that the most intelligent and those not so can read and enjoy your gifts of expression and labor.
Thanks for sharing and May you finish well.
Dave and I love this dear family.
I’m Christian since I was 13 when I decide to follow Jesus, I love real an fiction stories, and I’m an English learner student but I understand the whole meaning of my reading I finished reading 2 books of the the sword trilogy and I spent 1 week to finish the second book but I didn’t enjoy the title Holy father, given to the Christian leader called Papa in Portuguese it is mean Pope and in this world there is no one we can call Holly Father except God our creator even in fiction story.
Well, Christians are often called “holy” or “saints” in the Bible, and in 1 Cor. 4:15, the Apostle Paul says he is like a father to the believers. I think it’s okay!
These is the first time I really enjoyed reading fiction fiction book excited to see the end, congratulations Tia way I am improving my English also, thanks 👍
Dr. Bryan Litfin…
I listened to a radio talk 2/20/16 about Lent.
My question is this…
You mentioned on that conversation you observed lent…but yet you taught at Moody and attended a church that doesn’t observe lent.
Why? Why would you attend a church that did observe lent and affiliate with a professor position that aligned with your beliefs…
This question wasn’t asked. You did mention a great number of evangelical churches did observe lent.
I will be waiting to hear your response…
Warm Regards,
Catherine King
Hi Catherine — a lot of things go into a church decision, so attending the church that I do was a decision of my whole family and not just me. We love our church, though it isn’t a church that observes Lent in a formal way. Many of my friends at Moody do, but as a whole, the school does not do it officially. I think Lent can be a time of personal spiritual reflection on the sin that put our Lord on the Cross, leading up to the great joy of knowing those sins are washed away and He overcame the grave!
Eager to read your book, Dr. Liftin. I hope my little work, Perichoresis and Person-hood, (on John of Damascus) will prove to be a useful supplement. It’s been used at places like Notre Dame, Union NYC, Harvard DS, and Oxford. May the Lord bless your timely and much needed work.