The Bible Answer Man: Walter Martin and Hank Hanegraaff: Dr. Martin's Daughter Reflects on CRI's Founder, Its History, and Its Current President

Dr. Walter Martin was arguably the greatest popularizer of Christian apologetics of the 20th century. This book gives us an inside look at the founding and growth of Dr. Martin and the Christian Research Institute and many of the controversies that occurred in the aftermath of Dr. Martin’s passing in 1989. I knew Dr. Walter Martin as a follower of him when he taught a Sunday Class at Newport Mesa Christian Center in the 1980s. His books, particularly the Kingdom of the Cults, were a great influence and help in my early Christian education as a young Christian in the 1980s. I befriended Gretchen Passantino, a person who figures prominently in this book and who was a close associate of Dr. Martin. I assisted with the Passantino’s Answers In Action ministry for a number of years, so I have my own first hand observation of some of the history Cindee discusses in this book. She accurately relates Martin’s clear support of Hank Hanegraaff as the man to lead CRI. I remember the conversations she tells us about from Dr. Martin’s Bible class in the 80s because I was there. I know about the soul searching and prayerful struggles Gretchen had as she witnessed the brutal persecution of local church believers by the Chinese Communist Party who used her writings and that of CRI as evidence in Chinese courts against them as cultists, because she told me about them. There are many apologetic ministries and personalities who got their start with CRI and Dr. Martin. Some of these have significant issues with Hank Hanegraaff and today’s CRI, but most have great ministries today regardless. They are all fruits of Dr. Martin’s work in the 60s to 80s. I know about these issues because I have spoken with people on both sides at the time. Many of these are friends of mine now.His ministry defending the faith against fast growing cults and prominent atheists influenced millions of evangelical Christians and pushed back against the tide of anti-intellectual pietistic faith that ran rampant in the church at that time and continues to this day. Apologetics was in disrepute in the academy in the 60s and 70s. Figures like Bernard Ramm or Stuart Hacket or Edward Carnell were simply not known or taught. By comparison, Christian philosophy and apologetics today has had a revival both in academia and in the wider church with figures like Alvin Platinga, William Lane Craig, Norm Giesler, J.P. Moreland, N.T. Wright, Gary Habermas, Michael Licona, Douglas Groothius, and many other individuals and ministries. But in Martin’s heyday, you had the writings of the great C. S. Lewis, the writings and ministry Francis Schaeffer and perhaps the writings of Martin’s good friend and associate John Warwick Montgomery and not a whole lot more. Martin’s role in fostering and restoring apologetics and critical thinking was critical, even lifesaving to multitudes of believers at the time. Knowing about him, his ministry and his approach to spreading the gospel and defending the faith can be of great benefit to contemporary defenders of the faith.I recommend Cindee’s book to anyone interested in Dr. Martin, his times or his ministry. I also recommend it to budding apologist today to give them insight into their own struggles. Martin due to his strong personality and willingness to engage in controversy was sometimes regarded as divisive. He was in fact a great of example of how to maintain the unity of the faith in the face of controversy and conflict. He often repeated this great mantra, “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity”. He practiced this faithfully. We can all learn from his great example and Cindy Martin Morgan tells us his story in a most wonderful way. I recommend it highly.

I knew him from a distance. I never met the man but early on as a new Christian I got his book Kingdom of the Cults. Also came across his Seven Campus Curses. I studied philosophy at New Mexico State University and his tapes and books were gold to me. Anyone who listens to his cassette tapes (back then) and read his works can only be impressed with him and intimidated. So this book written by Cindee Martin Morgan gave me a picture of a father and husband who loved his family. Cindee mentioned she would sometimes "debate" with her father on topics. From my perspective a brave woman.I can't help but be impressed with his zeal for the Lord and willingness to put himself out there. Cindee reminded me of this in her book. I was not aware of him having diabetes. He was aware of his mortality and planned accordingly. Dr. Martin had the foresight to find a replacement. I heard the controversy about CRI and Hank Hanegraaff. This book made it clear that Hank was the chosen successor to CRI. I also watched some of the YouTube messages mentioned in the book. This book takes you into the world of YouTube. There is a lot of Dr. Martins teachings and debates that he was involved in. For me it was a blast from the past. This blast continues to reverberate in the many counter cult and apologetic ministries out there today.Finally, I appreciated learning about Hank Hanegraaff in the interview at the end of the book. I appreciate his reformed background and use of Evangelism Explosion. I will pray for the ministry of CRI and the staff to continue the work God started through Walter Martin. In my opinion this is a 5 star review. Would like to see more on Dr. Walter Martin and his work.Don Malin

Walter Martin is without any doubt one of the most influential Christian apologists from the twentieth century. He was the founder of the Christian Research Institute (CRI) and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast until the Lord took him home June 26, 1989. The legacy of providing exceptional answers to questions about Christianity is carried on by Hank Hanegraaff.Cindee Martin Morgan, Walter’s daughter, offers a personal and insightful look at these two extraordinary men. Drawing from personal interactions with her dad, she provides insights into what Walter’s faith, and his viewpoints on hotly debated topics related to Christian apologetics, such as Calvinism, cults, dispensationalism, Roman Catholicism, the Word of Faith movement. She also tells of the way God used her father to share his faith with Madalyn Murray O’Hare (atheist), the Osmond Brothers (Mormons) and Muhammad Ali (Nation of Islam).The Bible Answer Man even provides Cindee’s thoughtful insights on recorded statements made by her father that it was the Lord’s will for Hank to be his successor. Cindee also offers her reasons for supporting Hank and CRI’s controversial reassessment of the Local Church (i.e. “Lord’s recovery” or “Little Flock”) associated with Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. Moreover, Cindee presents her reasons for supporting Hank’s decision to enter into Christianity’s Eastern Orthodox Church.I believe the whole body of Christ will benefit from reading Cindee Martin Morgan’s reflection on CRI’s founder Walter Martin, and its current President, Hank Hanegraaff. As someone who has served inside CRI for over a decade, I wholeheartedly agree with Cindee that “the Lord has blessed the body of Christ with a vital ministry that faithfully shines the light of the gospel into a dark world that desperately needs a Savior.” Get this book, read it, you will be blessed!— Warren Nozaki

Pulls back the veil on some of my unanswered questions about Walter Martin !!Very grateful for this book !