Plenary Speakers
Matthew W. Bates (PhD, University of Notre Dame) is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary with expertise on the gospel and salvation. His book Why the Gospel? (Eerdmans, 2024) won the Christianity Today award in popular theology and was Outreach magazine’s “Resource of the Year” in theology and Bible. His acclaimed academic titles include Salvation by Allegiance Alone (Baker Academic, 2017) and The Birth of the Trinity (Oxford University Press, 2015). He also co-founded and co-hosts the popular OnScript podcast. Dr. Bates enjoys hiking, baseball, and chasing around his seven children.
George Yancey (PhD, University of Texas) is a Professor of Institute for Studies of Religion and Sociology at Baylor University. He has published several research articles on the topics of institutional racial diversity, racial identity, atheists, cultural progressives, academic bias and anti-Christian hostility. His books include Compromising Scholarship (Baylor University Press) a book that explores religious and political biases in academia, So Many Christians, So Few Lions (Rowman and Littlefield) a book that assesses Christianophobia in the United States, One Faith No More: The Transformation of Christianity in Red and Blue America (New York University Press) which examines the schism between conservative and progressive Christians, Beyond Racial Division (Intervarsity Press) a book that fleshed out some of the ideas that lead to his focus on collaborative conversations as a solution to racial alienation. His latest book is Identity Politics in the United States: An Exploration of Identity in Red, White, and Blue (Routledge), a book that theorizes identity politics, looking at identity politics among antiracists and conservative Christians.
Mary Jo Sharp is a former atheist turned Christian apologist, author, and speaker who serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Search Ministries, where she helps others take the next step toward God. She is the author of Why I Still Believe (Zondervan) and the Bible study Why Do You Believe That? (LifeWay), and is known for creating space for honest conversation that is both intellectually serious and personally caring.
Kurt Jaros (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is a theologian and apologist, who has been creating resources for Christians and non-believers for 5 years. He is the host of the Veracity Hill podcast, creating 200 episodes about faith, politics, and society. He is an Affiliate Faculty member at the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism & Applied Apologetics at Colorado Christian University. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Michaela, and their children. Kurt is a rabid Cubs fan and is confident that Dr. Pepper really is “just what the doctor ordered.” Kurt holds multiple graduate degrees in theology and apologetics, and received his doctorate from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He has presented papers at the academic conferences of the Evangelical Theological Society and has taught at apologetics conferences around the country.
Mikel Del Rosario (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is Professor of Bible and Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL., author of Did Jesus Really Say He Was God? Making Sense of His Historical Claims (IVP Academic), and host of The Apologetics Guy Show podcast (Christianity Today Network). He is passionate about helping Christians find clear answers to difficult questions about Christianity so they can better engage culture and explain the faith with courage and compassion. Before coming to Moody, he spent a decade teaching Apologetics and Religions classes at Jessup University in CA. He also worked in Cultural Engagement at Dallas Seminary, podcasting and helping students navigate difficult conversations around issues of God and culture. Learn more at https://apologeticsguy.com.