(Nashville, TN) May 19, 2020—Today HarperCollins Christian Publishing is remembering the life and influence of long-time author, apologist, global speaker and ministry leader Ravi Zacharias. Zacharias passed on May 19, 2020, after a brief battle with sarcoma. He was 74. Zacharias is survived by his wife of 48 years, Margie; daughters, Sarah and Naomi; son, Nathan; and five grandchildren.
“Today, my thoughts and prayers are with Ravi’s wife, children, and extended family members as well as friends, colleagues, and the millions of lives who have been forever changed by his life’s work to bring people to Jesus,” said Mark Schoenwald, president and CEO, HarperCollins Christian Publishing. “Though saddened by the loss, we will continue to celebrate his legacy. His books, research, and ministry will continue to impact how the world understands Christianity for years to come. We are grateful to have been his publisher for many years, but more importantly we are grateful for his ability to inspire the world.”
Zacharias was the author, co-author, general editor, or co-general editor for more than 20 titles published by Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. His first book with the company “Can A Man Live Without God” (Thomas Nelson) originally published in 1994 and has since been published in 21 different languages and/or territories across the globe. His content has sold more than two million copies in the English language. His latest title, “Seeing Jesus From the East: A Fresh Look at History’s Most Influential Figure” co-authored with Abdu Murray (Zondervan), released in April 2020 and offers readers a picture of Jesus through Ravi’s unique perspective from growing up in the eastern world.
Zacharias spent the past 48 years commending the Christian faith and was a recognized and respected figure in the academic community around the world for his ability to address life’s existential questions backed by research, in a comprehensible and digestible manner. For more than 35 years, Zacharias dedicated his life to sharing the gospel and leading people to follow Jesus Christ through Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, where he launched a global team of nearly 100 Christian scholars and authors who continue to speak, resource, train and address the questions of millions around the world.
“Over forty years ago, I had the privilege of having Ravi in a course on Ecclesiology and Eschatology I taught as an adjunct professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School,” said Stan Gundry, SVP and publisher, Zondervan Academic and Zondervan Reflective. “Even then he was a striking figure and I remember him as a student who asked very insightful questions. Many years later, I had the privilege of becoming his primary publisher at Zondervan. It was a great honor to see one of my former students develop into a global Christian leader, and someone I very much respected.”
“I had the unique privilege of working with Ravi Zacharias for more than twenty-five years, acquiring and editing twelve of his books including the bestseller, ‘Can Man Live Without God’ with Word Publishing in 1994, then an imprint of Thomas Nelson,” commented Joey Paul, senior acquisitions editor at Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. “Over the years we developed a close friendship that enabled me to witness his brilliance as a world-renowned Christian apologist, and to know him as man that loved his family deeply. He was well-respected in his field and wanted the logic of believing in the existence of a personal God to lovingly and respectfully lead people to Jesus.”
Recent public responses have been flooding social media channels under the hashtag #ThankYouRavi, including tributes from Christine Caine, Tim Tebow, Lee Strobel, Lecrae and many more. During this time, the teams at HarperCollins Christian Publishing are celebrating his life and his works. For a full list of his available works with Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, please click here. For the latest information from Ravi Zacharias Ministries, please visit https://www.rzim.org/page/
About HarperCollins Christian Publishing:
As the world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups, Olive Tree Bible Software, BibleGateway.com, FaithGateway.com and ChurchSource.com. The company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN.
Contact:
Casey Harrell, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications, 615-902-1109 casey.harrell@harpercollins.
