Ravi Zacharias, born Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias on 26 March 1946 in Madras, British India (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India), was an Indian-born Canadian and American Christian evangelical minister and apologist. He founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) in 1984, an organization dedicated to Christian apologetics and evangelism, which later established its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
Zacharias converted to Christianity at the age of 17 after a suicide attempt, during which he read John 14:19 in the hospital and committed his life to Christ. He emigrated with his family to Canada in 1966, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ontario Bible College (now Tyndale University) in 1972, and completed a Master of Divinity from Trinity International University in 1976. He was ordained by the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), a Keswickian denomination, in 1980 and taught at Alliance Theological Seminary from 1980 to 1984.
Over more than 40 years of ministry, Zacharias became a prominent figure in Christian apologetics, authoring over 30 books, including Jesus Among Other Gods, Can Man Live Without God?, and The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists. He hosted radio programs such as Let My People Think and Just Thinking , and frequently spoke at universities like Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge, as well as at government and international forums including the United Nations, the Lenin Military-Political Academy in Moscow, and peace negotiations in South Africa.
He emphasized the need for a coherent worldview, arguing that Christianity uniquely answers the fundamental questions of origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. His apologetic approach combined logical reasoning, cultural engagement, and personal testimony, aiming to defend the Christian faith with gentleness and respect, in line with 1 Peter 3:15.
Zacharias was influenced by figures such as C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, and Billy Graham, and in turn influenced apologists like Nabeel Qureshi, Lee Strobel, and Frank Turek. He was involved in ecumenical efforts, signing the Manhattan Declaration in 2009 and participating in the Together 2016 event addressed by Pope Francis.
However, after his death on 19 May 2020 at the age of 74 in Atlanta, Georgia , multiple allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced. An investigation by the law firm Miller & Martin, commissioned by RZIM, substantiated claims of sexual and spiritual abuse, deception, and cover-ups spanning decades. The report revealed a lack of accountability within the ministry and led to significant restructuring of RZIM and widespread reevaluation of his legacy.
While his teachings continue to be referenced in apologetics discussions, his moral failures have prompted reflection on leadership accountability and the separation of message from messenger within Christian circles.
