John Mark Reynolds

John Mark Reynolds is an American philosopher and educator working within evangelical Protestant Christianity. He earned his PhD in philosophy from the University of Rochester, with a focus on Plato and the classical tradition. He founded the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University, a great-books undergraduate program in Christian liberal arts, and later served as provost of Houston Baptist University before founding The Saint Constantine School and College in Houston.

Reynolds writes at the intersection of classical philosophy, Christian apologetics, and the science-religion debate. He is best known in academic discussions of origins for contributing the old-earth creationist position to the influential volume Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design (co-edited with J. P. Moreland), arguing against both young-earth creationism and fully naturalistic Darwinism while resisting the framing of intelligent design as a complete alternative. His broader work draws on Platonic metaphysics and patristic sources, defending the rational coherence of classical theism and the compatibility of an ancient cosmos with biblical theology.

Critics from young-earth circles (e.g., Paul Nelson) have challenged his hermeneutics of Genesis, while methodological naturalists question whether his philosophical theism does substantive scientific work. Reynolds also writes accessibly on cultural and educational topics, advocating a recovery of classical Christian pedagogy. His public profile blends scholarly philosophy with popular religious commentary, placing him among contemporary American evangelical intellectuals engaged in apologetic and educational reform.