Paul deVries, PhD

Paul deVries, PhD is a speaker, author, and president of the New York Divinity School (NYDivinitySchool.org). NYDS is “Christ-centered, Bible-based, Spirit-led,” and it offers leadership and ministry training for pastors and lay people in teaching locations throughout the New York City region. Dr. deVries is a pastor and also the Public Philosopher for the ChristianPost.com, providing timely, insightful essays on current issues.

Dr. deVries is also the founder of the New York Urban Ministry Institute, affiliated with The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI.org) and World Impact (WorldImpact.org). He served as an at-large member of the governing Board of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE.org), actively representing about 40 million evangelical Americans, from 2004-2015. As an ethicist, Dr. deVries helped the board to compose and to guide the board to an unanimous adoption of its excellently crafted “For the Health on the Nation” (nae.org/for-the-health-of-the-nation/)

Dr. deVries earned the Ph.D. (in philosophy, 1978, in the episelogy of ethics) from the University of Virginia, also completing substantial additional graduate training in education and in ministry. For 40 years he has led in evangelical higher education administration, designing innovative programs to help incarnate enduring Biblical truth with people’s learning, loving, leading and living.

Dr. deVries founded (1982) and for seven years directed the Center for Applied Christian Ethics (CACE, Wheaton.edu/cace) at Wheaton College (Illinois) where he was also an associate dean in charge of the Common Core Curriculum, and a tenured professor. CACE was the first ethics center at any evangelical college. He also earlier founded the Office of Volunteer Community Service at the University of Virginia (now called Madison House, MadisonHouse.org), and he led in establishing an affordable housing information network in Illinois. He was the lead American scholar in the Moscow-based “Ten Commandments Project” (1989-1995), and he is a charter-member of both the Society for Business Ethics and of the Society of Christian Philosophers (1978). He is the American founder of the International Research Institute on Values Changes, with unique research projects accomplished mainly in Moscow, Beijing, and New York.

For six years, he held the endowed Chair in Marketplace Ethics at The King’s College (NY), and after 9/11 he was appointed as director of the Counseling and Training Taskforce for NetworkNYC, a large cluster of evangelical Churches and ministries. He was the only Protestant addressing (or even invited to) the bicentennial of Jesuit education in America, attended by 2,000 Catholic scholars (1989), and he and a team of Jesuits won second place for the Catholic Book Award (1990).

Dr. deVries is properly credited for inventing (1982) the term “methodological naturalism,” a concept that clarifies a central issue in the philosophy of science and in the continuing evolution debates. Because methodologic naturalism – unlike “philosophical naturalism” or “religious naturalism” – a Godly believer can focus deeply on nature itself, for hours a day, while still honoring the Author of nature. Dr. deVries also has been honored in Madison’s Who’s Who and in Swarthmore’s Who’s Who.

Dr. deVries is the lead author of three books and the sole author of an additional five books – eight books all together:

(1) The Taming of the Shrewd (1992, Thomas Nelson), with Barry Gardner as coauthor. The book cultivates vivid, realistic case studies to activate incarnational Biblical wisdom for current moral problems. The title appeals to Jesus’ provocative teaching to “be shrewd as a snake and innocent as a dove” (Matthew 10:16). The positive, core meaning of “shrewd” is to have (1) ready wisdom and knowledge, (2) well-practiced, relevant skill, and (3) a truly proactive, get-it-done attitude.

(2) Ethics Applied (1999, Simon and Schuster, edited by Michael Richardson and Emily Baker), where Dr. deVries wrote the first 200 pages. Within these pages, Dr deVries represents human ethics and morals as a living organic whole, not

(3) Business Ethics Applied (2000, Pierson Education, edited by Emily Baker and Michael Richardson), where Dr. deVries wrote the first 200 pages.

(4) Manufacturer’s Manual (2006, Friends of the Earth). This book is the companion to the documentary “The Great Warming.” It includes 14 in-depth, ecological Bible studies – six drawn from the Hebrew Bible and eight drawn from the New Testament – along with helpful graphics. It is freely available to read and to download copies for reading and distribution at ManufacturersManual.com.

(5) A Green Lent (2008, World Evangelical Fellowship), freely available to read and download copies at AGreenLent.com.

(6) A Green Advent (2008, World Evangelical Fellowship), freely available to read and download at AGreenAdvent.com.

(7) Hear and Do (unpublished) – a practical, holistic guide to attentive, Godly wisdom.

Dr. deVries also is both an appointed advisor and a contributing scholar for the Green Bible (2008, HarperOne), and he has consistently helped draw public attention to key Biblical issues—pillars of the Judo-Christian Core Culture and Conduct--including racial reconciliation, life, liberty, creation-care, marriage, integrity, and non-violent conflict resolution. He has authored dozens of published articles, available upon request.

Dr. deVries cofounded (with Rabbi Joseph Potasnik) the Evangelical/Jewish RoundTable with the NY Board of Rabbis and NY Evangelicals. He is also a member of the Evangelical/Jewish National Conference. With other educators, he has started the Achievement Centers for Excellence and its program, partnering with churches to address the education gap affecting many inner-city youth. Their primary curriculum is the “7 Wonders of the Word.”

Dr. deVries – Paul Henry deVries – was named after the Apostle Paul and also his uncle Henry. Paul was courageous scholar and a bold enthusiast for the LORD God and Gospel of Grace. Uncle Henry with Aunt Gladys in 1920 were the first missionaries to penetrate was

Dr. deVries is the husband of Victoria deVries, father of Tor and Chrissa, and father-in-law of Bonnie (married to Tor) and Jon (married to Chrissa). Dr. and Mrs. deVries also have five precious grandchildren: Aiden Victor (2004), Eleanora Jean (2008), Cara Hope (2015), Joseph Paul (2018), and Justice Christopher (2022).

Most importantly, Dr. Paul deVries loves the Lord Jesus Christ and seeks to please, honor, and enjoy Him in everything that he does.

Paul deVries, PhD

646-395-0008

PublicPhilosopher@outlook.com