Francis J. Beckwith is Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies at Baylor University, where he also serves as Associate Director of Graduate Studies in Philosophy, Affiliate Professor of Political Science, and Resident Scholar in Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR). In May 2025, he was appointed by the President of the United States to be a member of the Advisory Board of Legal Experts for the U.S. Religious Liberty Commission.

With his appointment in Baylor’s Department of Philosophy, he also teaches courses in medical humanities, political science, and religion. From July 2003 through January 2007, he served as the Associate Director of Baylor’s J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies. He is also a member of the American Academy of Catholic Scholars and Artists. the Academy of Catholic Theology, and the Board of Scholars of the James Wilson Institute in Washington, D.C.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Professor Beckwith grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, the eldest of the four children of Harold (“Pat”) and Elizabeth Beckwith (née Guido). He is a graduate of St. Viator’s Elementary School and Bishop Gorman High School, where he was a three-sport letterman and a member of the Nevada State AAA Basketball Championship Team.

he 2016-2017 Visiting Professor of Conservative Thought and Policy in the Benson Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, he has also served as the 2008-09 Mary Ann Remick Senior Visiting Fellow in the de Nicola Center for Ethics & Culture at the University of Notre Dame as well as a 2002-03 Research Fellow in the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions in the Department of Politics at Princeton University. Professor Beckwith is a member of Princeton’s James Madison Society. He has also held full-time faculty appointments at Trinity International University, Whittier College , and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

A graduate of Fordham University (Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy), he also holds the Master of Juridical Studies (M.J.S.) degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where he won a CALI Award for Academic Excellence in Reproductive Control Seminar.

Greg founded Stand to Reason in 1993 and currently serves as President. He has spoken on more than 90 university campuses both in the U.S. and abroad and has hosted his own call-in radio show for over 30 years, advocating for “Christianity worth thinking about.” He has debated atheist Michael Shermer on national radio and Deepak Chopra on national television.

An award-winning writer and best-selling author, Greg has written seven books, including Street Smarts—Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges, The Story of Reality—How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between; Tactics—A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. Greg has been featured on Focus on the Family radio and has been interviewed for CBN and the BBC. He's been quoted in Christianity Today, the U.S. News & World Report, and the L.A. Times.

Greg received his Masters in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at Talbot School of Theology, graduating with high honors, and his Masters in Christian Apologetics with honors from Simon Greenleaf University. He is an adjunct professor in Christian apologetics at Biola University.

Stand to Reason (STR) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting critical thinking and biblical truth. They offer a variety of resources, including books, articles, videos, and podcasts, to help individuals develop their reasoning skills and understand the Christian worldview.

One of the key focuses of STR is apologetics, which involves defending the Christian faith through reason and evidence. Their apologetics resources address common objections to Christianity and provide compelling arguments for its truth.

In addition to apologetics, STR also offers resources on various theological topics, such as the Bible, theology, and ethics. These resources are designed to help individuals deepen their understanding of the Christian faith and apply it to their lives.

STR's goal is to equip individuals with the tools they need to think critically and engage in meaningful conversations about their faith. They believe that by fostering critical thinking and biblical understanding, they can contribute to a more thoughtful and informed society.