Background
The establishment of CRI in 1960 is closely linked to Walter Martin. It represents one of the pioneering organizations in what is called the Christian countercult movement, but also relates to the wider history of Evangelical Christian apologetics in the mid-Twentieth century.
Martin is considered one of the first full-time career apologists to have specialized in Christian countercult apologetics. In 1949 Martin began his forays into the theological analysis of various groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, Mormonism and Spiritualism. Much of this early work coincided with his tertiary studies at Shelton College and New York University during the 1950s.
In 1953 Martin became acquainted with the Presbyterian radio Bible teacher Donald Grey Barnhouse. Barnhouse was the founding editor (1950) of the monthly periodical Eternity magazine. Stephen Board, in his study of the history of evangelical periodicals, has observed that during its first decade of publishing Eternity was built around Barnhouse's personality and his own particular causes.
In 1954 Barnhouse invited Martin to be a columnist in Eternity magazine, and then between 1955 and 1960 Martin served as a regular contributing editor. Martin wrote a number of articles about cults, which formed the embryonic texts for various books he wrote. However, Martin also wrote book reviews, examined general apologetics and doctrinal issues, and also considered social questions such as alcoholism.
The early 1950s witnessed the publication of several books that Martin wrote, or co-wrote with Norman Klann, such as Jehovah of the Watchtower (1953), The Christian Science Myth (1954), The Rise of the Cults (1955) and The Christian and the Cults (1956). Barnhouse wrote the foreword to The Christian Science Myth, and his support for Martin's ministry was crucial in legitimating countercult apologetics to the wider church constituency. In 1960 Barnhouse died from a brain tumour only a few weeks before Martin formally established CRI. By that time Martin had become an emerging apologist whose ministry and reputation was gaining recognition in para-church organizations like the American Tract Society, Evangelical Theological Society, National Association of Evangelicals, and National Religious Broadcasters.
Read more about this topic: Christian Research Institute
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