Jeff Cavins

Jeff Cavins (born November 8, 1957) is an American Catholic evangelist, author, and biblical scholar.

Jeff Cavins
Cavins speaking at a seminar in 2014
Born	(1957-11-08) November 8, 1957 (age 67)
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Evangelist, author, and biblical scholar
Academic background
Education	Antioch University (B.A.) Franciscan University of Steubenville (M.A.)
Website	Holy Land Pilgrimage and Tours

Overview

Cavins was a Protestant pastor before he rejoined the Catholic Church.^[1] He is the creator of The Great Adventure Bible Study program.^[2] He was the founding host of the Television Show Life on the Rock on EWTN and was a host of the Morning Air radio program on Relevant Radio.^[3][4] He resides in Minnesota.

Biography

Early life

Cavins grew up outside of Minneapolis in a Catholic family.^[5] In college, he met his future wife Emily. While attending Christ for the Nations Institute, he noticed how many born-again Christians were attracted to the Bible, unlike the adherents of his own faith, whom he felt were "dead."^[6] He subsequently left the Church after a public dispute with a Catholic bishop.^[7]

Evangelical pastor

While working for a Christian radio station, Cavins trained as a Protestant pastor. After completing a program at The Institute of Ministry in Bradenton, Florida, he returned to Minnesota as the first pastor of Open Arms ministry.^[8] While there, he developed the first iteration of his Bible Timeline program, which focuses on understanding the narrative books of the Bible, using a color-coded timeline to display the supporting books for each element.^[9] This later became the basis for his Great Adventure Bible Study program.

Return to Catholicism and Steubenville

Cavins decided to return to the Catholic Church after twelve years as an evangelical pastor.^[10] In 1996 he introduced his Great Adventure Bible Timeline to Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he taught Introduction to Scripture. Later that year, Franciscan University professor Scott Hahn partnered with him to film Our Father's Plan, a thirteen-part series based on the Timeline program, to be broadcast on the EWTN Global Catholic Network.^[11]

Cavins received his MA in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1999.^[12]

Evangelization projects

The Great Adventure Bible Study Program

Cavins developed The Great Adventure Bible Study program, which organizes the Bible into a reading plan structured on the narrative parts of the text.^[13]

Podcast

The Great Adventure Bible Timeline was used, in 2021, as the framework for the popular The Bible in a Year podcast, hosted by Father Mike Schmitz with some commentary by Cavins. The podcast was the number-one podcast in America for seventeen days in 2021 and for five days in 2022.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Television

Mother Angelica, then^[when?] president of EWTN, asked Cavins to develop a weekly live program for young people.^[18] The Cavins family moved to Birmingham, Alabama, and launched Life on the Rock, which he hosted for six years.

Books

Cavins has authored a number of books:

• My Life on the Rock, Walking with God: A Journey Through the Bible
• I’m Not Being Fed! Discovering the Food that Satisfies the Soul
• Praise God and Thank Him: Biblical Keys to a Joyful Life
• When You Suffer: Biblical Keys for Hope and Understanding
• Pope Fiction: Answers to 30 Myths & Misconceptions About the Papacy (with Patrick Madrid)
• The Activated Disciple: Taking Your Faith to the Next Level^[19]

He has co-edited the Amazing Grace series of books.

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis

In 2008 he took over as director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota, which prepares adults for teaching catechetics in the home, at parishes, and in parochial schools.^[20]

In 2014, Cavins was named director of evangelization for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.^[21]

Year of Mercy

In 2016, Cavins presented a video reflection as part of a multi-part series in response to the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy declared by Pope Francis.^[22]

Detroit Amazing Parish Conference

In April 2016, Cavins was a featured panelist at the Amazing Parish Conference, speaking to parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit about ways that parishes can engage their parishioners to become more involved with the church.

Awards

• "Envoy of the Year" for Excellence in Evangelization, 1997^[23]
• "Unity Award" for best Catholic television show, 2000^[23]
• "Christ Brings Hope Award" from Relevant Radio^[24]

Personal life

Cavins is married to Emily, with whom he has three daughters.

See also

• Mary Healy (theologian)

External links

• Official website
• Great Adventure Bible

References

1. "Jeff Cavins". St. Paul Center. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
2. "The Great Adventure, A Journey Through the Bible". EWTN. Eternal Word Television Network. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
3. "Relevant Radio honors Jeff Cavins with Christ Brings Hope Award". Relevant Radio. April 24, 2015. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
4. "Cavins Leaving Morning Air™ to Focus on Bible Study Venture". Catholic Exchange. July 8, 2004.
5. Jim Cosgrove (September 29, 2002). "Life After 'The Rock'". Michael P Warsaw. National Catholic Register. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
6. Cavins, Jeff (2000). My Life On The Rock. West Chester, PA: Ascension Press. p. 33. ISBN 9780965922838.
7. Wickler, A. Rose. "Jeff Cavins speaks at Grand River Center | Archdiocese of Dubuque". www.dbqarch.org. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
8. Cavins, Jeff (2000). My Life On The Rock. West Chester, PA: Ascension Press. p. 62. ISBN 9780965922838.
9. The Bible Timeline. Ascension Press. 2004.
10. "Research Fellows - Jeff Cavins". St. Paul Center. St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
11. "Our Father's Plan". EWTN Program Libraries. Eternal Word Television Network. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
12. "Jeff Cavins to Address Meaning of Suffering". Franciscan University. Franciscan University of Steubenville. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
13. "The Great Adventure". Ascension Press. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
14. "Duluth Priest's 'Bible In A Year' Podcast Tops The Charts, With 238M Downloads And Counting". CBS Minnesota (WCCO News). CBS Broadcasting Inc. March 30, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
15. Littlefield, Susan Elizabeth (April 2, 2022). "Minnesota priest's podcast reaches 200 million listeners". CBS Evening News. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
16. Marchese, David (September 9, 2022). "A Catholic Podcasting Star Says Theocracy Is Not the Way". New York Times Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
17. Galioto, Katie (March 20, 202). "'God is doing something': Duluth priest's daily Bible podcast tops charts, reaches millions". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
18. Cavins, Jeff (2000). My Life on the Rock. West Chester, PA: Ascension Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780965922838.
19. St Paul Center
20. "Message from the Director". Catechetical Institute. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
21. "Jeff Cavins named archdiocese's new director of evangelization". The Catholic Spirit. March 13, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
22. "Video series for Year of Mercy". Superior Catholic Herald. Diocese of Superior. December 18, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
23. "St. Thomas Newsroom". University of St. Thomas. April 30, 2001. Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
24. Kettner, Lindsey (April 24, 2015). "Relevant Radio honors Jeff Cavins with Christ Brings Hope Award". Relevant Radio. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2016.