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[[Image:Beckwith.jpg|thumb|right|Francis Beckwith]]
'''Francis J. Beckwith''' (b. 1960) is a philosopher and legal scholar.  He is  Associate Professor of Philosophy and Church-State Studies, at Baylor University, where he is also Fellow and Faculty Associate in the Institute for the Studies of Religion. In July, 2005 began serving a three-year term as a member of the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Philosophy and Law. Beckwith was the 2007 President of the Evangelical Theological Society until his resignation on May 5, 2007 due to his return to the Roman Catholic Church.  Francis Beckwith has an MA and PhD from Fordham University in Philosophy, and a Master of Juridical Studies (MJS) from the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis.

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== Beckwith's conversion ==
"During the last week of March 2007, after much prayer, counsel and consideration, my wife and I decided to seek full communion with the Roman Catholic Church." <ref> http://rightreason.ektopos.com/archives/2007/05/my_return_to_th.html </ref>  Beckwith's reasoning included his consideration of the Roman Catholic view of [[justification]] <ref> [http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s1c3a2.htm See here]. </ref> which, when "correctly understood, is biblically and historically defensible."  The Washington Post also notes, "Beckwith said he was also deeply affected by a [[Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification|joint declaration in 1999]] by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church on the doctrine of justification, which he said went a long way toward eliminating this historical source of division." <ref> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/11/AR2007051101929.html?hpid=topnews </ref>  He also noted his reading of the [[early church fathers]] where he concluded that "the Early Church is more Catholic than Protestant." <ref> http://rightreason.ektopos.com/archives/2007/05/my_return_to_th.html </ref>  

== Select publications ==
* ''Return to Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic''. Brazos, 2009. ISBN 1587432471
* ''Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice''. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2007. ISBN 0521691354
* Ed. with [[William Lane Craig]] and [[J. P. Moreland]], ''To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview: Essays in Honor of Norman L. Geisler''. InterVarsity Press, 2004.  ISBN 0830827358
* Ed., ''The New Mormon Challenge''. Zondervan, 2002. ISBN 0310231949
* ''Do the Right Thing: Readings in Applied Ethics and Social Philosophy''. 2nd edition. Wadsworth Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0534543359
* With [[Greg Koukl]], ''Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air''. Baker, 1998.  ISBN 0801058066
* ''Politically Correct Death: Answering the Arguments for Abortion Rights''. Baker, 1994.  ISBN 0801010500

== Notes ==
<references/>

== See also ==
* [[Abortion]]
* [[Philosophy]]
* [[Mormonism]]
* [[Apologetics]]
* [[Roman Catholicism]]

==External links==
* [http://homepage.mac.com/francis.beckwith/Menu3.html FrancisBeckwith.com]
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/mayweb-only/119-33.0.html Q&A: Francis Beckwith: Former ETS president speaks about what he takes from evangelicalism back to the Roman Catholic Church], by David Neff (''[[Christianity Today]]'')
* [http://rightreason.ektopos.com/archives/2007/05/my_return_to_th.html My Return to the Catholic Church]
* [[w:Francis J. Beckwith|Francis Beckwith]] (Wikipedia)

===Online writings===
* [http://www.equip.org/free/DM410.htm Philosophical Problems with the Mormon Concept of God]
* [http://answering-islam.org.uk/Trinity/beckwith.html The Trinity: A Short Exposition]
* [http://www.etsjets.org/jets/journal/44/44-4/44-4-PP671-95_JETS.pdf Mormon Theism, the Traditional Christian Concept of God, and Greek Philosophy: A Critical Analysis] (PDF), ''JETS''
* [http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/?p=754 When the Saint Goes Swearing In]

[[Category:Christian philosophers|Beckwith]]
[[Category:Theologians|Beckwith]]