Josh McDowell, born 1939 in Union City (Battle Creek), Michigan, is a Christian apologist, evangelist, and author. Of his numerous books, his best known titles are More Than A Carpenter, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, and Right from Wrong.

He initially intended to pursue legal studies aimed at a political career and began studies at Kellogg College in Michigan. As an atheist at college he decided to prepare a paper that would examine the historical evidence of the Christian faith in order to disprove it. However he converted to Christianity and subsequently enrolled at Wheaton College, Illinois, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. He went on to receive his M.Div from Talbot Theological Seminary of Biola University, La Mirada, California.

In 1982 McDowell was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the Simon Greenleaf School of Law, in recognition of his ministry and writings. McDowell was also a visiting lecturer at that school in the 1980s.

Most of McDowell’s writings have been apologetic in nature, addressing challenges posed by non-Christians. His apologetic methodology can be deduced from his writings and clearly stands within the evidentialist tradition of Christian apologetics — presenting positive arguments to commend belief in Christ by emphasising historical and legal proofs to establish the authenticity of the biblical texts and the divinity of Christ. His evidentialist approach to apologetics is similar to that of apologists such as John Warwick Montgomery, Norman Geisler, Gleason Archer, and Gary Habermas.