John Stephen Piper, born on January 11, 1946, in York, Pennsylvania, United States, to itinerant evangelist Bill Piper, grew up shaped by fundamentalist Baptist traditions. He is an influential American Reformed Baptist theologian, a leading figure in the New Calvinist movement, and a proponent of 'Christian Hedonism,' a term he coined to describe the idea that 'God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.' Piper earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College in 1968, a Bachelor of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1971, and a Doctor of Theology in New Testament studies from the University of Munich in 1974, completed under Leonhard Goppelt. He began his academic career teaching biblical studies at Bethel University from 1974 to 1980. In 1980, he became pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving for 33 years until his retirement in 2013, during which the church experienced significant growth and the establishment of various ministries. In 2010, he took an eight-month leave of absence from ministry to focus on his marriage and personal soul-care. He founded Desiring God, a nonprofit ministry, in 1994 to spread his teachings on Christian hedonism and Reformed theology, which has become a primary vehicle for global influence through digital media. Piper retired from pastoral ministry but remains active in ministry leadership and public speaking. He currently serves as chancellor emeritus of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis (noted as chancellor in some recent sources), where he continues to influence evangelical circles through writing over 50 books, preaching, and online content. He is also a council member emeritus of The Gospel Coalition. Known for his emphasis on the sovereignty of God and joy in Christ, Piper has been a prominent voice in Reformed Baptist theology. He is a staunch complementarian, arguing for distinct gender roles in the church and home. His theological positions, particularly on the sovereignty of God in relation to suffering and natural disasters, have occasionally drawn criticism from both secular and religious observers. In 2020, he published a controversial article regarding the US presidential election, arguing that 'deadly' character traits in a leader can be as harmful as 'deadly' policies, which was widely interpreted as a critique of Donald Trump. A notable quote: 'Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't.'