David Wood (born April 7, 1976)[2][3] is an American evangelicalapologist, social critic, and YouTube personality, who is the head of the Acts 17 Apologetics ministry.[4][5] Though covering a range of topics, he is most well known for his YouTube videos in which he opposes and criticizes Islam, particularly Islamic views on theology and morality, as well as the Quran in general and Muhammad as a person, commentating on Islamic sources such as the Quran and hadith.
In a video testimony[6] about Wood's conversion to Christianity he has stated that he was an atheist[2] in his youth, and that he had run-ins with the law by breaking into homes and later went as far as smashing his father's head in with a hammer[7] at the age of 18 in an attempt on his life, claiming a belief that morality was merely societal rules that were beneath him.[8][9] He also said that after the assault on his father, Wood was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and was sentenced to ten years in prison for malicious wounding. While in prison, he said, he was confronted with a fellow prisoner named Randy who was a devout Christian.[10] Wood said he often challenged Randy's Christian beliefs, initially claiming that Randy was only a Christian because he was born into a primarily Christian society, specifically the United States.[8] Wood stated that, while in prison, he and Randy frequently fasted, with Wood attempting to "beat" Randy at fasting, which eventually resulted in Wood being placed into solitary confinement under observation due to concerns over Wood potentially attempting to commit suicide by starvation. During this time, he began to read the Bible and participate in various Bible study programs in order to respond to Randy's rebuttals (thus "beating" him) but it eventually led Wood to convert to Christianity in 1996.[9]
He said that after five years between jail and prison,[8] he was released in 2000 and went to college at Old Dominion University where he earned a bachelor's degree. He later earned a doctorate in philosophy from Fordham University.[11][12][13] Wood wrote that while he was studying at Old Dominion University, he was challenged to convert to Islam by his friend, Nabeel Qureshi (an American Ahmadiyya Muslim of Pakistani descent), and that he went about investigating the life of Muhammad using the earliest sources, including Ibn Ishaq's Life of Muhammad (the earliest extant biography of Muhammad); the hadith collections of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim (considered by Sunni Muslims to be the two most reliable or sahih collections of Muhammad's statements, actions, and example); and the History of the Prophets and Kings by Al-Tabari (one of Islam's greatest historians).[11][14] Wood said that he concluded that the Quran and Muhammad's example did not simply describe violence in the past (as in the Bible), but rather commanded ongoing violence. As a result, Wood said he then became a Christian apologist,[11] and that his roommate Nabeel later did so as well.[2]
Christian apologeticsEdit
Wood has participated in public debates with Muslims and atheists,[15] including debates with Muslim scholars like Shabir Ally.[16][17] Wood was invited on several ABN shows, in inter-religious discussions against atheism and Islam, where among other things he regularly appears on the Aramaic Broadcasting Network.[18] He has produced YouTube videos presenting his views on religion.[19] Writing for The Catholic World Report, William Kilpatrick says that Wood has made "highly effective short videos that set the record straight on areas of Christian-Muslim disagreement," and that he "comes across as the quintessence of calm, controlled manhood. Armed with a winning sense of humor, a razor-sharp mind, and a ton of knowledge, Wood doesn’t even have to raise his voice to make his points."[20]
In 2013, Wood completed his Ph.D. from Fordham University, publishing his dissertation Surprised by suffering: Hume, Draper, and the Bayesian argument from evil.[21]
Wood opposed the Park51 Islamic Center, arguing that it was not meant to honor the victims' families, but instead was a symbol of Islamic victory and named Cordoba House in memory of the Islamic conquest of Spain by the Umayyad Caliphate which later formed the Caliphate of Córdoba.[22] Wood has been described as part of the counter-jihad movement.[23]
In 2010 Wood was arrested outside Dearborn, Michigan, after preaching at an Arab festival[24] and being charged with a misdemeanor of disturbing the peace, but was later acquitted.[25][26] In May 2013, the City of Dearborn was required to post a public apology[27] to be maintained on the City's website for three years and pay $300,000 to Wood and his three compatriots.[28]
Wood wrote a polemic regarding the work of Richard Carrier which he titled "Good 'n' Senseless Without God: A Critical Review of Richard Carrier's New Book, Sense & Goodness Without God". Richard Carrier responded to the review with an essay entitled "On the Deceptions of David Wood", in which he argued that Wood misrepresented his arguments and that his review was full of diatribes.[29][30] Wood has also written journals arguing against the views of Dan Barker.[31]
On 26 May 2022, Wood announced his decision to delete his YouTube channel at some point in June of the same year, due to what he saw as an increase in censorship and restriction of free speech from the side of YouTube.[32] Wood has stated that he will establish a website to serve as his new base of online operations and content creation, but has encouraged fans to re-upload his videos onto their own YouTube channels if they wished to keep them on the site.[33] On 3 July, he changed his plans in response to Hatun Tash being robbed and arrested at Speaker’s Corner, opting instead to clear his channel and transfer ownership to Hatun Tash.[34] On 4 July 2022, he joined a livestream which showed him deleting his videos.[35] In August 2022, Wood returned to YouTube under the name "Apologetics Roadshow".[36]
Personal lifeEdit
Wood met his wife Marie, then an agnostic, while in university; she also became a Christian.[8] They have five sons, two of whom suffer from centronuclear myopathy.[11][37]
On April 17, 2023, he revealed that his third son Reid, one of the two diagnosed with the condition, had died the previous day at the age of 16.[38]
^"Well-Researched Videos for Someone in Ministry to Muslims". The Network (CRCNA). Christian Reformed Church in North America. from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
^Why I Am a Christian (David Wood, Former Atheist's Conversion Testimony) Re-upload, retrieved 2023-01-21
^2016-04-15T00:00:00+01:00. "David Wood: From Nihilism To New Life". Premier Christianity. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
^ abcdCBN: "Misguided Man Assaults Father with Hammer" retrieved August 3, 2016
^ abDagen: "Den umulige snuoperasjonen" by Eivind Algrøy 2018-08-21 at the Wayback Machine 22 mai 2016 (in Norwegian)
^Thesenvitz, Kayleigh (8 May 2019). "Atheist/Christianity debate overflows venue". Claremore Daily Progress. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
^ abcdChattanooga Times Free Press: "Wood: Holy Books of Peace? - Religious scholars will debate whether the Bible and Quran promote peace or violence" by David Wood October 4, 2015
^Feldman, Kiera (November 1, 2010). "Killing the Buddha: The anti-Muslim Machine". Killing the Buddha. Retrieved 2013-10-26.
^Rowland, Stephen (15 July 2020). "Serving a God of hope". Daily Herald. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
^Taylor, Justin (September 16, 2017). "Nabeel Qureshi (1983-2017)". The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
^ abChattanooga Times Free Press: "Scholars will debate whether Bible, Quran are books of peace" October 3, 2015 |"These men are recognized for being two of the best in the field of religious apologetics,..."
^DEBATE: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? | Shabir Ally Vs David Wood | Debate Podcast, retrieved 2023-01-21
^. Archived from the original on 2011-01-13. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
^Kilpatrick, William (27 October 2014). "Are We Losing the Apologetics War with Islam?". The Catholic World Report. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
^Wood, David (2013-01-01). "Surprised by suffering: Hume, Draper, and the Bayesian argument from evil". ETD Collection for Fordham University: 1–278.
^Mosque plans near Ground Zero Archived 2012-09-07 at archive.today By Pittsburgh Tribine-Review
^Bale, Jeffrey M. (October 2013). "Denying the Link between Islamist Ideology and Jihadist Terrorism "Political Correctness" and the Undermining of Counterterrorism". Perspectives on Terrorism. Terrorism Research Institute. 7 (5): 37. JSTOR 26297006.
^"Arab Festival 2010: David Wood's Arrest in Dearborn | Apologetics Archive". apologetics-archive.com. 2010-07-20.
^Jury acquits 4 arrested for behavior at Arab fest Associated Press re-print
^@Acts17David (April 17, 2023). "[In 2007, our 3rd son was born, but he wasn't moving or breathing. Once the doctors figured out what disease he had, they told us he had a 50% chance of reaching his 1st birthday, and a 30% chance of reaching his 2nd birthday. Yesterday around 4:00pm, Reid went to be with Jesus.]" (Tweet). Retrieved April 17, 2023 – via Twitter.
External linksEdit
Official website
Philosophy Underground
Acts 17 Polemics (His YouTube channel)
Apologetics Roadshow (His YouTube channel)
The David Wood Archives (YouTube Channel with his old videos)
Reasoned Answers
Apologetics Archive (Website with all David’s deleted videos)
October 18, 2023
david, wood, christian, apologist, other, people, named, david, wood, david, wood, disambiguation, david, wood, born, april, 1976, american, evangelical, apologist, social, critic, youtube, personality, head, acts, apologetics, ministry, though, covering, rang. For other people named David Wood see David Wood disambiguation David Wood born April 7 1976 2 3 is an American evangelical apologist social critic and YouTube personality who is the head of the Acts 17 Apologetics ministry 4 5 Though covering a range of topics he is most well known for his YouTube videos in which he opposes and criticizes Islam particularly Islamic views on theology and morality as well as the Quran in general and Muhammad as a person commentating on Islamic sources such as the Quran and hadith David WoodWood in one of his YouTube videos Personal informationBorn 1976 04 07 April 7 1976 age 47 West VirginiaNationalityAmericanEducationBSc Dominion University PhD Fordham UniversityOccupation s Christian apologist YouTuber social criticSpouseMarie WoodChildren5 1 deceased Websiteacts17 wbr comYouTube informationAlso known asActs17Apologetics 2008 2022 Apologetics Roadshow 2022 present Years active1997 July 2022 August 2022 presentGenreChristian apologeticsSubscribers698 000 February 2023 Creator Awards100 000 subscribers2016 1 Alma materOld Dominion University B A Fordham University Ph D Last updated 14 July 2022 Contents 1 Early life incarceration and education 2 Christian apologetics 3 Personal life 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksEarly life incarceration and education EditIn a video testimony 6 about Wood s conversion to Christianity he has stated that he was an atheist 2 in his youth and that he had run ins with the law by breaking into homes and later went as far as smashing his father s head in with a hammer 7 at the age of 18 in an attempt on his life claiming a belief that morality was merely societal rules that were beneath him 8 9 He also said that after the assault on his father Wood was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and was sentenced to ten years in prison for malicious wounding While in prison he said he was confronted with a fellow prisoner named Randy who was a devout Christian 10 Wood said he often challenged Randy s Christian beliefs initially claiming that Randy was only a Christian because he was born into a primarily Christian society specifically the United States 8 Wood stated that while in prison he and Randy frequently fasted with Wood attempting to beat Randy at fasting which eventually resulted in Wood being placed into solitary confinement under observation due to concerns over Wood potentially attempting to commit suicide by starvation During this time he began to read the Bible and participate in various Bible study programs in order to respond to Randy s rebuttals thus beating him but it eventually led Wood to convert to Christianity in 1996 9 He said that after five years between jail and prison 8 he was released in 2000 and went to college at Old Dominion University where he earned a bachelor s degree He later earned a doctorate in philosophy from Fordham University 11 12 13 Wood wrote that while he was studying at Old Dominion University he was challenged to convert to Islam by his friend Nabeel Qureshi an American Ahmadiyya Muslim of Pakistani descent and that he went about investigating the life of Muhammad using the earliest sources including Ibn Ishaq s Life of Muhammad the earliest extant biography of Muhammad the hadith collections of Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim considered by Sunni Muslims to be the two most reliable or sahih collections of Muhammad s statements actions and example and the History of the Prophets and Kings by Al Tabari one of Islam s greatest historians 11 14 Wood said that he concluded that the Quran and Muhammad s example did not simply describe violence in the past as in the Bible but rather commanded ongoing violence As a result Wood said he then became a Christian apologist 11 and that his roommate Nabeel later did so as well 2 Christian apologetics EditWood has participated in public debates with Muslims and atheists 15 including debates with Muslim scholars like Shabir Ally 16 17 Wood was invited on several ABN shows in inter religious discussions against atheism and Islam where among other things he regularly appears on the Aramaic Broadcasting Network 18 He has produced YouTube videos presenting his views on religion 19 Writing for The Catholic World Report William Kilpatrick says that Wood has made highly effective short videos that set the record straight on areas of Christian Muslim disagreement and that he comes across as the quintessence of calm controlled manhood Armed with a winning sense of humor a razor sharp mind and a ton of knowledge Wood doesn t even have to raise his voice to make his points 20 In 2013 Wood completed his Ph D from Fordham University publishing his dissertation Surprised by suffering Hume Draper and the Bayesian argument from evil 21 Wood opposed the Park51 Islamic Center arguing that it was not meant to honor the victims families but instead was a symbol of Islamic victory and named Cordoba House in memory of the Islamic conquest of Spain by the Umayyad Caliphate which later formed the Caliphate of Cordoba 22 Wood has been described as part of the counter jihad movement 23 In 2010 Wood was arrested outside Dearborn Michigan after preaching at an Arab festival 24 and being charged with a misdemeanor of disturbing the peace but was later acquitted 25 26 In May 2013 the City of Dearborn was required to post a public apology 27 to be maintained on the City s website for three years and pay 300 000 to Wood and his three compatriots 28 Wood wrote a polemic regarding the work of Richard Carrier which he titled Good n Senseless Without God A Critical Review of Richard Carrier s New Book Sense amp Goodness Without God Richard Carrier responded to the review with an essay entitled On the Deceptions of David Wood in which he argued that Wood misrepresented his arguments and that his review was full of diatribes 29 30 Wood has also written journals arguing against the views of Dan Barker 31 Wood is a member of the Society of Christian Philosophers and the Evangelical Philosophical Society 16 On 26 May 2022 Wood announced his decision to delete his YouTube channel at some point in June of the same year due to what he saw as an increase in censorship and restriction of free speech from the side of YouTube 32 Wood has stated that he will establish a website to serve as his new base of online operations and content creation but has encouraged fans to re upload his videos onto their own YouTube channels if they wished to keep them on the site 33 On 3 July he changed his plans in response to Hatun Tash being robbed and arrested at Speaker s Corner opting instead to clear his channel and transfer ownership to Hatun Tash 34 On 4 July 2022 he joined a livestream which showed him deleting his videos 35 In August 2022 Wood returned to YouTube under the name Apologetics Roadshow 36 Personal life EditWood met his wife Marie then an agnostic while in university she also became a Christian 8 They have five sons two of whom suffer from centronuclear myopathy 11 37 On April 17 2023 he revealed that his third son Reid one of the two diagnosed with the condition had died the previous day at the age of 16 38 See also EditChristian apologetics Nabeel Qureshi author References Edit Acts17Apologetics s YouTube Stats Summary Profile Social Blade Stats a b c Dearborn Free Press Amazing Grace Amid Profound Controversy by Jonathan Light August 31 2010 Degrasse 21st century Christian debaters 2015 p XVIII Acts 17 Apologetics Well Researched Videos for Someone in Ministry to Muslims The Network CRCNA Christian Reformed Church in North America Archived from the original on 31 July 2020 Retrieved 2020 07 31 Why I Am a Christian David Wood Former Atheist s Conversion Testimony Re upload retrieved 2023 01 21 2016 04 15T00 00 00 01 00 David Wood From Nihilism To New Life Premier Christianity Retrieved 2021 06 30 a b c d CBN Misguided Man Assaults Father with Hammer retrieved August 3 2016 a b Dagen Den umulige snuoperasjonen by Eivind Algroy Archived 2018 08 21 at the Wayback Machine 22 mai 2016 in Norwegian Thesenvitz Kayleigh 8 May 2019 Atheist Christianity debate overflows venue Claremore Daily Progress Retrieved 23 February 2022 a b c d Chattanooga Times Free Press Wood Holy Books of Peace Religious scholars will debate whether the Bible and Quran promote peace or violence by David Wood October 4 2015 Feldman Kiera November 1 2010 Killing the Buddha The anti Muslim Machine Killing the Buddha Retrieved 2013 10 26 Rowland Stephen 15 July 2020 Serving a God of hope Daily Herald Retrieved 23 February 2022 Taylor Justin September 16 2017 Nabeel Qureshi 1983 2017 The Gospel Coalition Retrieved 22 September 2017 Debates Look At Islam Christianity Archived 2012 03 06 at the Wayback Machine Daily Press Virginia newspaper a b Chattanooga Times Free Press Scholars will debate whether Bible Quran are books of peace October 3 2015 These men are recognized for being two of the best in the field of religious apologetics DEBATE Did Jesus Rise from the Dead Shabir Ally Vs David Wood Debate Podcast retrieved 2023 01 21 MUST SEE ISLAMIC TV MINISTRY Promoting ABN The Aramaic Broadcasting Network at ABNsat com The Religion of Conquest Archived from the original on 2011 01 13 Retrieved 2011 01 22 https www youtube com user Acts17Apologetics specify Kilpatrick William 27 October 2014 Are We Losing the Apologetics War with Islam The Catholic World Report Retrieved 23 February 2022 Wood David 2013 01 01 Surprised by suffering Hume Draper and the Bayesian argument from evil ETD Collection for Fordham University 1 278 Mosque plans near Ground Zero Archived 2012 09 07 at archive today By Pittsburgh Tribine Review Bale Jeffrey M October 2013 Denying the Link between Islamist Ideology and Jihadist Terrorism Political Correctness and the Undermining of Counterterrorism Perspectives on Terrorism Terrorism Research Institute 7 5 37 JSTOR 26297006 Arab Festival 2010 David Wood s Arrest in Dearborn Apologetics Archive apologetics archive com 2010 07 20 Jury acquits 4 arrested for behavior at Arab fest Associated Press re print Dispute in Dearborn Christianity Today magazine Michigan Live Dearborn ordered to apologize for arrests of Christian missionaries at Arab Fest by Gus Burns May 6 2013 Christian Post Michigan City Paid Evangelists 300 000 in Lawsuit Settlement by Anugrah Kumar May 25 2013 Wood David Good n Senseless Without God A Critical Review of Richard Carrier s new book Sense amp Goodness Without God AnsweringInfidels com Archived from the original on 2006 02 11 Retrieved 2013 10 23 Richard Carrier On the Deceptions of David Wood Defending the Resurrection By Ed James Patrick Holding Why David Wood Deleted His Channel retrieved 2023 01 21 It s Not the End David Wood explains why he deleted his content from YouTube retrieved 2023 01 21 My Parting Gift to Hatun Tash Is retrieved 2022 07 12 MY FINAL LIVESTREAM AND VIDEO DELETION PARTY retrieved 2023 01 21 Apologetics Roadshow YouTube YouTube Wood Family Story YouTube Acts17David April 17 2023 In 2007 our 3rd son was born but he wasn t moving or breathing Once the doctors figured out what disease he had they told us he had a 50 chance of reaching his 1st birthday and a 30 chance of reaching his 2nd birthday Yesterday around 4 00pm Reid went to be with Jesus Tweet Retrieved April 17 2023 via Twitter External links EditOfficial website Philosophy Underground Acts 17 Polemics His YouTube channel Apologetics Roadshow His YouTube channel The David Wood Archives YouTube Channel with his old videos Reasoned Answers Apologetics Archive Website with all David s deleted videos Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title David Wood Christian apologist amp oldid 1180640543, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
