LaHAYE, Tim(othy) F. 1926-

Personal

Born April 27, 1926, in Detroit, MI; son of Francis T. (an electrician) and Margaret (a fellowship director; maiden name, Palmer) LaHaye; married Beverly Jean Ratcliffe (a writer and lecturer), July 5, 1947; children: Linda, Larry, Lee, Lori. Education: Bob Jones University, B.A., 1950; Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, D.Min., 1977. Religion: Baptist. Hobbies and other interests: Flying his twin-engine plane, snow skiing, water skiing, football, motorcycling, golfing.

Addresses

Home— 2447 Camino Monte Sombra, El Cajon, CA 92019.

Career

Pastor of Baptist churches in Pickens, SC, 1948-50, and in Minneapolis, MN, 1950-56; Scott Memorial Baptist Church, El Cajon, CA, senior pastor, 1956-81. Host, with wife, of television program "LaHayes on Family Life," and of Tim LaHaye's Capitol Report. President of Christian Heritage College, 1970-76; lecturer for Family Life Seminars, 1972—. Military service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 1944-46; became sergeant.

Awards, Honors

D.D., Bob Jones University, 1962.

Writings

Spirit-Controlled Temperaments, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1966, updated and expanded edition, 1993.

How to Be Happy Though Married, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1968, 2002.

Transformed Temperaments, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1971, 1993.

The Beginning of the End, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1972, revised and expanded edition, 1991.

How to Win Over Depression, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1973, revised edition, 1996.

Revelation Illustrated and Made Plain, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1973, revised edition published as Revelation Unveiled, 1999.

The Ark on Ararat, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1976.

(With wife, Beverly LaHaye) The Act of Marriage, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1976, 1998.

How to Study the Bible for Yourself, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1976, revised edition, 1998.

The Bible's Influence on American History, Master Books (San Diego, CA), 1976.

Understanding the Male Temperament: What Every Man Would Like to Tell His Wife about Himself . . . But Won't, Revell (Old Tappan, NJ), 1977, published as Understanding the Male Temperament: What Women Want to Know about Men but Don't Know How to Ask, second edition, Revell (Grand Rapids, MI), 1996.

Spirit-Controlled Family Living, Revell (Old Tappan, NJ), 1978.

The Battle for the Mind, Revell (Old Tappan, NJ), 1980.

Life in the Afterlife, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1980.

The Battle for the Family, Revell (Old Tappan, NJ), 1981.

The Battle for the Public Schools, Revell (Old Tappan, NJ), 1982.

Anger Is a Choice, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1982, 2002.

How to Manage Pressure before Pressure Manages You, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1983.

The Coming Peace in the Middle East, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1984.

Your Temperament: Discover Its Potential, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1984.

(With wife, Beverly LaHaye) Practical Answers to Common Questions about Sex in Marriage, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1984.

The Hidden Censors, Revell (Old Tappan, NJ), 1984.

Sex Education Is for the Family, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1985.

The Race for the Twenty-first Century, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1986.

Faith of Our Founding Fathers, Wolgemunt & Hyatt (Brentwood, TN), 1987.

Finding the Will of God in a Crazy, Mixed-up World, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1989.

How to Study Bible Prophecy for Yourself, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1990, published as Understanding the Last Days, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1998, published as Understanding Bible Prophecy for Yourself, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2001.

If Ministers Fall, Can They Be Restored?, Pyranee Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 1990.

I Love You, But Why Are We So Different?, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1991, revised edition published as Opposites Attract, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1998.

No Fear of the Storm, Multnomah Books (Sisters, OR), 1992, published as Rapture under Attack, Armageddon Books (West Jefferson, NC), 1998.

Against the Tide: How to Raise Sexually Pure Kids in an "Anything Goes" World, Multnomah Books (Sisters, OR), 1993, published as Raising Sexually Pure Kids: How to Prepare Your Children for the Act of Marriage, Multnomah Publishers (Sisters, OR), 1998.

A Nation without a Conscience, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1994.

(With Jerry and Ramona Tuma) Smart Money: Understanding and Successfully Controlling Your Financial Behavior, Multnomah Books (Sisters, OR), 1994.

The Spirit-Filled Family, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 1995.

Jesus, Who Is He?, Multnomah Books (Sisters, OR), 1996, published as Why Believe in Jesus, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2004.

Power of the Cross: Real Stories, Real People, a Real God, Multnomah Books (Sisters, OR), 1998.

(With wife, Beverly LaHaye) Gathering Lilies from among the Thorns, New Leaf Press (Green Forest, AR), 1998.

Bible Prophecy: What You Need to Know, Armageddon Books (West Jefferson, NC), 1999.

(With Jerry B. Jenkins) Are We Living in the End Times?, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1999.

(With wife, Beverly LaHaye, and Mike Yorkey) The Act of Marriage after Forty: Making Love for Life, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 2000.

(Editor) Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible: King James Version, Armageddon Books (West Jefferson, NC), 2000.

(With David Noebel) Mind Siege: The Battle for Truth in the New Millennium, Word (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(With Bob DeMoss) The Mind Siege Project, Word (Nashville, TN), 2001.

Why Christians Should Study Bible Prophecy, World Prophetic Ministry (Colton, CA), 2001.

(With Bob DeMoss) All the Rave ("Soul Survivor" series), W Publishing (Nashville, TN), 2001.

(With Thomas Ice) Charting the End Times, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2001.

(With Ed Hindson) Seduction of the Heart: How to Guard and Keep your Heart from Evil, W Publishing (Colorado Springs, CO), 2001.

(With Jerry B. Jenkins) Perhaps Today: Living Every Day in the Light of Christ's Return, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

(With Bob DeMoss) Last Dance ("Soul Survivor" series), W Publishing (Nashville, TN), 2002.

The Merciful God of Prophecy: His Loving Plan for You in the End Times, Warner (New York, NY), 2002.

(With Jerry B. Jenkins and Norman B. Rohrer) These Will Not Be Left Behind: Incredible Stories of Lives Transformed after Reading the "Left Behind" Novels, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(Editor, with Thomas Ice), The End Times Controversy, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2003.

(With Jerry B. Jenkins) The Promise of Heaven, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2003.

The Rapture, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2003.

(With Jerry B. Jenkins) God Always Keeps His Promises, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2003.

(With Bob DeMoss) Black Friday ("Soul Survivor" series), W Publishing (Nashville, TN), 2003.

(With Greg Dinallo) Babylon Rising, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Jerry B. Jenkins) Jesus and the Hope of His Coming, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2004.

(With Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry) A Kid's Guide to Understanding the End Times, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2004.

(With Jerry B. Jenkins) Jesus Is Coming Soon, Harvest House (Eugene, OR), 2004.

"LEFT BEHIND" SERIES; WITH JERRY B. JENKINS

Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1995.

Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1996.

Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1997.

Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1998.

Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1999.

Assassins: The Great Tribulation Unfolds, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1999.

The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

The Mark: The Beast Rules the World, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2002.

Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

Glorious Appearing: The End of Days, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

"LEFT BEHIND--THE KIDS" SERIES; WITH JERRY B. JENKINS; FOR YOUNG ADULT READERS

The Vanishings (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1998.

Second Chance (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1998.

Through the Flames (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1998.

Facing the Future (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1998.

Nicolae High (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1999.

(With Chris Fabry) The Underground (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 1999.

(With Chris Fabry) Death Strike (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

(With Chris Fabry) On the Run (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

(With Chris Fabry) Earthquake (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

(With Chris Fabry) The Search (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

(With Chris Fabry) Into the Storm (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

(With Chris Fabry) Busted! (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

(With Chris Fabry) Fire from Heaven (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

(With Chris Fabry) Battling the Commander (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

(With Chris Fabry) The Showdown (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

(With Chris Fabry) Terror in the Stadium (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

(With Chris Fabry) Judgement Day (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

(With Chris Fabry) Darkening Skies (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

(With Chris Fabry) Uplink from the Underground (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2002.

(With Chris Fabry) Secrets of New Babylon (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2002.

(With Chris Fabry) Horsemen of Terror (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2002.

(With Chris Fabry) Escape from New Babylon (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2002.

(With Chris Fabry) A Dangerous Plan (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2002.

(With Chris Fabry) Attack of the Apollyon (also see below), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2002.

(With Chris Fabry) Death at the Gala, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) The Mark of the Beast, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) Wildfire!, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) Escape to Masada, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) The Beast Arises, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) Murder in the Holy Place, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) Breakout, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) War of the Dragon, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) Pursued (contains Nicolae High, The Underground, Busted!, and Death Strike ), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

Taken (contains The Vanishings, Second Chance, Through the Flames, and Facing the Future ), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2003.

(With Chris Fabry) Frantic (contains Secrets of New Babylon, Escape from New Babylon, Horsemen of Terror, and Uplink from the Underground ), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

(With Chris Fabry) Hidden (contains The Search, On the Run, Into the Storm, and Earthquake ), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

(With Chris Fabry) Rescued (contains The Showdown, Judgement Day, Battling the Commander, and Fire from Heaven ), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

(With Chris Fabry) Stung (contains Terror in the Stadium, Darkening Skies, Attack of the Apollyon, and A Dangerous Plan ), Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

(With Chris Fabry) Bounty Hunters, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

(With Chris Fabry) Attack on Petra, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2004.

Adaptations

Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days was adapted for a feature film by Cloud Ten Pictures, 2001. Books in the "Left Behind" series have been adapted to audio cassette.

Sidelights

Tim F. LaHaye has authored many nonfiction books on Bible study and Christian living, but he has perhaps reached his largest audience through his fictional efforts. In his "Left Behind" series, coauthored with Jerry B. Jenkins, LaHaye uses Bible prophecy to create contemporary action plots.

LaHaye began his career as an evangelical pastor. While leading a Baptist church in California during the mid-1950s, he and his wife began hosting a radio program about family life. From that forum, they attacked humanism as an anti-Christian force that would work to destroy traditional family values. One of LaHaye's earliest books, Spirit-Controlled Temperament, sold more than half a million copies. During the 1960s, LaHaye worked to establish a private school system that reflected his Christian beliefs. He also began writing nonfiction books on biblical prophecies, an interest that continued into the 1990s with his fictional series "Left Behind."

The "Left Behind" series begins with an event called the Rapture, which some Christians believe will precede the second coming of Christ. As described in the Book of Revelation, the Rapture is portrayed as a sudden blast of a heavenly trumpet, after which all who have truly been saved will be carried up safely to heaven. Those left behind will have to live through the fearsome "end times" and the rule of the Antichrist. In the first book in LaHaye's series, Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days, Rayford Steele is a jet pilot, a married man, and a half-hearted churchgoer. He is considering the possibility of an affair with a beautiful flight attendant when dozens of people suddenly vanish from his plane, leaving only empty piles of clothing behind. Steele soon discovers that millions of people across the country have similarly disappeared, including his wife and a son. It is indeed the beginning of the time of tribulation—the last chance for sinners and lukewarm Christians to work out their eternal salvation before the second coming of Christ.

Over the course of several books in the series, terrible events unfold, as the Antichrist—Satan's most powerful servant—forges a global government and seeks to put his mark on everyone. Having been galvanized into true faith, Steele becomes a member of the Tribulation Force, a small band of Christians dedicated to battling the rampant forces of evil. Many commentators have noted the appeal of changing potentially gloomy prophecies into entertaining novels. Discussing Left Behind in Christian Century, John D. Spalding reflected that the authors have "added sizzle to their apocalyptic visions by casting them as pop fiction. Here the good guys are fundamentalist Christians, the bad guys are everyone else, and the conflict involves a melee of supernatural forces vying for control of the world. Welcome to the Christian thriller. How better to prepare the masses for the end than to mask the message as a fun beach read?" Spalding warned that Left Behind is "full of diatribes and unflattering portrayals of women, liberals, Jews, Californians and the media," but added that it is "suspenseful and surprisingly well written. The characters think and act like real people." The authors also collaborated on a second version of the series, aimed at a young adult audience. "Left Behind" has become the best selling Christian fiction series in history.

Biographical and Critical Sources

BOOKS

Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 39, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2001.

Menconi, Jan, editor, The Battle for the Mind Study Guide, Revell (Old Tappan, NJ), 1983.

Religious Leaders of America, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1999.

PERIODICALS

American Scholar, winter, 2000, J. C. Furnas, "Millennial Sideshow," p. 87.

Booklist, October 15, 1994, Ray Olson, review of A Nation without a Conscience, p. 376; November 1, 1995, John Mort, review of Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days, p. 455; October 1, 1996, John Mort, review of Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind, p. 304; June 1, 1998, review of Soul Harvest, p. 1669; October 1, 1996, review of Tribulation Force, p. 304; February 1, 1999, review of Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed, p. 940; August, 1999, John Mort, review of Assassins: The Great Tribulation Unfolds, p. 1987; February 15, 2000, Whitney Scott, review of Apollyon, p. 1128; July, 2002, Ray Olsen, review of The Merciful God of Prophecy: His Loving Plan for You in the End Times, p. 1794.

Book World, September 12, 1999, reviews of Assassins and Left Behind, p. 9.

Christian Century, May 22, 1996, John D. Spalding, review of Left Behind, p. 587.

Christianity Today, February 17, 1984, Bradley P. Hayton, review of The Battle for the Mind, p. 48; December 13, 1985, "Leaders of the Christian Right Announce Their Next Step," p. 65; January 17, 1986, Beth Spring, "Magazine Says Tim LaHaye Received Help from Unification Church," p. 40; September 1, 1997, review of Left Behind, p. 22; March 1, 1999, Steve Rabey, "Apocalyptic Sales out of This World," p. 19; October 23, 2000, John Donelson, "Teaching the Timeless to the Time-Conscious," p. S3.

Christian Reader, September, 2000, review of The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession, p. 7.

Christian Science Monitor, August 22, 1996, review of Left Behind, p. 13; November 25, 1996, reviews of Left Behind and Tribulation Force, p. 12; January 23, 1997, review of Left Behind, p. 12.

Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, June 15, 2000, Ken Garfield, "Believers Don't Always Want to Separate Themselves from the Secular World," p. K229.

Library Journal, June 1, 1996, Harry Carrigan, Jr., review of Left Behind, p. 92; September 1, 1996, Henry Carrigan, Jr., review of Tribulation Force, p. 164; July, 1997, John Mort, review of Nicolae: The Rise of the Antichrist, p. 1775; September 1, 1997, review of Nicolae, p. 168; June 1, 1998, Melissa Hudak, review of Soul Harvest, p. 94; May 15, 1999, review of Left Behind (audio version), p. 147; September 1, 1999, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Assassins, p. 172.

Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, February, 1999, review of Left Behind, p. 37.

Marriage Partnership, summer, 2000, review of The Indwelling, p. S4.

Mother Jones, January, 1986, Carolyn Weaver, "Unholy Alliance," p. 14.

Nation, July 9, 1983, Jane O'Reilly, review of The Battle for the Family, p. 51; September 22, 2003, Melani McAlister, "An Empire of Their Own: How Born-Again Christians Turned Biblical Prophecy into Big Time Profit," p. 31.

National Review, December 21, 1998, Matthew Scully, reviews of Tribulation Force, Soul Harvest, Nicolae, and Left Behind, p. 62.

New Republic, November 8, 1999, review of Assassins, p. 76.

New York Times, October 4, 1998, Laurie Goodstein, "Fast-Selling Thrillers Depict Prophetic View of Final Days," p. 1.

People, December 14, 1998, Thomas Fields-Meyer, "In Heaven's Name: Their Novels of Life after the Rapture Make Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye Prosperous Prophets," p. 139.

Present Tense, winter, 1985, Adam Simms, "Tim LaHaye on Israel," p. 57.

Publishers Weekly, June 7, 1991, "If Ministers Fall, Can They Be Restored?," p. 46; July 26, 1999, review of Assassins, p. 82; September 25, 2000, review of The Act of Marriage after Forty: Making Love for Life, p. 111; November 13, 2000, review of The Mark: The Beast Rules the World, p. 88; April 1, 2002, review of Seduction of the Heart: How to Guard Your Heart from Evil, p. 76; July 22, 2002, review of The Merciful God of Prophecy, p. 171.

Salt Like Tribune, September 19, 1998, Steve Rabey, "'End-Time' Religious Novels Are Selling Like There's No Tomorrow," p. C3.

Time, September 2, 1985, Richard N. Ostling, "Jerry Falwell's Crusade: Fundamentalist Legions Seek to Remake Church and Society," p. 48; July 1, 2002, John Cloud, "Meet the Prophet: How an Evangelist and Conservative Prophet Turned Prophecy into a Fiction Juggernaut," p. 50.

U.S. News & World Report, July 10, 2000, "Ask Dr. Hip," p. 62.

Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 1994, review of Against the Tide: How to Raise Sexually Pure Kids in an "Anything Goes" World, p. 56.

Wall Street Journal, July 17, 1986, Jane Mayer, "Women's Movement Seeks to turn Tide for ERA but Faces Barrage by Conservatives in Vermont," p. 48; July 14, 2000, Susan Lee, "Something of a Revelation," p. W11.

Washington Post, October 19, 1998, "True Believers," p. D2.

West Coast Review of Books, January, 1984, review of How to Manage Pressure before Pressure Manages You, p. 52; May, 1985, review of The Coming Peace in the Middle East, p. 58.

ONLINE

Tim LaHaye Ministries Home Page, http://www.timlahaye.com/ (January 15, 2004).*