If you have listened to Catholic podcasts or gone to Bible studies or parish missions in recent years, you have probably heard his name before.
Dr. John Bergsma, a husband and father of eight, is one of the most sought-after Scripture scholars in the Church today, and few men know the Book of Exodus as well as he does.
A Protestant Pastor Led Home by Scripture
Dr. Bergsma’s story begins outside the Catholic Church. He earned his B.A., M.Div., and Th.M. at Calvin College and Seminary and served for four years as a Protestant pastor. Then, while he was working on his doctorate at the University of Notre Dame, the very texts he was studying kept pointing him toward Rome, and in 2001 he entered the Catholic Church.
He tells that story in his 2018 book Stunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me Catholic, which has helped many readers, Protestant and Catholic alike, find their way (back) to the Church and fall in love with Her.
A True Scholar of the Old Testament
In 2004 Dr. Bergsma earned his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Notre Dame with high honors, and that same year he began teaching Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville. His work centers on the Old Testament, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the biblical year of jubilee. He also serves as Vice President for Biblical Theology and Mission Effectiveness at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, where he works closely with its founder, Dr. Scott Hahn.
He has written more than a dozen books and over two dozen scholarly essays and articles. Among the best known are A Catholic Introduction to the Bible, which he co-authored with Brant Pitre, Bible Basics for Catholics, and Yes! There Is a God!
Dr. Bergsma often speaks at parishes, conferences, and clergy gatherings around the world. He also appears on Catholic television and radio and on popular podcasts like Pints with Aquinas, Godsplaining, and Capturing Christianity. Each week he joins Dr. Scott Hahn at the St. Paul Center to reflect on the Sunday Mass readings.
The Spiritual Guide of the Exodus 90 Challenge
Exodus 90 takes its name and shape from the Book of Exodus, and few are better suited to guide us through that story than Dr. Bergsma. He has spent his academic career tracing the journey of the People of Israel from slavery in Egypt to freedom in covenant with God. In 2024 Dr. Bergsma led the St. Paul Center’s Lenten Bible study on Exodus, reading and reflecting on all 40 chapters of the book and challenging participants to grow in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Starting January 11, 2027, he’ll lead us along that road through his world-class reflections on the Exodus 90 app, Monday through Friday. Join Dr. John Bergsma and tens of thousands of men for the Exodus 90 Challenge.
Download the Exodus 90 app or sign up for our waitlist at exodus90.com to learn more.
