▁The ological ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁did ▁doctor al ▁studies ▁in ▁Christian ▁Ap olog et ics ▁at ▁West min ster ▁The ological ▁Sem inary , ▁and ▁earned ▁his ▁Ph . D ▁in ▁Bib lic al ▁Studies ▁at ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁The ological ▁Sem inary . ▁ ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁manager ▁of ▁Ap olog et ics ▁and ▁Inter fa ith ▁Evangel ism ▁for ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁Mission ▁Board ▁( based ▁in ▁Al ph are tta , ▁Georgia ), ▁an ▁ag ency ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Bapt ist ▁Convention . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁executive ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Institute ▁for ▁Relig ious ▁Research , ▁an ▁independent , ▁evangel ical ▁non pro fit ▁organization ▁( former ly ▁located ▁in ▁Grand ▁Rap ids , ▁now ▁based ▁in ▁C ed ar ▁Spr ings , ▁Michigan ). ▁He ▁is ▁married ▁to ▁wife ▁C ath y ▁with ▁four ▁children . ▁ ▁Writ ings ▁Bow man ▁is ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁nearly ▁si xty ▁articles ▁and ▁of ▁a ▁dozen ▁books . ▁Five ▁of ▁those ▁books ▁he ▁co - author ed ▁with ▁Kenneth ▁D . ▁Bo a , ▁an ▁Oxford - tra ined ▁scholar ; ▁two ▁of ▁these ▁books ▁( An ▁Un ch anging ▁Fa ith ▁in ▁a ▁Ch anging ▁World ▁and ▁Fa ith ▁Has ▁Its ▁Re asons ) ▁won ▁the ▁Gold ▁Med all ion ▁Book ▁Award . ▁Four ▁of ▁his ▁earliest ▁books ▁were ▁the ological ▁crit iques ▁of ▁the ▁teach