Jerry B. Jenkins
Jerry Bruce Jenkins is an American writer. He is best known for the Left Behind series, co-written by Tim LaHaye. Jenkins has written or contributed to more than 220 books, in multiple genres, such as biography, self-help, romance, mystery, science fiction, and young adult fiction. His fiction often explore eschatological themes and settings.
In 2016, Jenkins was described as a dispensationalist Christian by The Washington Post.
Early life
Jenkins was born to Harry Philip Jenkins and Bonnie Grace Thompson of Kalamazoo, Michigan. In a 2008 interview with The Modesto Bee, Jenkins said his religious education began after he was inspired by a Warner Sallman painting, guided by his mother. After graduating from Forest View High School, Jenkins attended Moody Bible Institute from 1967 to 1968, and Harper College from 1968 to 1970.Career
After suffering an injury playing sports, Jenkins began work as a sports while he was still in high school. Before he could drive, Jenkins covered schoolboy sports for the Chicago Tribune, and other local newspapers. He was paid per inch. While attending Moody Bible Institute, Jenkins served as a sports editor for the institute's flagship radio station, WMBI-FM.He served as Vice President of the Moody's publishing division from 1985 to 1988, and a writer-in-residence from 1988 onward. He was the managing editor of Moody Monthly from 1974 to 1975. Since 2001, Jenkins has served as a member of Moody Bible Institute's Board of Trustees.
, Jenkins has written more than 220 books, including twenty-one New York Times bestsellers. His work has appeared in Time, Reader's Digest, Parade, and Guideposts. More than one hundred titles by Jenkins are young adult fiction, written in eleven series, including the forty-volume Left Behind: The Kids series.
From 2011 to 2017, Jenkins co-edited the Christian Writers Institute's Christian Market Writer's Guide.
As co-writer
Jenkins has co-written twenty autobiographies and memoirs of prominent athletes and religious leaders, such as Hank Aaron, Bill Gaither, Walter Payton, Joe Gibbs, Mike Singletary, and Sammy Tippit. Jenkins called those titles his "sports personality" books. His credit as co-writer is given via an "as told to", "as told by", or "with Jerry B. Jenkins" attribution. There is no indication what portion of the text was, or was not, written by Jenkins.In an interview with Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn podcast, Jenkins explained he doesn't co-write, saying "if my name is on … I wrote every word." With works co-written with Chris Fabry, such as The Wormlings series, Jenkins functioned as an editor, and Fabry was the sole writer. Jenkins said co-writing a book "is a nightmare," but can be successful if the roles among the credited writers are settled before hand. His collaboration with Billy Graham resulted in the memoir In His Own Words, published by Tyndale House, which Jenkins received sole writing credit.
''Gil Thorp''
The Dallas O'Neil and The Baker Street Sports Club series, and its follow up, the Dallas O'Neil Mysteries, prompted Gil Thorp creator Jack Berrill to open discussions with Jenkins on creating a line of young adult books Gil Thorp and the athletes at the fictional Milford High School. The Gil Thorp series was never realized, but following Berril's death in 1996, Jenkins was recruited by Tribune to continue to comic strip as its writer, with Rod Whigham as artist. During his tenure as writer, Jenkins introduced a number of controversial storylines, including a young shomer Shabbat joining the Milford football team, and a teen pregnancy story criticized as anti-abortion.Jenkins's sons, Chad and Dallas, contributed to Gil Thorp by developing scenarios for their father to write. According to the Chicago Reader, Chad Jenkins wrote the strip from 2001 to 2004 without credit.
Christian Writers Guild
In 1965, Norman Rohrer established the Christian Writers Guild. Rohrer offered a 48-part correspondence course intended to teach the craft of writing, as well as history and theology Rohrer believed were necessary to improve the quality of fiction and non-fiction writing intended for the Christian market. In 2001, Jenkins purchased the CWG, and Rohrer remained on staff as "Dean of the Guild". CWG transitioned from mail-based delivery, to an online platform. Jenkins recruited many of his friends and fellow writers to function as mentors to CWG members, and to expand the guild's offerings. In 2013, Jenkins developed the Christian Writers Guild Press intended to publish original works by CWG members. Jenkins's was criticized for creating a "vanity press", despite lambasting such publishing schemes in the past.According to literary agent Chip MacGregor, of MacGregor & Luedeke, Jenkins "was ready to return to his primary occupation and calling, that of full-time writing" by early-2014. Jenkins dissolved CWG in late-2014, which resulted in heavy criticism of both Jenkins and the CWG. Dennis E. Hensley told Christianity Today that Jenkins and the CWG had offered a "great service to developing writers." CWG's staff and mission were absorbed into a new organization called BelieversTrust, which operated until 2016.
Since 2016, Jenkins has taught an online writing course via his own platform, Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild.
''Left Behind''
Jenkins and co-author LaHaye of the Left Behind series were profiled in a May 24, 2004 cover story in Newsweek magazine entitled "The New Prophets of Revelation". LaHaye who conceived the series, handled the theological underpinnings of his end-of-the-world series, while Jenkins handled the writing. The Left Behind series includes 16 books which have sold over 60 million copies worldwide.In 2018, Left Behind series was ranked 77 in The Great American Read poll sponsored by PBS.
Personal life
Jenkins and his wife Diana, whom he married in 1971, reside in Black Forest, Colorado. He is the father of Dallas Jenkins, creator of The Chosen web television series; Chad Jenkins, the Sports Information Director at MidAmerica Nazarene University; and Michael Bruce Jenkins.When asked about his Christian denomination, Jenkins has often answered "Jesus Christ". Alissa Wilkinson, of Christian Today, described Jenkins as a dispensationalist Christian in an editorial for The Washington Post.
Non-fiction
Co-written works
Jenkins co-wrote the following memoirs and autobiographical works in which he received an "as told by" or "with Jerry B. Jenkins" attribution.| Title | Author | Date | Publisher | ISBN |
| The World's Strongest Man | Paul Anderson | 1975 | Moody | — |
| Stuff It | Dick Motta | 1975 | Chilton Company | |
| Three Behind the Curtain | Sammy Tippit | 1975 | Whitaker House | |
| Running for Jesus | Madeline Manning Jackson | 1977 | Word | |
| You, Me, He | Sammy Tippit | 1978 | Victor Books | |
| Home Where I Belong | B. J. Thomas | 1978 | W Publishing Group | — |
| Sweetness | Walter Payton | 1978 | Contemporary Books | |
| Reproduced by Permission of the Author | Sammy Tippit | 1979 | Victor Books | |
| The Luis Palau Story | Luis Palau | November 1980 | Fleming H. Revell | |
| Meadowlark | Meadowlark Lemon | April 1987 | Thomas Nelson | |
| Carry Me | Christine Wyrtzen | August 1988 | Moody | |
| Commitment to Love | Deanna McClary | April 1989 | Thomas Nelson | |
| Out of the Blue | Orel Hershiser | August 1989 | Wolgemuth & Hyatt | |
| Baby Mayfield | Larry Mayfield and Diane Mayfield | November 1989 | Moody | |
| Joe Gibbs: Fourth and One | Joe Gibbs | January 1991 | Thomas Nelson | |
| Singletary on Singletary | Mike Singletary | September 1991 | Thomas Nelson | |
| I Almost Missed the Sunset | Bill Gaither | August 1992 | Thomas Nelson | |
| No Matter What the Cost | Sammy Tippit | September 1992 | Thomas Nelson | |
| Miracle Man | Nolan Ryan | April 1993 | Thomas Nelson | |
| Field of Hope | Brett Butler | July 1997 | Thomas Nelson | |
| God's Secret Agent | Sammy Tippit | June 2001 | Tyndale House | |
| Game Plan for Life | Joe Gibbs | July 2009 | Tyndale House | |
| As Good as She Imagined | Roxanna Green | Worthy | ||
| The Matheny Manifesto | Mike Matheny | Crown |
Fiction
''Margo Mystery'' (1979–1984)
A Margo Mystery series was published by Moody. The first novel, Margo, was published by Jeremy Books, but later reprinted by Moody.| Title | Date | Publisher | ISBN | |
| 1 | Margo | January 1979 | Jeremy Books | |
| 2 | Karlyn | September 1980 | Moody | |
| 3 | Hilary | September 1980 | Moody | |
| 4 | Paige | May 1981 | Moody | |
| 5 | Allyson | August 1981 | Moody | |
| 6 | Erin | April 1982 | Moody | |
| 7 | Shannon | September 1982 | Moody | |
| 8 | Lindsey | February 1983 | Moody | |
| 9 | Meghan | February 1983 | Moody | |
| 10 | Janell | June 1983 | Moody | |
| 11 | Courtney | October 1983 | Moody | |
| 12 | Lyssa | January 1984 | Moody | |
| 13 | Margo's Reunion | September 1984 | Moody |
''Jennifer Grey Mystery'' (1983–1985)
A Jennifer Grey Mystery series was published by Victor Books.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | Heartbeat | January 1983 | |
| 2 | Three Days in Winter | January 1983 | |
| 3 | Too Late to Tell | January 1984 | |
| 4 | Getway | January 1984 | |
| 5 | The Calling | January 1984 | |
| 6 | Veiled Threat | January 1985 |
''Underground Zealot'' (2003–2005)
The Underground Zealot series was published by Tyndale House. Later marketed as the Soon trilogy.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | Soon | September 2003 | |
| 2 | Silenced | July 2004 | |
| 3 | Shadowed | September 2005 |
''Jesus Chronicles'' (2007–2010)
The Jesus Chronicles series, co-written by Tim LaHaye, is a narrative retelling of the four canonical gospels. Published by Penguin's Putnam Adult imprint. Reprints from Center Point assigned numbers to the novels.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | John's Story | ||
| 2 | Mark's Story | ||
| 3 | Luke's Story | ||
| 4 | Matthew's Story |
''Precinct 11'' (2011–12)
The Precinct 11 novels were published by Tyndale House.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | The Brotherhood | ||
| 2 | The Betrayal | ||
| 3 | The Breakthrough |
''Dead Sea Chronicles'' (2018–2020)
The Dead Sea Chronicles series is based on and inspired by the work of Craig A. Evans. Published by Worthy.Young adult fiction
''Tara Chadwick'' (1984)
The Tara Chadwick Series was published by Moody in 1984. Reprinted in 1992, including new cover art and formatting.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | Springtime Discovery | June 1984 | |
| 2 | Time to Tell | June 1984 | |
| 3 | Operation Cemetery | June 1984 | |
| 4 | Scattered Flowers | June 1984 |
''Bradford Family'' (1984–1986)
The Bradford Family Adventures series was originally published by Stanford Publishing, in 1984. Reprinted by Moody in 1990.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | Daniel's Big Surprise | July 1984 | |
| 2 | Two Runaways | July 1984 | |
| 3 | The Clubhouse Mystery | July 1984 | |
| 4 | The Kidnapping | July 1984 | |
| 5 | Marty's Secret | July 1985 | |
| 6 | Blizzard! | July 1985 | |
| 7 | Fourteen Days to Midnight | July 1985 | |
| 8 | Good Sport, Bad Sport | July 1985 | |
| 9 | In Deep Water | July 1986 | |
| 10 | Mystery at Raider Stadium | July 1986 | |
| 11 | Daniel's Big Decision | July 1986 | |
| 12 | Before the Judge | July 1986 |
''Dallas O'Neil'' (1986)
The Dallas O'Neil and the Baker Street Sports Club series was published by Moody in 1986.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | The Secret Baseball Challenge | March 1986 | |
| 2 | The Scary Baseball Player | March 1986 | |
| 3 | The Mysterious Football Team | March 1986 | |
| 4 | The Weird Soccer Match | March 1986 | |
| 5 | The Strange Swimming Coach | September 1986 | |
| 6 | The Bizarre Hockey Tournament | September 1986 | |
| 7 | The Silent Track Star | September 1986 | |
| 8 | The Angry Gymnast | September 1986 |
''Dallas O'Neil Mysteries'' (1988–89)
The Dallas O'Neil Mysteries series is a sequel to the Dallas O'Neil and the Baker Street Sports Club series. Also published by Moody.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | Mystery of the Kidnapped Kid | October 1988 | |
| 2 | Mystery of the Mixed-Up Teacher | October 1988 | |
| 3 | Mystery of the Missing Sister | October 1988 | |
| 4 | Mystery of the Scorpion Threat | October 1988 | |
| 5 | Mystery on the Midway | September 1989 | |
| 6 | Mystery of the Golden Palomino | September 1989 | |
| 7 | Mystery of the Skinny Sophomore | September 1989 | |
| 8 | Mystery of the Phony Murder | September 1989 |
''Toby Andrews'' (1996)
The Toby Andrews and the Junior Deputies series was published by Moody.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | House of Tunnels | July 1996 | |
| 2 | Man with a Terrible Secret | July 1996 | |
| 3 | The East Side Bullies | October 1996 | |
| 4 | The Neighborhood's Scariest Woman | October 1996 |
''Global Air Troubleshooters'' (1996)
The Global Air Troubleshooters series was published by Multnomah Books in 1996. Reprinted as AirQuest Adventures by Zondervan in 2006.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | Crash at Cannibal Valley | September 1996 | |
| 2 | Terror in Branco Grande | September 1996 | |
| 3 | Disaster in the Yukon | September 1996 |
''Red Rock Mysteries'' (2005–06)
The Red Rock Mysteries series was co-written by Chris Fabry. Published by Tyndale House. The series was reprinted in 2020, including new cover art and formatting.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | Haunted Waters | May 2005 | |
| 2 | Stolen Secrets | May 2005 | |
| 3 | Missing Pieces | May 2005 | |
| 4 | Wild Rescue | May 2005 | |
| 5 | Grave Shadows | September 2005 | |
| 6 | Phantom Writer | September 2005 | |
| 7 | Double Fault | September 2005 | |
| 8 | Canyon Echoes | September 2005 | |
| 9 | Instant Menace | March 2006 | |
| 10 | Escaping Darkness | March 2006 | |
| 11 | Windy City Danger | March 2006 | |
| 12 | Hollywood Holdup | March 2006 | |
| 13 | Hidden Riches | September 2006 | |
| 14 | Wind Chill | September 2006 | |
| 15 | Dead End | September 2006 |
''Renegade Spirit'' (2006–2008)
The Renegade Spirit series was co-written by John Perrodin. Published by Thomas Nelson's Integrity imprint. The premise is similar to the Underground Zealots series, also written by Jenkins.| Titles | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | The Tattooed Rats | ||
| 2 | Demon's Bluff | ||
| 3 | Seclusion Point |
''The Wormlings'' (2007–08)
The Wormlings series was co-written with Chris Fabry. Published by Tyndale House.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | The Book of the King | October 2007 | |
| 2 | The Sword of the Wormling | October 2007 | |
| 3 | The Changeling | October 2007 | |
| 4 | The Minions of Time | February 2008 | |
| 5 | The Author's Blood | February 2008 |
''Thirteen'' (2016–17)
The Thirteen science fantasy series was co-written by Trisha White Priebe. Published by Barbour.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | The Glass Castle | March 2016 | |
| 2 | The Ruby Moon | October 2016 | |
| 3 | The Paper Boat | April 2017 |
''Left Behind'' (1995–2007)
The Left Behind series, co-created and developed with Tim LaHaye, was published by Tyndale House. Thorndike Press, Turtleback Books, and others, offered reprints in various formats. Graphic novel adaptations of the series were published by Tyndale from 2001 to 2002. Tyndale also published devotional calendars for 2002 and 2003 which featured text from the novels. Prior to the release of Soul Harvest, the novels were not numbered. Not all printings include a number stamp.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | Left Behind | September 1995 | |
| 2 | Tribulation Force | September 1996 | |
| 3 | Nicolae | July 1997 | |
| 4 | Soul Harvest | June 1998 | |
| 5 | Apollyon | February 1999 | |
| 6 | Assassins | August 1999 | |
| 7 | The Indwelling | May 2000 | |
| 8 | The Mark | November 2000 | |
| 9 | Desecration | November 2001 | |
| 10 | The Remnant | May 2002 | |
| 11 | Armageddon | April 2003 | |
| 12 | Glorious Appearing | March 2004 | |
| 13 | Kingdom Come | April 2007 |
Prequel series (2005–06)
Marketed as Before They Were Left Behind, the series is a prequel to Left Behind. The novels introduced events which were resolved in Kingdom Come, the final installment of the main sequence.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | The Rising | February 2005 | |
| 2 | The Regime | October 2005 | |
| 3 | The Rapture | June 2006 |
''Kids'' (1998–2003)
Left Behind: The Kids is a retelling of events from the main sequence of novels from the point of view of four young survivors. The novellas were bound-up as the Young Trib Force series.| Title | Date | ISBN | |
| 1 | The Vanishings | ||
| 2 | Second Chance | ||
| 3 | Through the Flames | ||
| 4 | Facing the Future | ||
| 5 | Nicolae High | ||
| 6 | The Underground ‡ | ||
| 7 | Busted! ‡ | ||
| 8 | Death Strike ‡ | ||
| 9 | The Search ‡ | ||
| 10 | On the Run | ||
| 11 | Into the Storm ‡ | ||
| 12 | Earthquake! ‡ | ||
| 13 | The Showdown ‡ | ||
| 14 | Judgment Day ‡ | ||
| 15 | Battling the Commander ‡ | ||
| 16 | Fire from Heaven ‡ | ||
| 17 | Terror in the Stadium ‡ | ||
| 18 | Darkening Skies ‡ | ||
| 19 | Attack of Apollyon | ||
| 20 | A Dangerous Plan ‡ | ||
| 21 | Secrets of New Babylon | ||
| 22 | Escape from New Babylon ‡ | ||
| 23 | Horsemen of Terror ‡ | ||
| 24 | Uplink from the Underground ‡ | ||
| 25 | Death at the Gala ‡ | ||
| 26 | The Beast Arises ‡ | ||
| 27 | Wildfire! ‡ | ||
| 28 | The Mark of the Beast ‡ | ||
| 29 | Breakout! | June 2003 | |
| 30 | Murder in the Holy Place ‡ | June 2003 | |
| 31 | Escape to Masada ‡ | September 2003 | |
| 32 | War of the Dragon ‡ | September 2003 | |
| 33 | Attack on Petra ‡ | January 2004 | |
| 34 | Bounty Hunters ‡ | January 2004 | |
| 35 | The Rise of False Messiahs | ||
| 36 | Ominous Choices ‡ | ||
| 37 | Heat Wave ‡ | ||
| 38 | The Perils of Love ‡ | ||
| 39 | The Road to War ‡ | September 2003 | |
| 40 | Triumphant Return ‡ | September 2003 |
Non-fiction companions (1999–2005)
Jenkins co-wrote three companions with Tim LaHaye. Are We Living in the End Times? was not marketed as a Left Behind title; however, the book explored themes and settings depicted in the novels. These Will Not Be Left Behind is a retrospective of reader's experiences with the series, and how they "came to faith."| Title | Date | ISBN | Notes |
| Are We Living in the End Times? | October 1999 | ||
| These Will Not Be Left Behind | July 2003 | with Norman B. Rohrer | |
| The Authorized Left Behind Handbook | February 2005 | with Sandi L. Swanson |