Hugh Ross

Hugh Ross is a Canadian astrophysicist and Christian apologist best known for founding the old‐Earth creationist ministry Reasons to Believe (RTB) in 1986. Born in Montreal and raised in Vancouver, he earned a B.Sc. in physics from the University of British Columbia (1967), then completed an M.Sc. (1968) and Ph.D. in astronomy (1973) at the University of Toronto. As a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech (1973–1978), Ross studied quasars and galaxies.

After serving as minister of evangelism at Sierra Madre Congregational Church, he launched RTB to integrate scientific data and biblical interpretation. Ross rejects abiogenesis and Darwinian evolution, arguing—through “progressive creationism” and “day‐age” Old Testament exegesis—that God supernaturally orchestrated life’s development over billions of years. He links cosmic fine‐tuning to Jesus Christ as the designer and aims to bridge secular scientists and believers.

Over his career, Ross authored or co-authored more than a dozen books (e.g., The Creator and the Cosmos; Creation as Science; Improbable Planet), written widely on science‐faith issues, and lectured internationally. In 2012, he received the Trotter Prize for exploring theistic implications of Big Bang cosmology. After stepping down as RTB’s CEO in July 2022, he continues writing and speaking.

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• Advocates that God created life in stages over billions of years, rejecting both abiogenesis and macroevolution as sufficient explanations.
• Has been featured in outlets like Christianity Today, The LA Times, The Washington Post and Fox News, and has appeared on radio and television discussing science and faith.
• Author of titles such as The Fingerprint of God (1989), Creation as Science (2006) and Designed to the Core (2022), many translated into multiple languages.
• Holds a Ph.D. in astronomy (University of Toronto, 1973) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Caltech (1973–1978) studying quasars and galaxies.