Kirsten Powers

Kirsten Powers, an American author and columnist, has written for USA Today and is a New York Times bestselling author. She is described as "a ferocious advocate of her points of view". Born in Fairbanks Alaska, her parents, both archaeologists, encouraged intellectual curiosity and open debate in which she was expected to defend her positions on issues at the dinner table. Kirsten graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Journalism becoming a columnist at the Daily Beast, USA Today, and later a political analyst at CNN. While she was initially influenced by her father's Christian faith, her working world was "aggressively secular" and her group of friends were "overwhelmingly atheist". She often "derided Christians as anti-intellectual bigots who were too weak to face the reality that there is no rhyme or reason to the world." This was Kirsten Powers, an outspoken atheist, until a profound spiritual transformation occurred in her mid-thirties. Initially, a boyfriend introduced her "open mind" to Tim Keller, an intellectually rigorous Christian pastor and his sermons. A series of personal challenges and conversations with Christian friends led her to explore Christianity. Ultimately, she experienced what was described as an "unmistakable encounter with God" while visiting Taiwan. After wrestling for months with the "horror of the prospect of being a devout Christian", Kirsten Powers would finally embrace Christianity. Can an outspoken writer and atheist discover her new role to play in the Christian story?