Gary Chapman (author)

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Gary Chapman is a minister, counselor, and author of the Five Love Languages series. He is the director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. He also has a radio program on marriage that airs on over 100 stations.

He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Wheaton College and Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in anthropology from Wake Forest University. He also received Master of Religious Education (M.R.E.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.^[1]

Chapman is also the senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He joined the staff in 1971 and shares the responsibilities of teaching and family care. Dr. Chapman regularly speaks during the Sunday morning worship services. He is an intellectual Bible teacher who uses a singular wit and dry humor in his teaching style.

He is perhaps best known for his concept of "love languages," which posits that every person feels most loved when love is expressed through one of five modes: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. Chapman argues that while each of these modes is enjoyed to some degree by all people, a person will usually prioritize one mode over the others and will not feel as loved if the love is not expressed in that "language." The first of many books promoting this concept was The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate, published in 1992. The book has sold over 3 million copies in English — having been translated into 33 other languages^[2] — and the 1996 edition consistently ranks in the top 100 sellers on Amazon.com in August 2006. Since then, Chapman has gone on to apply the concept in additional books focusing on children, singles, men, and teenagers, and the topics of God and apology.

[edit] Selected bibliography

Gary Chapman (2004). The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate (new edition). Northfield Press. ISBN 1-881273-10-5.
Gary Chapman, Ross Campbell, M.D. (1997). The Five Love Languages of Children. Moody. ISBN 1-881273-65-2.