Headquarters Michigan, United States | ||
Similar Wellspring Retreat and Reso, Cult Information Centre, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, Christian Research Institute, Christian Apologetics and Rese | ||
The Institute for Religious Research is a United States Christian apologetics organization based in Cedar Springs, Michigan. It declares itself to be a non-denominational, non-profit Christian foundation for the study of religious claims, and was formerly known as Gospel Truths Ministries. IRR is a member of Evangelical Ministries to New Religions and was headed by Luke P. Wilson until his death in 2007. Concurrent with the release of The DaVinci Code, the Baptist Press noted IRR's Ronald V. Huggins and his apologetic analysis of the film. IRR's current staff includes Robert M. Bowman Jr., executive director, and Joel Groat, ministry director (specializing in Latin America).
Controversy and Mormonism
IRR was also noted by the Salt Lake Tribune for its documentary critique of the Book of Abraham, entitled "The Lost Book of Abraham: Investigating a Remarkable Mormon Claim". The University of Utah's student newspaper observed the absence of opportunity for LDS to respond in the film; additionally, the Deseret News pointed out IRR's criticism of the efforts of Richard Mouw of Fuller Seminary to repent for the actions of evangelicals. In an article for a journal published by Brigham Young University's Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, John Gee considered IRR's publication By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri by Charles M. Larson to be a "deliberate deception".