The Embattled Christian: William Gurnall and the Puritan View of Spiritual Warfare started life as a thesis for the degree of Master of Christian Studies at Regent College, Vancouver. Its author, Bryan G. (Garth) Zacharias was at the time (1995) working in the library of the University of British Columbia (a post he left in 1998).
Zacharias was born in 1953 in South Dakota, the first son of Victor and Marilouise Zacharias. His father was a Baptist minister. The family moved in subsequent years to La Grande (1958-65) and Portland in Oregon (1965-75), and Anchorage, Alaska (1975-1984). His father’s final ministry was in Grande Prairie Alliance Church, Alberta, from 1984. Victor and Marilouise Zacharias died in Grande Prairie within six weeks of each other in 2010.
Bryan Zacharias spent some time in the Army prior to taking his Masters. He is married to Judy and they have four children – Brandon, Rachel, Austin, and Yaysha. He currently lives in Grande Prairie, Alberta, where he works in community rehabilitation with people who are brain-injured.