Paul Backholer
Co-Founder & Global Director
Paul Backholer is the Co-Founder and Global Director of ByFaith Media. As an author, broadcaster, explorer and analyst, his media contributions span international networks and have received coverage from major global news outlets, including The Times, The Express and CNN. Combining media and theology, he is an international documentary-maker featured on platforms such as Amazon Prime, and the co-producer and host of ByFaith TV.
Dedicated to scriptural exegesis and textual integrity, he has authored a comprehensive body of literature. Beyond the vast reach of his essays on ByFaith.org, his numerous books have garnered an expanding global readership. His research specialisations focus on four primary spiritual and academic pillars—pneumatology, biblical archaeology, eschatology and religious historiography—documenting the historical trajectory, global expansion and cultural impact of the Christian Church.
A defining element of his broadcast portfolio is his comprehensive exploration and study of the archaeology of the ancient Bible lands. By examining the material culture, sacred sites and historical geography of the ancient Near East, he seeks to unveil biblical narratives for modern audiences. This research directly inspired his series Walk the Bible, which bridges ancient discoveries with scriptural history and reaches millions on social media.
Fascinated by the synthesis of faith and reason, Paul frequently examines the intellectual approach of the Oxford Inklings, the mid-20th-century literary circle that included C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Through their work he highlights a robust, multifaceted model for the intellectual defence of faith. Unlike modern paradigms that often pit cynicism against emotion, he illustrates how the Inklings demonstrated that a rigorous case for faith must harmonise reason, myth and imagination.
Paul’s trajectory began with formal theological training, after which he served as a staff member at a theological school and itinerant preacher. Fuelled by a calling from God and an encounter with the Holy Spirit, his ministry has since spanned over forty nations. Driven by a missiological quest to reach the unreached, share Christ and capture the awe of faith on the fringes of the earth, his extensive field travels read like an epic of modern discovery.
He has undertaken complex overland journeys, including a trans-African expedition from Cairo to the Cape and a cross-Eurasian journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway from Mongolia to Moscow. His global expeditions span vastly different worlds—from canoeing among isolated communities in the Pacific to riding bullet trains across China—with further journeys through Southeast Asia, South America, India and the historic lands of the Middle East and Levant.