Born on January 10, 1938, Gary Demonte Chapman is an American novelist, Baptist clergyman, and host of a radio talk program. Chapman is most known for his series on human relationships, The Five Love Languages.
Ministry
On January 10, 1938, Chapman was born in China Grove, North Carolina.
Chapman began working at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1971. He combines duties as a family caregiver and a teacher.
He is arguably best known for his “Five Love Languages” theory, which suggests that people can express and receive love using one of five “languages,” including physical touch, acts of service, receiving gifts, spending quality time with others, or words of affirmation.
A person will typically speak one primary language, according to Chapman, even if everyone enjoys each of these languages to some extent. He contends that while each of the five is significant, they can be ranked separately (after responding to the love language profile questions he created specifically for this reason).
First published in 1992, The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate was the first of many books that promoted the above concept. It has sold over 11 million copies in English, has been translated into 49 other languages, and the 2015 edition is regularly among the top 100 sellers on Amazon.com, ranking in the top 50 as of February 2007.
It also frequently appears in the top five books on the New York Times bestsellers list, sometimes taking the top spot.
In addition, he is the creator of the Five Love Language concept books for single individuals, parents of children and teenagers, and a special edition for males. He and Dr. Jennifer Thomas are co-authors of The Five Languages of Apology, a book about offering and accepting apologies.
Chapman also applied the ideas to interactions at work when he and Dr. Paul White co-authored The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. Chapman gives marital, family, and relationship workshops all around the world, and more than 400 stations broadcast his radio shows.
Published Books
The following are some of his books:
- Gary Chapman (1992). The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Northfield Press.
- Gary Chapman, Ross Campbell, M.D. (1997). The Five Love Languages of our Children. Moody.
- Gary Chapman (2004). The Five Love Languages: Singles Edition. Northfield Press.
- Gary Chapman, Jennifer Thomas (2006). The Five Languages of Apology. Moody.
- Gary Chapman (2009). The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted. Paperback: 160 pages. Moody Publishers; 1 edition (July 22, 2009).
Marital Status
He and Karolyn J. Chapman are wed. Shelley and Derek are their two grown children.
