The Christian writer James Innell Packer, better known to many as J. I. Packer has died aged 93.
Packer grew up in an Anglican home but became an evangelical Christian at Oxford University where he was influenced by the lectures of C.S Lewis.
He was born in England and spent the first half of his life there holding teaching positions in theological colleges before moving to Canada.
His first book, 'Fundamentalism and the Word of God', sold 20,000 copies in its first year and has been in print consistently ever since.
But he is best known for his book, 'Knowing God', which has sold one and a half million copies and champions the authority of the bible. In it he quoted Jeremiah 6:16, with its image of "ancient paths... where the good way is."
He helped give a voice for conservative evangelical theology speaking out about scriptural interpretation of womens' roles in ministry and the Church's attitude to homosexuality.
In 2005 TIME magazine named him one of the 25 most influential evangelicals.
On hearing about his death Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby tweeted: "Dr James Packer's death ends a wonderful service to God by a disciple of learning, wisdom and holiness. A giant of his time."
