Joseph Burton Lumpkin

Joseph Burton Lumpkin was born in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, May 25, 1955.

His early years were spent under the tutelage of his grandfather, W.R. Lumpkin, a Baptist minister and former pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Chattanooga,TN. [http://www.churches-in.com/tennessee/Chattanooga/] . There he began his study in the fields of Theology and Ministry.

Lumpkin is considered to be one of the leading scholars in the field of ancient religious texts. He has produced over a dozen books on subjects such as Gnosticism, Midrash writings, and the translation of non-canon texts. According to Lumpkin, many non-biblical works influenced modern theology.

He has been referenced in such articles as Thomas the Apostle, wherein Lumpkin's work entitled, "The Tao of Thomas" is cited.

His book entitled "The Lost Book of Enoch: A Comprehensive Transliteration" (ISBN 0974633666), maintains its position of the top selling book on the subject.

Lumpkin obtained a doctorate in the field of ministry from Battlefield Baptist Institute in Mississippi in 2002 and soon after began translating and publishing ancient non-canonical texts. Not long after the publication of his first book he founded Fifth Estate Book Publishers.

A partial catalog of his works follows:

* The Lost Book Of Enoch: A Comprehensive Transliteration
* The Book of Jubilees; The Little Genesis, The Apocalypse of Moses
* The Book Of Jasher: The J. H. Parry Text in Modern English
* The Gnostic Gospels of Philip, Mary Magdalene, and Thomas
* The Gospel of Thomas: A Contemporary Translation
* The Tao of Thomas
* Fallen Angels, The Watchers, and the Origins of Evil: A Problem of Choice
* The Gospel of Judas: The man, His History, and His Story
* End of Days: The Apocalyptic Writings - The Apocalypse of Abraham, The Apocalypse of Thomas, or The Revelation of Thomas, 4 Ezra, also referred to as 2 Esdras or the Apocalypse of Ezra, 2 Baruch, also known as the Syriac. Apocalypse of Baruch
* Dark Night of the Soul - A Journey to the Heart of God
* The Tao Te Ching: A Contemporary Translation
* Christian Counseling – Healing the Tribes of Man

In 1990 Lumpkin became the C.E.O. of a world outreach ministry called, "Karate for Christ." He retired in 2005 when the membership reached 10,000.

Joseph Burton Lumpkin married Audra Lynn O'Shields in 1993.

In 1995 Lumpkin founded the Christian martial arts style of Shinsei Hapkido.

He graduated with a doctorate in Ministry 2002

In 2004 he founded Fifth Estate Publishing. In 2007 Fifth Estate published its 50th title.

Joseph Lumpkin now resides in the state of Alabama, where he continues to teach and write.