- Born and raised in India, Vishal studied philosophy at the University of Allahabad (1967-‘69) and Indore (1971-’73), in Hindu ashrams, and at the L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland.
As a teenager, Vishal struggled with habits of lying and stealing. Unable to save himself from these sins he asked the Lord Jesus Christ to become his savior. Later, his studies in philosophy forced Vishal to question his childhood faith and, ironically, helped him realize that no man can know truth unless there is someone who knows Truth and reveals it. Initially, his fresh and critical reading of the Bible repulsed him but, eventually it convinced him that the Bible is, in fact, God’s communication to a sinful man. His study of Hindu gurus and first-hand encounter with the poor and oppressed, in rural India, further deepened his appreciation of the Bible and God’s redemptive power.
In 1976 along with his wife, Ruth, he founded a community to serve the rural poor in India. Vishal continued his direct involvement in community transformation until 1997, including service at the headquarters of two national political parties. There, he worked toward the empowerment and liberation of Indian peasants and the lower castes
In 1977, Asia’s then largest publisher, Vikas Publishing House, published Vishal’s first book, The World of Gurus. This evaluation of the lives, teachings, and communities of Hinduism’s most famous religious personalities was serialized in India’s then-largest weekly, Sunday, and is still used today as a textbook in universities.
His next two books, When the New Age Gets Old: Looking For A Greater Spirituality (IVP 1992) and India: The Grand Experiment (Pippa Rann books 1997) brought his work to the attention of American and European readers.
At the turn of the Millennium, Vishal and Ruth were invited to come to America to make a television series exploring the Bible’s role in creating the modern world. Their research, in preparation of making a documentary film, has been published in books, DVDs, CDs and in Social Media.
In 2009, Vishal initiated an education movement in Indonesia that aims to equip local churches to offer their facilities as Internet-ready college class rooms capable of delivering an on-line curriculum, by way of webcasts. This vision is gaining traction around the world.
From November 2013, Vishal will also serve as the Honorary Professor of Applied Theology in the Gospel and Plough Faculty of Theology at the Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology, and Sciences (formerly an agricultural institute, but now deemed a university by the Government of India.)
Today, through the Revelation Movement, Vishal and Ruth Mangalwadi continue their mission to disciple nations through church and internet-based education, while utilizing media platforms to disseminate timeless truths. They have two daughters and six grandchildren.
