Os Guinness was born on September 30, 1941, in China, where his parents were medical missionaries. He is a great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer who founded the Guinness brewery. Os grew up in China during a period of tremendous upheaval, including the Japanese occupation and the Chinese Civil War. He later returned to Europe and pursued his education in the United Kingdom. He earned a Bachelor of Divinity from the University of London and later completed a DPhil (Ph.D.) in social sciences from Oriel College, Oxford University. Os Guinness currently resides in the United States. Though British by nationality, he has become an influential voice particularly in American evangelical circles, often speaking at universities, think tanks, and conferences.