Search

Home > Life & Faith > Coming to Faith Through Dawkins
Podcast: Life & Faith
Episode:

Coming to Faith Through Dawkins
Category: Religion & Spirituality
Duration: 00:37:00
Publish Date: 2023-11-22 19:00:00
Description:

A new book tells the stories of people whose encounters with New Atheism set them on the path to Christianity.  

--- 

“He said, I’ve been a scientist all my life and I was an atheist – quite a happy atheist, you know, I wasn’t particularly looking for other worldviews. Until I read The God Delusion in 2006. And that really shook my faith in atheism.” 

It’s around 15 years ago that the so-called New Atheism – represented most prominently by the “Four Horsemen” Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and of course Richard Dawkins – had its heyday. The conversation they instigated gave many people permission to fully and publicly embrace disbelief in God; perhaps even a strong belief that religion was harmful and should be done away with.  

For others, encountering the work of the New Atheists had quite the opposite effect. A new book, Coming to Faith Through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity, edited by Alister McGrath and Denis Alexander, tells the stories of people for whom, paradoxically, New Atheism became a doorway to Christian faith.  

In this episode of Life & Faith, co-editor Denis Alexander explains how the book “wrote itself” and why it’s not meant to be a triumphalist read. And contributors Johan Erasmus and Anikó Albert explain why the New Atheism had such a significant – and contrary – impact on their lives. 

--- 

Buy Coming to Faith Through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity 
Total Play: 0