NAVIGATION: HUB POST | Part 1 Bridging Faith and Science | PART 2 Debating the New Atheist | PART 3 Eschatology, AI, and Hope for the Future
Debating the New Atheists
John Lennox Series, Part 2
John Lennox engaging in public debate.
Why Debate Matters
In the 2000s, the New Atheism movement surged, led by thinkers like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. Their books and debates argued that religion is irrational and harmful.
John Lennox, then a professor of mathematics at Oxford, stepped onto the public stage as one of the most effective Christian responders. He argued not with anger or defensiveness but with what observers called a “winsome approach”(Bartlo, 2012). For Lennox, debates are not about “scoring points” but about seeking clarity and truth.
As he once remarked: “You cannot get good public policy out of a bad public debate.” For him, open, respectful dialogue is essential in a polarized age.
Key Debates
📖 The God Delusion Debate (2007)
- Opponent: Richard Dawkins
- Topic: Dawkins’ book The God Delusion
- 📺 Watch here
- Lennox’s Response: He challenged Dawkins’ assertion that faith is blind, pointing out that Christianity rests on historical evidence, not wishful thinking.
🏛️ Has Science Buried God? (2008)
- Opponent: Dawkins (again, at Oxford Museum of Natural History)
- 📺 Watch here
- Lennox’s Response: Science has not buried God—it points to Him. He stressed that the intelligibility of the universe fits better with a rational Creator than with blind chance.
🍷 Is God Great? (2010, Samford University)
- Opponent: Christopher Hitchens
- 📺 Watch here
- Lennox’s Response: Against Hitchens’ claim that “religion poisons everything,” Lennox highlighted Christianity’s historical role in education, science, and human rights.
⚖️ Is There a God? (2011, Melbourne)
- Opponent: Peter Singer, atheist bioethicist
- 📺 Watch here
- Lennox’s Response: He argued that objective moral values require a transcendent source, best explained by the existence of God.
🔬 Science and Scientism (multiple debates with Peter Atkins)
- 📺 Watch a debate here
- Lennox’s Response: He dismantled “scientism” (the belief that only science produces truth), showing that it is self-refuting—the statement itself is not a scientific one.
Sample Arguments
- Fine-Tuning & Design
- Claim: The universe’s constants are finely tuned for life.
- Response: This is better explained by intelligent design than by chance or a multiverse.
- Morality & God
- Claim: Morality can exist without God.
- Response: Objective moral duties and human dignity are best grounded in the Imago Dei.
- Resurrection & History
- Claim: Miracles are implausible.
- Response: The resurrection has strong historical evidence (empty tomb, appearances, rise of the early church).
A Winsome Model
What set Lennox apart in these debates was not only his arguments but his tone. He engaged his opponents firmly yet respectfully, often with humor and kindness. As a result, even skeptical audiences acknowledged his intellectual credibility.
For Christians, Lennox modeled how to defend faith without anger. For skeptics, he shattered the stereotype that evangelicals are anti-intellectual. His debates remain a masterclass in respectful persuasion.
Coming Next
In Part 3: Eschatology, AI, and Hope for the Future, we’ll look at John Lennox’s insights on technology, artificial intelligence, suffering, and Christian hope.
References
Bartlo, J. (2012, May 18). Biola University honors Dr. John Lennox for contributions to the philosophy of science. Biola News. Retrieved from https://www.biola.edu/news/articles/2012/20120518-john-lennox
Lennox, J. (2009). God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? Lion Books.
Lennox, J. (2019). Can Science Explain Everything? The Good Book Company.
Wikipedia. (2025). John Lennox. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennox
Return to Hub – https://smithforchrist.wpcomstaging.com/2025/08/19/john-lennox-hub/
Go to Part 3 – https://smithforchrist.wpcomstaging.com/2025/08/19/john-lennox-part-3-eschatology-ai-and-hope-for-the-future/
Pingback: John Lennox – Hub – Smith For Christ Blog