Alister McGrath (1953 – present) was a brilliant scholar who began his academic life as a scientist, and studied chemistry at Oxford. He went on to earn three PhDs from Oxford in science, theology, and intellectual history. The only problem with this intellectual giant was that he was a passionate atheist. During his teen years McGrath believed that science and religion were mutually exclusive and that science rendered a belief in God obsolete. To McGrath, religion was nothing more than an emotional crutch for weak-minded individuals.
However, at Oxford, he started to reexamine his atheistic assumptions as he began to interact with several scientists, who he respected, that happened to be Christians, who not only believed in science but also in the existence of God. This created a dissonance in McGrath’s mind because his belief system stated that you couldn’t be a scientist and believe in God. These scientists clearly saw no issues with the fields of scientific studies they were involved with and belief in God. This was a watershed moment for McGrath who then began to use his great reasoning power to explore Christianity intellectually.
The more he examined atheism he began to realize that his whole belief system rested on a claim that couldn’t be proven. In fact atheism like the Christian faith had to be accepted as a worldview based on faith since no one can prove that God does not exist.
As McGrath continued to contrast science and Christianity he realized that science, when it stayed in its lane, in describing how the physical world works, was a valuable tool. However, science by its very nature is not equipped to answer many of the deeper questions in life such as how did our universe come into existence, what happens to us when we die, and why do we care about meaning and morality.
As McGrath studied Christianity his entire worldview changed. He saw, for the first time, that science and faith could be companions in the quest for knowledge and the understanding of who we are in this vast universe we inhabit. His conversion to faith was not an emotional leap in the dark, but and intellectual journey into the light of reason.
McGrath, today, is a leading advocate that uses intellect and logic to defend Christianity from the assaults of atheism. In fact, McGrath strongly contends that Christianity was responsible for laying the intellectual foundations that made modern science possible. This belief is based on the fact that our universe is orderly, and knowable.
The author of more than fifty books, McGrath today, is a highly sought after speaker, who loves to share his journey from atheism to faith with the same passion he once exhibited as a non-believer. In tomorrow’s devotional I will share some of his thought provoking quotes that I pray will appeal to your intellect as well as your sense of wonder.