In todayâ??s rapidly changing religious landscape, we often hear about former Christians who have become atheists, but only rarely do we take seriously the stories of former atheists who have converted to Christ. As more and more Westerners identify as religiously unaffiliated, it is critical to acquaint ourselves with atheists and agnostics who have become disciples of Jesus. In so doing, the church is better equipped to nurture more such transitions in the future.
Alister McGrath, currently a Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford, provides a fascinating example of this phenomenon. McGrath grew up in the religiously charged atmosphere of Northern Ireland. Like many of his generation, it seemed obvious that faith was a source of little more than violence and strife, and he rejected the church and embraced what he has described as an â??aggressiveâ? atheism. McGrath later went on to study both biology and theology at the graduate level. In the course of his education he explored the intellectual history of science as well as its philosophical underpinnings, and something began to change:
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