The Dawkins Delusion

Alister McGrath
The website of an Oxford academic interested in the natural sciences, Christian theology, apologetics, and C. S. Lewis.
I am the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at the University of Oxford. After studying chemistry as an undergraduate at Oxford, specializing in quantum theory, I undertook doctoral research under the supervision of Professor Sir George Radda in the Oxford University Department of Biochemistry, before switching to study theology at Oxford. In addition to my Oxford doctorate in molecular biophysics, I have two further earned Oxford doctorates in theology and intellectual history. My research includes extended engagements with the ideas of the Oxford writers C. S. Lewis and Richard Dawkins, as well as the relation of science and faith, and Christian theology and apologetics. All of these themes are explored in my publications and this website.

Weekly Video Postings: Every week, I will publish a video presentation dealing with some interesting issues, including short series dealing with the ideas of C. S. Lewis, the atheism of Richard Dawkins, Christian apologetics, some aspects of Christian theology, or my own move from atheism to Christianity. For a full list of these presentations and links, see here.

The current series of presentations looks some themes relating to C. S. Lewis, including the reasons why he moved away from atheism, and his vision of the Christian faith. The final presentation in this series is now published; this deals with Lewis on the problem of pain. Next week, we begin a series of twelve new presentations, in which I explain how I moved from atheism to Christianity, and explored its leading ideas.

Christian Theology: An Introduction. A set of nineteen video presentations are now available introducing every chapter of this best-selling textbook, helping you to get the most out of using it.

Theology: The Basics. A set of eleven video presentations are now available which introduce each of the chapters of this popular introductory textbook. A really useful resource that will help you get more out of using it.

The Christian Theology Reader. I have now posted a 25 minute video which provides an extended commentary on one reading from this widely-used work to help readers apply the same approach and gain more from their engagement with the 350 readings in this collection. The reading I chose for this extended engagement is 1.4, Augustine on Philosophy and Theology. I hope you find it helpful! You can apply the basic approach I use in engaging this reading to the others.

Just published: Alister McGrath, Through a Glass Darkly: Journeys through Science, Faith and Doubt. This is the story of my shift from atheism to Christianity, and how I came to love theology. I will post some videos about this soon. Watch here for details.

Just published: Alister McGrath, J. I. Packer: His Life and Thought. This is a great introduction to the life and ideas of the leading evangelical thinker James I. Packer, who died in Vancouver in July 2020. It has now been published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton, and in North America by InterVarsity Press. My Oxford colleague Dr Andrew Atherstone liked it: ‘Alister McGrath is a brilliant guide to Jim Packer’s invigorating theological vision. Crisp, incisive commentary on every page!’