I’ve always been fascinated by stories of famous atheists coming to faith in the God of the Bible. I find joy in listening to their accounts of how God’s grace has profoundly changed their lives. It reminds me of my own faith journey, but that’s another article you can read about at your leisure (The Educational Variety). I really wish that atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Peter Atkins, Lawrence Krauss, and Bart Ehrman would loosen their grip on materialism and at least start to wonder if the supernatural is in the realm of possibility. I think it’s a little bit arrogant to think it’s not. How can people believe there is nothing greater than mankind’s intellect and abilities? Is there no room for God? If so, why not? Is Science all there is? Don’t you need immaterial things, such as the laws of logic, to even do Science? The following are cases of famous atheists who took the plunge into the Christian faith and never regretted it.

Intellectuals and Academics

One of the most famous conversions to the Christian faith is the case of Clive Staples Lewis, better known as C.S. Lewis. He was an Oxford professor, scholar, and author. In his early 30s, he was an avowed, staunch atheist. Through discussions with Christian friends such as J.R.R. Tolkien, he gradually became convinced of the rational and moral coherence of Christianity. After his conversion, he became one of the most influential Christian writers of the 20th century (Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia).

Alister McGrath, a biochemist at Oxford, was a committed atheist during his youth in Northern Ireland. His scientific training initially fueled his disbelief in God. As he probed deeper into the mysteries of existence, he became convinced that Christianity provided a more coherent understanding of reality than atheism. He later became a Christian apologist and author. His book, The Dawkins Delusion, was his response to Richard Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion.

Anthony Flew was an English philosopher famous for his arguments for atheism. He argued that one should “presuppose” atheism until empirical evidence was uncovered suggesting the existence of God. [1] In 2004, he announced that he had come to believe in a Creator based on scientific evidence for design. After his conversion to Christianity, he authored There Is a God.

Writers

Another amazing life transformation occurred in the case of Lee Strobel. He worked as an investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune and was a self-proclaimed atheist. After his wife converted to Christianity, he was determined to disprove Christianity and tried for two years to do so. However, much to his surprise, during his investigation, the evidence he uncovered for the historicity and truth of Christianity led to his own conversion to the faith. Since then, he has written numerous inspiring books, including The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator, among others.

Malcolm Muggeridge was a prominent British journalist and social critic. He spent much of his life as an agnostic and critic of religion. His spiritual questions and encounter with Mother Teresa eventually led him to Christianity. His conversion was marked by a profound change in his life, manifesting in a renewed sense of purpose and perspective, which he shared candidly in his writings and broadcasts.

Andrew Klavan, an award-winning novelist and screenwriter, was raised Jewish but became an atheist. He came to believe that Jesus was real and the divine Son of God through reading the Gospels. After his conversion, he became a powerful Christian apologist and commentator. (See The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ.)

Author and journalist Peter Hitchens, is the brother of the famous atheist and debater, the late Christopher Hitchens. Peter was a former Marxist and atheist. He converted to Christianity because of his exposure to Christian art and Scripture. Today, he is a Christian writer (see The Rage Against God) and social commentator.

Scientists

Dr. Francis Collins, leader of the Human Genome Project, identified as an atheist during his early career. After reading C.S. Lewis and reflecting on moral law and the origin of the universe, he became convinced that Christianity was true. He describes his faith journey in the book “The Language of God.”

I love Dr. Sy Garte’s (biochemist and professor) conversion story. He was raised in a militant atheist family. The start of his faith journey began when he observed evidence of design while studying biology and the complexity of life. He converted to Christianity by studying science and reading Scripture. You can read about his journey in his book: The Works of His Hands: A Scientist’s Journey from Atheism to Faith. Cameron Betuzzi from Capturing Christianity features Dr. Sy Garte’s conversion story in his YouTube video: Why This Atheist Scientist Became a Believing Christian.

Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez’s journey from atheism to faith is another remarkable story. He is an Astrophysicist who once focused exclusively on naturalistic explanations for the existence of life, including consciousness, thoughts, and emotions. His conversion experience came through his research on planetary habitability and contemplating the uniquely fine-tuned parameters necessary for life. He is the co-author of the excellent book and video The Privileged Planet (written with Jay Richards).

And finally, my personal favorite is the conversion account of Dr. James Tour. He is a scientist at Rice University in the fields of Chemistry and Nanotechnology. He was born Jewish and was an atheist in his early years. Through personal study and prayer, he became convinced of the deity of Jesus. He is now a prolific Christian speaker on science and faith, and intelligent design. His Origin of Life videos on YouTube are especially interesting. See ORIGIN of Life, Abiogenesis Season 2 Trailer — with Dr James Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP7ojkrZ1sc&list=PLILWudw_84t22BWvWsoXCmaXNllbfJ2h7&index=1.

Entertainers

I find the conversion of Rock legend Alice Cooper one of the most interesting, since he was so well known for his shocking performances and substance abuse. After hitting bottom, he returned to Christianity with the help of his wife and pastor. I admire him for regularly speaking publicly about his Christian faith.

Many people know that Kirk Cameron, star of the TV series Growing Pains, is a Christian. But did you know that he was once an atheist? I didn’t! He converted to Christianity as a teenager and is now a famous apologist and author. He’s well known for his role as journalist Buck Williams in the Left Behind series and co-author of the book The Way of the Master with Ray Comfort. He also has his own show, The Kirk Cameron Show, on YouTube.

Conclusion

Each of these individuals found answers to their deepest questions about the Christian faith. Their experiences demonstrate that their commitment to uncovering the truth yielded meaningful results, as evidenced by the positive transformations in their lives.

References

1. Wikipedia contributors. (2025, May 3). Antony Flew. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Flew