There is a God by Antony Flew - Book Review

How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind

Aug 7, 2009 Ronald G Falconberry

British philosopher Antony Flew was a renowned atheist for over 50 years until the principle "follow the evidence where it leads" led him to believe that there is a God.

British philosopher Antony Flew has been regarded as one of the most renowned atheists during the last half of the twentieth century having published over 30 books, produced essays and participated in debates arguing against the existence of God.

Flew's belief in Socrates' philosophy to "follow the evidence wherever it leads" influenced his work and eventually led him to announce in 2004 that he had changed his mind about the existence of God. His book, There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind, co-written by Roy Abraham Varghese, explains how he became an atheist and what led him, fifty years later, to accept that God is real.

There is a God contains two main sections. "My Denial of the Divine" is composed of the first three chapters and covers Flew's education, life and writing. The last seven chapters, grouped under "My Discovery of the Divine," describes Flew's journey to a belief in God.

Antony Flew as an Atheist

Flew was raised in a Christian home – his father was a Methodist minister – but he could not accept that a loving, omnipotent God would allow evil to exist in the world. This reasoning, along with his academic studies, led Flew to reject the idea of God’s existence.

As a student at Oxford, Flew attended meetings of the Socratic club, led by C.S. Lewis, where religious discussions were held. Many vigorous discussions occurred and participants produced papers and essays to support their positions. It was in one of those meetings in 1950 that Flew produced his famous essay “Theology and Falsification.”

Through the rest of "My Denial of the Divine" in There is a God, Flew writes about his education in philosophy at Oxford and his subsequent professorships at Aberdeen in Scotland, the University College of North Staffordshire, the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and the University of Reading in England. He includes details about his many essays and books while also discussing various philosophical arguments and concepts.

Some of the philosophical concepts may be hard to understand for those who do not have a background in philosophy but, on the whole, the section gives a concise snapshot of Flew’s life and work as an atheist.

Scientific Evidence Led Antony Flew to Believe in God

Flew’s departure from atheism was not sudden. As he writes, “Over the last two decades, my whole framework of thought has been in a state of migration," which was due to “my continuing assessment of the evidence of nature.”

According to Flew, there are three areas of scientific inquiry that he feels are important:

"How did the laws of nature come to be?"
"How did life as a phenomenon originate from nonlife?"
"How did the universe, by which we mean all that is physical, come into existence?"

The rest of "My Discovery of the Divine" explains how the ongoing accumulation of scientific discoveries, particularly in the area of DNA, influenced Flew. The Socratic principle to follow the evidence wherever it leads, combined with mounting scientific and natural evidence, finally led Antony Flew to conclude that the areas of scientific inquiry could “only be explained in the light of an Intelligence that explains both its own existence and that of the world.”

Antony Flew Responds to Critics of His Belief in God

After Flew acknowledged his belief in the existence of God, critics attacked his change by claiming his advanced age had led him to fear facing God in the afterlife. Throughout his life as an atheist, he rejected the idea of an afterlife and, as he writes in his introduction, "this is one area in which I have not changed my mind." A man who does not believe in the afterlife has no reason to fear it.

While theologians are happy with Antony Flew's conversion, he stops short of a belief in the Judeo-Christian God. As a deist, he believes that God created the universe but has neither intervened in it since its creation nor given any special revelation to mankind.

Summary of There is a God

There is a God provides an intriguing look at the development and philosophy of a man who was well-known and highly-respected throughout the atheist community. It then traces his journey as he followed the evidence of nature to ultimately conclude that, indeed, there is a God.

Those who want an insight into atheist philosophy, or who want to develop arguments against such philosophy, should find this book interesting to read and enlightening.

There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind is published by HarperCollins Publishers (2007). 222 pages. (ISBN 0 06 133529 0).

Additional Reading on Antony Flew's There is a God

Dr. Gary R. Habermas, a Professor of Philosophy and Theology and member of the Editorial Board for "Philosophia Christi" conducted an exclusive interview with Antony Flew regarding his change of mind.

The copyright of the article There is a God by Antony Flew - Book Review in History/Philosophy Books is owned by Ronald G Falconberry. Permission to republish There is a God by Antony Flew - Book Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

There is a God by Antony Flew