There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind by Antony Flew, Roy Abraham Varghese Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind
Book Review: Excellent establishment of the evidential difficulty of atheism.
Summary: 5 Stars
About time philosophy hit back at the crass intellectual infertility of blinkered atheism. This is an excellent book, and the inadequacy and limited attacks of its critic is ample demonstration of how the IQ pans out either side of realit's sophistication.. Book Review: I read this book with an open mind, but I'm still an atheist!
Summary: 3 Stars
Anthony Flew, who has become a theist or deist after many decades of fighting in the atheist corner, has recently written a book explaining his `conversion'. He asks three questions: `How did the laws of nature come to be?'; `How did life originate from nonlife?'; and `How did the universe come into existence?'. Flew cites the views of a number of scientists, including Einstein, who believe (or believed) that the physical and mathematical regularities of nature powerfully suggest an infinitely intelligent Mind. This is a very odd argument, given that alleged irregularities such as walking on water and raising men from the dead have traditionally been employed to suggest the existence of God. Indeed, it might be argued that a lawless, irrational universe held together by pure, omnipotent volition points more powerfully to a God than a closed system of physical laws. Flew's second argument is that life, which depends on complex chemical coding, cannot have originated from mindless matter. This seems to undermine Flew's first argument, in that it suggests that God's physical and mathematical universe is insufficient for the purposes He had in mind when he set it up and that he has had to breathe a bit of magic into it at certain points. How life can originate from `mindless matter' I do not know but physicist Victor Stenger in God: The Failed Hypothesis (2007: page 52) assures us that `we have no reason to conclude that life could not have a purely material origin'. Flew's third contention is that `the universe is something that begs an explanation' and concludes that an `uncaused God' is a very promising explanation. Perhaps it is, but as theologian Keith Ward has conceded, we have no way of checking whether such a God actually exists.
David Warden - Dorset Humanists
Book Review: Following the evidence
Summary: 4 Stars
After fifty years as a leading non-theistic philosopher, whose challenges to theistic thinkers did much to shape the debate about God, Flew declared himself convinced of the existence of a God (although not of any particular religious tradition) in 2004, thereby sending shock-waves through the atheist community.
Unfortunately, several prominent atheists responded to Flew's apostasy with ad hominem assertions about his losing his marbles in his dotage (yes he is getting slower and forgetful, especially of names; but his solo interviews and writings seem lucid, and his arguments should be taken on their own merit), or about his hedging his bets with respect to the afterlife (despite the fact that Flew doesn't believe in an afterlife!).
Part autobiography, part theistic apologetic, Flew's 'last will and testament' There Is a God (written with Roy Abraham Varghese) is a fascinating read that deserves wide circulation and careful consideration.
Flew summarised the reasons for his change of mind in an exclusive 2007 interview with Benjamin Wiker:
'With every passing year, the more that was discovered about the richness and inherent intelligence of life, the less it seemed likely that a chemical soup could magically generate the genetic code. The difference between life and non-life, it became apparent to me, was ontological and not chemical. The best confirmation of this radical gulf is Richard Dawkins' comical effort to argue in The God Delusion that the origin of life can be attributed to a `lucky chance.' If that's the best argument you have, then the game is over... I would add that Dawkins is selective to the point of dishonesty when he cites the views of scientists on the philosophical implications of the scientific data. Two noted philosophers, one an agnostic (Anthony Kenny) and the other an atheist (Nagel), recently pointed out that Dawkins has failed to address three major issues that ground the rational case for God. As it happens, these are the very same issues that had driven me to accept the existence of a God: the laws of nature, life with its teleological organization and the existence of the Universe.'
Book Review: The evidence leads to agnosticism
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an interesting book which is worth reading for the seond half. Flew effectively points to, among other things, the futility of atheism now that we know that this Universe had a beginning and we have no explanation for how it started. The fact is we do not know what 'caused' the universe and must therefore remain agnostic as to whether it was caused by an 'uncaused' god or some other Physical law we know nothing about. Flew also effecively shows that the theory of relativity and big bang lend considerable credance to the monotheistiic religions notion of an omniscient God who operates outside of space/time. I think it is true to say that the evidence has led us to this point. Book Review: Catch the Flew!
Summary: 5 Stars
A clear,accessible account of how the worlds most influential militant Atheist of the last Fifty years was led by the Socratic Principle of "Follow the evidence where it leads" from a position of radical unbelief to affirmation of the existence of a creator God, all be it an "Aristotelian Deist" one.
What is truely fascinating about this conversion narrative is that it occurres purely within the sphere of rational enquiry and one that owes nothing to any Damascene religious conversion but to at least Twenty years of quiet, careful sifting of the testimony coming in from both the natural sciences and contemporary 'secular' philosophy.
This is a brave book and it has taken a great deal of personal courage for Anthony Flew to have 'come out' as an ex-Atheist in the current poisonous atmosphere created by extremists such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris.
It is sad, though predictable, that militant Atheists have instead of honestly engaging with the intellectual contents of the book resorted to Ad Hominem attacks on both Professor Flew and co-author Roy Varghese and asserted ridiculous accusations and conspiracies such as "the book was really written by Christians" (even though you will not find a single argument in Flews text in support of orthodox Christian doctrines and that the same philosophical position articulated in the present work can be found in Flews new introduction to the latest reprint of his 'God and Philosophy').
Although probably the most hienous and desperate tactic employed has been the insinuation that at 84 years old Flews mental health has deteriorated or as one charming Atheist I have had the misfortune to encounter put it: "Flew probably has Alzhiemers". In fact so vitriolic and prevalent has the propoganda been that Professor Flew has had to release the following statement through his publisher:
"My name is on the book and represents exactly my oppinions. I would not have a book issued in my name that I donot 100% agree with. I needed someone to do the actual writing because I am 84 and that was Roy Varghese role. The idea that someone manipulated me because I am old is exactly wrong. I may be old but is hard to manipulate me. This is my book and it represents my thinking."
Militant Atheists have to ask themselves if these allegations are true why:
A, Publication of the book has not resulted in legal action.
B, Anthony Flew has publicly claimed authorship of the book.
C, Flews arguments contain no support for orthodox Christian doctrine.
D, Why no formal diagnosis of Alzhiemers or any other degenerative brain disease or psychological disorder exists in the case of Professor Flew.
To quote Professor Nicholas Wolterstorff (Yale): "['There is a God'] is eloquent testimony to Flews openess of mind, fairness and intellectual integrity.I couldn't have put it better myself.