“We are living in unprecedentedly exiting times. But most of us don’t know it yet…By this I mean the emergence of inescapably compelling evidence for God’s existence.[1]” This is how Eric Metaxas begins his new book Is Atheism Dead? before brilliantly and thoroughly making his case. And it is a solid case indeed. Over the course of 30 chapters, divided into three topics of focus, Metaxas lays out his evidence like a well-spoken litigator before a jury. He deftly investigates the areas of science, archaeology, and truth, the last taking a hard look at the claims of pronounced atheists and the void their worldview leaves behind.
In Part I, he looks at the beginning of the universe—the Big Bang. He emphasizes how the fact that time, space, and matter are not eternal, that they have a beginning at some point in the finite past, implies they were created. Essentially, the universe is not eternal, and could not have been caused by something that is temporal, spatial, or material; those elements did not exist so the cause cannot have those properties. Basically, the Big Bang lines up with the first verses of Genesis 1. He also addresses the fine tuning of the universe, which implies a Fine Tuner. The initial conditions immediately following the Big Bang had to be precise to insane specifications OR the universe would have collapsed / life would not exist. Lastly in this section Metaxas looks at the origins of life and the issues with evolution (for more details, I recommend you get the book; I don’t want to steal his thunder).
In Part II, the historicity of the biblical record is explored with tremendous research and details provided regarding archaeological discoveries. Among these are the lost empire of the Hittites, which are spoken of often in the Old Testament. Criticism regarding no artifacts related to the Hittites was commonly cited to discredit the Bible as historically accurate (and if the Bible has any falsehoods, how can it be the Word of God?). And then archaeologists found evidence of the Hittites. Likewise, there was controversy regarding the then-accepted located “ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah,” which were challenged by a Biblical archaeologist who investigated sites which are in accord with where the Bible describes their locations. Sure enough, the now accepted locations for Sodom and Gomorrah are where continued excavations and research are taking place.
In Part III, the concept of truth is explored with heavy contrast between atheist rhetoric and claims against religion in general and Christianity in particular AND the evidence in reality which points to God’s existence and interaction with our reality. On trial are the proclaimed Four Horsemen of New Atheism and some of their more critical allegations against God. For example, Christopher Hitchens “often declared, ‘What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. This aphorism was repeated so often by his acolytes it came to be known as Hitchens’s Razor, catapulting him into the rare shaving orbit of such as William of Ockham. The difficulty with ‘Hitchens’s Razor’ is that is unintentionally severs the metaphorical jugular of its eponymous author, since the idea that there is nothing beyond the material world has itself been ‘asserted without evidence,’ and can therefore be summarily dismissed.[2]” To strengthen his argument, three former atheist forerunners’ biographies are explored and their documented turn to deism / theism is put on display. The ultimate slap in the face for those who hung by the coattails of these elite atheists in their time to have them turn around and declare atheism is incorrect and the evidence overwhelmingly leads them to the existence of God.
Overall, Metaxas has done the work and effectively built a case pointing to the downward trend for atheism. Over the past several decades, climaxed by the events of 9/11 which launched the Four Horsemen of the New Atheism to popularity, evidence logical arguments have piled up on the side of God and not the side of the “no God” camp. If you are looking for a book that is educational and informative at the same time entertaining and witty, Is Atheism Dead? is such a book! I highly recommend you put this on your reading list, especially if you are reading this post.
~In Christ!
[1] Metaxas, E. (2021). Is Atheism Dead? (p. 3). Washington, D.C: Salem Books.
[2] Metaxas, E. (2021). Is Atheism Dead? (p. 370). Washington, D.C: Salem Books.
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