Atheist Turned Deist

Christianity Today has an interesting article about Antony Flew, "one of the world's leading philosophers," who recently declared his abandonment of Atheism for a belief in God. The article, based on an extensive interview, makes it clear that Flew is not a Christian but a Deist. He does not believe in miracles, although he concedes their theoretical possibility, nor does he believe in eternal damnation (someone should introduce him to the writings of the Rambam, specifically Shemonah Perakim ch. 8 and Hilkhos Teshuvah 8:5).

He was particularly influenced by philosopher Alvin Plantinga and Israeli physicist Gerald Schroeder (no kidding!).

Actually, Flew has been rethinking the arguments for a Designer for several years. When I saw him in London in the spring of 2003, he told me he was still an atheist but was impressed by Intelligent Design theorists. By early 2004 he had made the move to deism. Surprisingly, he gives first place to Aristotle in having the most significant impact on him. "I was not a specialist on Aristotle, so I was reading parts of his philosophy for the first time." He was aided in this by The Rediscovery of Wisdom, a work on Aristotle by David Conway, one of Flew's former students.

Flew also cites the influence of Gerald Schroeder, an Israeli physicist, and Roy Abraham Varghese, author of The Wonder of the World and an Eastern Rite Catholic. Flew appeared with both scientists at a New York symposium last May where he acknowledged his changed conviction about the necessity for a Creator. In the broader picture, both Varghese and Schroeder, author of The Hidden Face of God, argue from the fine-tuning of the universe that it is impossible to explain the origin of life without God. This forms the substance of what led Flew to move away from Darwinian naturalism.

Quite astonishing!

(thanks to R. Yitzchok Adlerstein)