Alister McGrath Interview Transcript

The following transcript is from an Apologetics 315 interview with Alister McGrath. Original audio here. Transcript index here. If you enjoy transcripts, please consider supporting, which makes this possible.

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BA: Hello this is Brian Auten of Apologetics 315.
Today's interview is with professor Alister McGrath, professor of theology, ministry, and education and head of the Centre of Theology, Religion & Culture at King's College, London. His studies range from a DPhil in molecular biophysics to a Doctor of Divinity at Oxford. He is noted for his work in historical, systematic and scientific theology. He is also author of a number of theology textbooks, scholarly articles, academic textbooks, as well as popular works. His works range from books in systematic theology and scientific theology to works dealing with the new atheism, apologetics and the Christian intellect.

Thank you so much for joining me today for this interview, Professor McGrath.

AM: Well it's a great pleasure. I look forward to our discussion.

BA: Now as you know, many people have heard of an atheist professor from Oxford, who was raised in a Christian home but who became an ardent voice for atheism. But others might want to hear about this Oxford atheist who became a Christian. Obviously, I'm talking about you, but would you mind telling me a bit more about your background and that journey?

Book Review: Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth by Alister McGrath

There is a trend today to see heresy as a forbidden fruit. What is heresy?; Who says these views are wrong?; Aren’t heresies just the losers in a power struggle?–these are but a few examples of the questions being asked about heresy. Alister McGrath’s book, Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth [1] seeks to explore many of these issues while providing a historical background for those looking into the topic.

“A heresy,” states McGrath, “is a doctrine that ultimately destroys, destabilizes, or distorts a mystery rather than preserving it… A heresy is a failed attempt at orthodoxy, whose fault lies not in its willingness to explore possibilities or press conceptual boundaries, but in its unwillingness to accept that it has in fact failed.”[2]

Alister McGrath on Giving Answers

“Apologists cannot be content to depend on borrowed answers. They need to develop answers for themselves. In short, they need to own their answers. Never give an answer to a question that doesn’t satisfy you in the first place.”

 - Alister McGrath

Mere Apologetics (Kindle Locations 2883-2885). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition. 

Alister McGrath on Defending Christianity

“The best defense of Christianity is its explanation. In other words, if you want to defend or commend Christianity, it is best to begin by telling people what it is really all about.”

 - Alister McGrath

Mere Apologetics (Kindle Locations 2326-2328). Baker Book Group. Kindle Edition. 

Book Review: The Passionate Intellect: Christian Faith and the Discipleship of the Mind by Alister McGrath

“You had me at ‘Hello’” said Renee Zellweger to Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. A reader yearns for that response to a book’s introduction.It was my first thought about McGrath’s essays when I read, “I have always believed that theology is at its best when it generates reflective practices in the life and service of The Church” (8). The opening pages are full of rich nuggets, the benefits of theology extolled. Theology has a “positive role” giving “coherence to the Christian vision of reality” explaining “a distinctive way of looking at things” illuminating “our perceptions, decisions, and actions” making “sense of itself and the world” presenting “something essential to Christian ministry and preaching” enabling “attractiveness of faith” inhabiting “the Christian interpretive community” energizing “The Church to witness in the public square.” Every page in my copy of The Passionate Intellect is marked, highlighted, with additional notes lining the margins.

Free Book Drawing: Mere Apologetics by Alister McGrath

Today Apologetics 315 will be giving away a copy of Alister McGrath's new book: Mere Apologetics: How to Help Seekers & Skeptics Find Faith. From the press release: "In the spirit of C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, Alister McGrath's Mere Apologetics seeks to equip readers to engage gracefully and intelligently with the challenges facing the faith today while drawing appropriately on the wisdom of the past. Rather than supplying the fine detail of every apologetic issue in order to win arguments, Mere Apologetics teaches a method that appeals not only to the mind but also to the heart and the imagination. This highly accessible, easy-to-read book is perfect for pastors, teachers, students, and lay people who want to speak clearly and lovingly to the issues that confront people of faith today."
This is a great book for those new to apologetics.

Congrats to Chad who won the drawing!

Book Review: Why God Won’t Go Away: Is the New Atheism Running on Empty? by Alister McGrath

Is another book on the New Atheism necessary? I’ve overcome my initial skepticism of the latest response to the New Atheism, and recommend McGrath’s treatment as a succinct, insightful analysis. McGrath has an imitable ability to demolish an opponent while employing irenic arguments calculated to convince rather than enflame. Why God Won’t God Away is the book you need to hand to the sincere atheist who questions today’s cadre of celebrity atheists.

Alister McGrath on Christianity Misunderstood

“Christianity is … rarely understood by those outside its bounds. In fact, this is probably one of the greatest tasks confronting the apologist -- to rescue Christianity from misunderstandings.”

 - Alister McGrath


Intellectuals Don’t Need God and Other Modern Myths

Alister McGrath on Apologetics in the Local Church

“I think the pastor does play a very critical role here. And, apologetics is not simply about reaching outside the church and helping people realize why Christianity makes so much sense. There are many people inside church congregations who are wrestling with apologetic questions; who come to faith but haven’t had all of their questions answered. I think the pastor, the preacher, needs to realize if they want their people to be good and minister to the faith, apologists and evangelists, they’ve got to be equipped. They’ve got to be reassured about their faith. They’ve got to be helped to be able to explain it and defend it in the secular marketplace. Now maybe many pastors and preachers say, ‘You know, I couldn’t do this.’ In which case, you need to bring somebody in who can. But there’s a real need for the local church to see this kind of ministry as a priority in our present cultural situation.”

- Alister McGrath

From this interview.

Alister McGrath on Why God Won't Go Away MP3 Audio

Alister McGrath presents this talk at Westminster Abbey, on the subject of his book Why God Won't Go Away: Is the New Atheism Running on Empty? This is his assessment of the state of the new atheism today. This audio is from the Abbey podcast here. More by Alister McGrath here, as well as Ap315's interview here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (30 min)
Enjoy.
[HT: Chris]

Apologist Interview: Alister McGrath

Today's interview is with Alister McGrath, Professor of Theology, Ministry and Education, and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture at King's College, London. He talks about his journey out of atheism, his interactions with the New Atheists, the future of atheism, the tone of debate, his new book The Passionate Intellect (Mere Theology in UK), the role of a theology in apologetics, the role of natural theology, collaborative apologetics, advice for Christian apologists, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (37 min)

Alister McGrath's book's include:
• The Passionate Intellect: Christian Faith and the Discipleship of the Mind
• Christian Theology: An Introduction
• Theology: The Basics
• Chosen Ones (Aedyn Chronicles, The)
• Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth
• Christianity's Dangerous Idea
• Doubting: Growing Through the Uncertainties of Faith
• Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought
• A Fine-Tuned Universe: The Quest for God in Science and Theology
• Science and Religion: A New Introduction
• The Dawkins Delusion?
• In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible
• The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World
• Dawkins' GOD: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life
• Intellectuals Don't Need God and Other Modern Myths
• Christianity: An Introduction
• The Future of Atheism: Alister McGrath and Daniel Dennett in Dialogue
...and more...

Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics here.
Check out other resources by Alister McGrath on Ap315 here.

Enjoy.

Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

A Fine-Tuned Universe: Science, Theology and the Quest for Meaning by Alister McGrath

This resource comprises six talks given at the Gifford Lectures at the University of Aberdeen in 2009. In this series, Professor Alister McGrath explores the human quest for meaning in the universe, especially in light of its apparent "fine-tuning" to permit the origination of life. Why do we long to make sense of things? Do we possess some kind of "homing instinct" for heaven? What is the significance of "fine-tuning"? And can the Christian faith engage with these observations meaningfully?

Lecture series homepage is here. Each lecture is in PDF format:
Lecture 1 - Introduction: Yearning to make sense of things
Lecture 2 - Why we still need natural theology
Lecture 3 - The mystery of the constants of nature
Lecture 4 - The enigmas of evolutionary biology
Lecture 5 - Natural theology and the quest for meaning
Lecture 6 - Conclusion: Clues to the meaning of the universe?

Enjoy.

Book Review: The Future of Atheism - Alister McGrath & Daniel Dennett in Dialogue

The Future of Atheism: Alister McGrath & Daniel Dennett in Dialogue edited by Robert B. Stewart is a book composed mainly of content delivered at the 2007 Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum in Faith and Culture on the topic of “the Future of Atheism.” The focal point is the transcript of the dialogue between McGrath and Dennett at the forum, as well as papers presented by William Lane Craig, Evan Fales, Hugh McCann, and Keith Parsons. The contributors to the book offer the competing perspectives of Christian and atheistic positions. This purpose of this review is simply to offer a very brief synopsis so the prospective reader can decide for themselves whether or not to investigate further.

Alister McGrath on Atheist Fundamentalism MP3

Oxford professor Alister McGrath is interviewed on the Issues, Etc. radio program on the subject of Atheist Fundamentalism. Check out past episodes of Issues, Etc. here. More Alister McGrath stuff here.

Full MP3 Audio here.

Enjoy.

Sunday Quote: Alister McGrath on Discovering Christianity

"At Oxford - to my surprise - I discovered Christianity. It was the intellectually most exhilarating and spiritually stimulating thing I could ever hope to describe - better than chemistry, a wonderful subject that I had thought to be the love of my life and my future career. I went on to gain a doctorate for research in molecular biophysics from Oxford, and found that immensely exciting and satisfying. But I knew I had found something better - like the pearl of great price that Jesus talks about in the Gospel, which is so beautiful and precious that it overshadows everything. It was intellectually satisfying, imaginatively engaging, and aesthetically exciting."

- Alister McGrath

Alister McGrath, The Future of Atheism: Alister McGrath & Daniel Dennett in Dialogue (London, England: Fortress Press, 2008), p. 27.

Book Review: The Twilight of Atheism by Alister McGrath

The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World is Alister McGrath’s 2004 book tracing the history of atheism from eighteenth-century Europe to present. In Part One: The High Noon of Atheism, McGrath outlines significant historical points in the history of atheism, the primary historical figures and personalities, and key cultural movements. Part Two: Twilight, McGrath offers his own personal narrative, reflections on atheism and social change, and what he sees as the fading appeal (at least, at the time of his writing) of atheism in general. McGrath’s style is engaging and readable, which makes this book an easy, interesting read. This review will highlight some notable points by McGrath.

Alister McGrath & Daniel Dennett Debate: God & Religion MP3 Audio

Alister McGrath and Daniel Dennett discuss God and religion. The content of this 2006 dialogue is somewhat similar to their contribution to the book The Future of Atheism: Alister McGrath & Daniel Dennett in Dialogue. Dennett presents his views (based on his book Breaking the Spell) explaining religion as a natural phenomenon, pointing to memes as a primary explanation. McGrath offers his critiques of Dennett's book and meme theory.

Full MP3 Audio here. (90 minutes)
Enjoy.

[HT: bringyou.to]

See also Alister McGrath's Gifford Lectures Texts on Fine-Tuning here.

In Defense of Theistic Arguments: Craig, Dennett & McGrath MP3 Audio

This is not a formal or informal debate. This is a formal philosophy conference exchange in which William Lane Craig, Daniel Dennett, and Alistair McGrath were attendees. In this audio, William Lane Craig delivers the primary lecture (45 min) defending Theistic arguments against criticisms by Daniel Dennett. This is followed by responses by Daniel Dennett (15 min) and Alistair McGrath (5 min).

[HT: WLC Comprehensive Debate List]

Full MP3 Audio here.

Enjoy.

Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath Debate MP3 Audio

Christopher Hitchens debates Alister McGrath: "Poison or Cure? Religious Belief in the Modern World."

Full MP3 Audio here.

Enjoy.

The God Delusion Debate: Alister McGrath vs. Richard Dawkins

This debate is a bit old now. However, it is worth posting. Available in two MP3 files. Part one and part two.

Enjoy.