"There is a God" by Antony Flew

I just finished reading "There is a God" by Antony Flew, the most renowned atheistic philosopher in the second half of the twentieth century, and have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Not long ago, I had watched his debate with William Lane Craig from the mid-80s, and had misguidedly come to the conclusion that he was over the proverbial hill, both physically and intellectually. When I picked up the book, I did so with this mindset expecting a train wreck. I am happy to admit my blunder. It never occurred to me that Flew could simply be a terrible public speaker/debater while still being articulate and extremely intelligent.

He dispels the mythical tales told by the atheistic fringe regarding his conversion here (to theism, not Christianity; he is not currently a Christian though he does not count out the possibility of being convinced anymore). For the most part, the book is biographical, tracing his descent into atheism and his subsequent change of mind. It is a very readable, yet still presents challenging ideas. Overall, I think that he has presented a good counter argument to the "new atheists" and should be taken seriously.

I am interested to hear what some of you who have read this book think. If you haven't read it, please do not bother commenting here. If so, I am interested in any rebuttals.