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God and Stephen Hawking

by John C. Lennox ,
Lion Books, Second Edition, © 2021,
$13.99 (paperback), 112 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0745980980

Stephen Hawking, one of the most outstanding scientists of the past century, was not well-versed in philosophy or theology. His approach to these disciplines was to dismiss them. In his book The Grand Design, he wrote: “Philosophy is dead. It has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly in physics. As a result, scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge.”

Besides ignorance of philosophy, Hawking had no understanding of what the Bible tells us about the nature of God. One of Hawking's best friends, Martin Rees, said: “I know Stephen Hawking well enough to know that he has read very little philosophy and even less theology, so I don't think we should attach any weight to his views on this topic.”

Hawking believed God was a creation of human ignorance, similar to the many polytheistic gods of primitive tribes. John C. Lennox's book, God and Stephen Hawking, explains Hawking's misunderstandings in great detail. Lennox is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and an Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College.

We have often said that the creation had a beginning from nothing, that the beginning was caused, and that the cause was a mind, not blind mechanistic chance. Hawking tried to refute God's existence by denying that there was a beginning. To do that, he redefined “nothing.” Lennox does a brilliant job of showing that Hawking was violating fundamental laws of philosophy and that all evidence points to the fact there was a beginning to time, space, and matter/energy.

Using mathematics, Lennox presents clear evidence that the beginning was caused and that it could not possibly be by chance. This is an excellent book to give a college student or a well educated person struggling with their faith. We recommend it highly.