The lives of great thinkers who became Christians inspire those curious about “The Big Questions.”

Contemporary Thinkers

Francis Collins: Francis Collins is a geneticist and the former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is a prominent advocate for the compatibility of science and faith and has written books on the subject.

Deborah Haarsma: An astrophysicist and the president of BioLogos, an organization promoting the integration of Christian faith and mainstream science, Haarsma actively engages in discussions about science and religion.

Alister McGrath: Although primarily known as a theologian and Christian apologist, McGrath holds a Ph.D. in molecular biophysics and has written extensively on the relationship between science and faith.

Jennifer Wiseman: An astronomer and the Senior Project Scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope at NASA, Wiseman is also a devout Christian. She frequently speaks and writes about the harmony between science and faith.

John Lennox: A mathematician and philosopher of science, Lennox is also a Christian apologist who frequently debates topics related to science, philosophy, and religion.

Robert J. Russell: A physicist and theologian, Russell is known for his work on the relationship between cosmology and theology. He founded the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences and has written extensively.

Jennifer J. Wiseman: An astrophysicist and senior scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Wiseman is a Christian who speaks and writes about the intersection of faith and science.

Ard Louis: A theoretical physicist and professor of theoretical physics at the University of Oxford, Louis is also a Christian who explores questions of science and faith in his research and writing.

Marcelo Gleiser: A Brazilian theoretical physicist and cosmologist, Gleiser has written extensively on the intersection of science, philosophy, and spirituality. He is known for exploring the nature of reality and the universe’s origins from scientific and philosophical perspectives.

Simon Conway Morris: A British paleontologist and evolutionary biologist, Conway Morris is known for his research on the Cambrian explosion and convergent evolution. He is also a Christian and has written about the relationship between science and faith, arguing for the compatibility of evolution and belief in God.

Owen Gingerich: An astronomer and historian of science, Gingerich is known for his research on the history of astronomy and the Copernican Revolution. He is also a devout Christian and has written about the relationship between science and religion.

Deborah B. Haarsma: An astrophysicist and the president of BioLogos, Haarsma is known for advocating theistic evolution and promoting dialogue between science and faith communities. She is a Christian who speaks and writes about the harmony between science and religious belief.

Thinkers from the past

C.S. Lewis: Lewis was a renowned Christian apologistist who arrived at his belief in God through rational inquiry and personal experience. He argued for the existence of God using various philosophical and theological arguments, such as the moral argument, the argument from desire, and the argument from reason. Additionally, Lewis often referenced his journey from atheism to Christianity, highlighting how his search for truth led him to accept the existence of God. His book “Mere Christianity” is a classic example of his reasoning.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Tolkien was a close friend of C.S. Lewis, was a devout Christian, and his faith influenced his worldview and writings. While Tolkien’s journey to faith may not be as well-documented as Lewis’s, it’s believed that his Catholic upbringing and deep love for mythology, language, and literature played significant roles. Tolkien often spoke about the role of myth and the concept of eucatastrophe (the sudden turn of events leading to a favorable outcome) in his writings, which he saw as echoes of divine truth and grace in human narratives. Ultimately, Tolkien’s faith in God was intertwined with his creative endeavors and his belief in the power of storytelling to convey deeper truths about the world.

Sir Isaac Newton: One of the most influential scientists of all time, Newton, the father of classical physics and calculus, was a devout Christian. He wrote extensively on theology and biblical interpretation, often seeking to reconcile his scientific discoveries with his religious beliefs.

Gregor Mendel: Known as the father of modern genetics, Mendel was an Augustinian friar and abbot whose experiments with pea plants laid the groundwork for our understanding of heredity. He saw his scientific work as a means of understanding God’s creation.

Georges LemaƮtre: A Belgian physicist and Catholic priest, LemaƮtre proposed the Big Bang theory, revolutionizing cosmology. He saw no conflict between his scientific research and his religious faith, viewing science as a means of uncovering the mechanisms by which God created the universe.

Francis Collins: A geneticist who led the Human Genome Project, Collins is also a devout Christian. He has written extensively on the intersection of science and faith, advocating for compatibility.

John Polkinghorne: A theoretical physicist turned Anglican priest, Polkinghorne is known for his work on the quantum mechanics of subatomic particles. He has written extensively on the relationship between science and religion, arguing for their mutual compatibility.

Blaise Pascal: A French mathematician, physicist, and inventor, Pascal made significant contributions to mathematics and physics. He was also a devout Christian and wrote extensively on theology and philosophy, famously articulating Pascal’s Wager, which argues for the rationality of believing in God.

Nicolaus Copernicus: A Renaissance mathematician and astronomer, Copernicus formulated the heliocentric model of the universe, challenging the prevailing geocentric view. While little is known about Copernicus’s personal beliefs, he was a canon in the Catholic Church and likely held Christian convictions.

Johannes Kepler: A German mathematician, astronomer, and key figure in the Scientific Revolution, Kepler is best known for his laws of planetary motion. He saw his scientific work as a way of uncovering the divine order and harmony of the universe, rooted in his Christian faith.

Werner Heisenberg: A German physicist and one of the founders of quantum mechanics, Heisenberg made significant contributions to our understanding of atomic and subatomic particles. He was raised in a Lutheran family and maintained an interest in philosophy and religion throughout his life.

Max Planck: A German theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate, Planck is the father of quantum theory. Despite his scientific achievements, he was deeply religious and saw science and religion as complementary ways of understanding the world.

Michael Faraday: An English scientist known for his contributions to electromagnetism and electrochemistry, Faraday was a devout member of the Sandemanian denomination. This Christian sect emphasized the authority of Scripture.

George Washington Carver: An American agricultural scientist and inventor, Carver’s groundbreaking crop rotation and soil conservation research revolutionized agriculture. He was deeply religious and credited his discoveries to divine inspiration and guidance.

Arthur Eddington: A British astrophysicist and mathematician, Eddington played a key role in advancing our understanding of stellar structure and the theory of relativity. He was a Quaker and wrote about the relationship between science and religion in his work.

Francis Bacon: An English philosopher, statesman, and scientist, Bacon is often credited as one of the founders of the scientific method. He was also a devout Christian and saw his scientific pursuits as a means of uncovering God’s truth in nature.

Kenneth R. Miller: An American cell biologist and professor, Miller is known for his work on cell membranes and his advocacy for teaching evolution in schools. He is also a Roman Catholic and has written extensively on the compatibility of faith and science.