Five Minds That Changed: From Atheism to Faith

In today’s skeptical age, belief in God is often dismissed as irrational or outdated. But what happens when some of the world’s brightest minds—scientists, philosophers, and thought leaders —take a second look?

This series explores five contemporary individuals who began as atheists or agnostics, deeply committed to reason, evidence, and inquiry. Their journeys to faith weren’t emotional conversions or ideological reversals—they were the result of sustained investigation, intellectual wrestling, and honest questioning.

• Francis Collins, the geneticist who led the Human Genome Project, found faith through science and the writings of C.S. Lewis.
• Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia and a lifelong skeptic, turned to Christianity after a rigorous, philosophical deep-dive into Scripture.
• Alister McGrath, a triple Oxford Ph.D. and former atheist, discovered that Christianity offered a more satisfying and coherent worldview than materialism.
• Allan Sandage, one of the most influential astronomers of the 20th century, concluded through decades of study that the universe bore marks of intelligent design—and that science alone couldn’t answer life’s biggest questions.
• Antony Flew, once the world’s most prominent atheist philosopher, stunned the intellectual world by publicly announcing that evidence had led him to belief in a Creator.

What unites these stories is not religious background or emotional experience—it’s a commitment to follow the evidence wherever it leads. For each, the road to belief was long, often reluctant, but ultimately grounded in reason.

Together, their stories challenge the idea that intellect and faith are incompatible. In fact, they show the opposite: that truth-seeking minds can—and do—find God.

Curious where the evidence might lead you?

Start by reading each of their stories in full—linked in the individual posts. What did they discover that changed their minds? Could it change yours?

What would it take for you to believe Christianity is true?

That’s the question they all asked—and maybe it’s time to ask it yourself.