John Lennox

John Lennox
Born	John Carson Lennox (1943-11-07) 7 November 1943 Northern Ireland
Residence	Oxfordshire, England
Nationality	Northern Irish
Alma mater	University of Cambridge University of Cardiff University of Surrey[1]
Scientific career
Fields	Mathematics (group theory)
Institutions	University of Wales University of Oxford
Doctoral advisor	James Roseblade
Doctoral students	Howard Smith

John Carson Lennox (born 1943) is a Northern Irish mathematician specialising in group theory, a philosopher of science and a Christian apologist. He is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics^[2] at the University of Oxford and an Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College, Oxford University. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Saïd Business School.

Early life

John Lennox was born on 7 November 1943 in Northern Ireland and brought up in Armagh where his father ran a store.^[3] He attended The Royal School, Armagh, and went on to become Exhibitioner and Senior Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where in 1962 he also attended the last lectures of C. S. Lewis on the poet John Donne. Lennox obtained Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at the University of Cambridge with the dissertation Centrality and Permutability in Soluble Groups (1970).^[4] He was awarded a Doctor of Science degree in mathematics by the University of Cardiff for his research. Lennox also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Oxford (by incorporation)^[5] and an M.A. degree in bioethics at the University of Surrey.^[6]

Career

Upon completing his doctorate, Lennox moved to Cardiff, Wales, becoming a reader in Mathematics at the University of Wales, Cardiff. Lennox also teaches science and religion in the University of Oxford. During his 29 years in Cardiff he spent a year at each of the universities of Würzburg, Freiburg (as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow), and Vienna, and has lectured extensively in both Eastern and Western Europe, Russia and North America on mathematics, apologetics, and the exposition of scripture.

Lennox is the author of a number of books on the relations of science, religion, and ethics. His most recent works are: Being Truly Human (2018), Determined to Believe? (2018) and Against the Flow (2015). Titles being released early in 2019 include Finding Ultimate Reality, Joseph and Can science explain everything?. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles on mathematics, co-authored two Oxford Mathematical Monographs, and worked as a translator of Russian mathematics.

He has spoken in many different countries, in conferences and as an academic fellow, including numerous trips to the former Soviet Union. On 14 March 2012 he presented an edition of the Lent Talks for BBC Radio Four. Lennox has also given lectures at the Veritas forum on topics such as the relationship between science and religion,^[7][8] the existence of God,^[9] doubt, and the problems of evil and suffering.^[10] Additionally, he is a Senior Fellow of The Trinity Forum, a Christian nonprofit that develops leaders to make contributions to cultural renewal.

Debates

Lennox (left) debating religion with Christopher Hitchens in Alabama, March 2009

Lennox has been part of numerous public debates defending the Christian faith, including debates with Christopher Hitchens, Michael Shermer, Richard Dawkins, Lawrence Krauss, Peter Atkins, Victor Stenger, Michael Tooley, Stephen Law, and Peter Singer.

• On 3 October 2007, Lennox debated Richard Dawkins at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama on Dawkins's views expressed in his book, The God Delusion.^[11][12][13] The debate was broadcast to millions worldwide and was described by the Wall Street Journal as "a revelation: in Alabama, a civil debate over God's existence".
• Lennox and Dawkins had a discussion in April 2008 at Trinity College, Oxford to expand upon topics left undeveloped during The God Delusion Debate.^[14][15]
• On 9 August 2008, Lennox debated Christopher Hitchens at the Edinburgh International Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the question of whether or not Europe should jettison its religious past and welcome the "New Atheism."^[16][17]
• On 23 August 2008, Lennox debated Michael Shermer at the Wesley Conference Centre in Sydney, Australia on the existence of God.^[18][19]
• On 21 October 2008, Lennox again debated Dawkins at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the site of the 1860 Oxford evolution debate between Thomas Henry Huxley and Samuel Wilberforce. The debate was titled "Has Science Buried God?".^[20][21] The Spectator called the event "Huxley-Wilberforce, Round Two."^[22]
• On 3 March 2009, Lennox debated Hitchens for the second time at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, on the question "Is God Great?" The debate addressed the validity of some of Hitchens' claims in his book God is Not Great.^[23][24][25]
• On 20 July 2011, Lennox debated Peter Singer at the Melbourne Town Hall in Melbourne, Australia on the topic "Is There a God?"^[26] [dead link] ^{[27] [28]}

Personal life

Lennox speaks English, Russian, French, and German. He is married to Sally and has three children and many grandchildren.^[29] He has a brother named Gilbert Lennox, an elder in Glennabbey Church, Glengormley. The recording artist Kristyn Getty is John's niece, being Gilbert's daughter.

Works

• Lennox, John C.; Stonehewer, Stewart E. (1987). Subnormal subgroups of groups. Oxford: Clarendon. ISBN 978-0-19-853552-2.
• ———; Gooding, David W. (1997). Key Bible Concepts. Port Colborne: Gospel Folio Press. ISBN 9781882701414.
• ———; Gooding, David W. (1997). Christianity: Opium or Truth?. Port Colborne: Gospel Folio Press. ISBN 9781882701469.
• ———; Gooding, David W. (2001). The Definition of Christianity. Port Colborne: Gospel Folio Press. ISBN 9781882701421.
• ———; Robinson, Derek J. S. (2004). The Theory of Infinite Soluble Groups. Clarendon Press. p. 458. ISBN 978-0-19-850728-4.
• ——— (2009). God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? (Updated ed.). Lion UK. p. 224. ISBN 0-7459-5371-9.
• ——— (2011). Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science. Zondervan. p. 192. ISBN 0-310-49217-3.
• ——— (2011). God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design Is It Anyway? (1st ed.). Lion UK. p. 96. ISBN 0-7459-5549-5.
• ——— (2011). Gunning for God: A Critique of the New Atheism (1st ed.). Lion UK. p. 248. ISBN 0-7459-5322-0.
• ———; Gooding, David W. (2015). The Bible & Ethics. Myrtlefield Encounters. 4. Ontario: Myrtlefield House. ISBN 978-1874584575.
• ——— (2015). Against the Flow: The Inspiration of Daniel in an Age of Relativism (1st ed.). Monarch Books. p. 416. ISBN 085721621X.
• ——— (2017). Determined to Believe: The Sovereignty of God, Freedom, Faith, and Human Responsibility (1st ed.). Monarch Books. p. 352. ISBN 978-0857218728.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Lennox.

• John Lennox at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
• John Lennox's official website
• The Feed Trust – this has some of his Scripture exposition resources
• Fixed Point Foundation – features both debates and the Trinity College conversation with Richard Dawkins as well as both debates with Christopher Hitchens
• Interview with John Lennox by Tim Bearder, BBC Radio Oxford, 2008-10-16.
• Premier Christian Radio Radio debate on "Are we alone in the Universe?"