John Lennox

Irish mathematician and philosopher of science

For the British soldier and politician, see Lord John Lennox.

John Lennox

Lennox in 2015

Born|

John Carson Lennox

(1943-11-07) 7 November 1943 (age 81)

Armagh, Ireland

Alma mater|

* University of Cambridge (MA, MMath, PhD)
* University of Oxford (MA, DPhil)
* Cardiff University (DSc)
* University of Surrey (MA)

Spouse| Sally Lennox
Children| 3
Scientific career
Fields| Group theory
Institutions|

* University of Wales
* University of Oxford

Thesis|

* Centrality and Permutability in Soluble Groups (1969)

Doctoral advisor| James Roseblade
Website| www.johnlennox.org

John Carson Lennox (born 7 November 1943) is an Irish mathematician, bioethicist, and Christian apologist originally from Ireland. He has written many books on religion, ethics, the relationship between science and God (like his books, Has Science Buried God and Can Science Explain Everything), and has had public debates with atheists including Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.

As a professor, Lennox specialised in group theory. He is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics[1] at the University of Oxford, where he is also Emeritus Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College and has worked as adjunct lecturer at Wycliffe Hall and at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Saïd Business School and a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum.

## Early life and education

[edit]

John Lennox was born on 7 November 1943 in Ireland and brought up in Armagh where his father ran a store.[2] 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 a Master of Arts, a Master of Mathematics and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge with the dissertation Centrality and Permutability in Soluble Groups (1970).[3]

Lennox was awarded a Doctor of Science degree in mathematics by Cardiff University in 1993 for his research. Lennox also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Oxford (by incorporation)[4] and an M.A. degree in bioethics at the University of Surrey. In addition, he was a Humboldt Fellow at the University of Würzburg and the University of Freiburg.[5]

## Career

[edit]

Upon completing his doctorate, Lennox moved to Cardiff, Wales, becoming a reader in Mathematics at the University of Wales, Cardiff. Lennox 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. 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.[6][7]

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,[8][9] the existence of God,[10] doubt, and the problems of evil and suffering.[11] Additionally, he is a Senior Fellow of The Trinity Forum, a Christian nonprofit organisation that develops leaders to make contributions to cultural renewal.

### Debates

[edit]

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.[12][13][14]
* Lennox and Dawkins had a discussion in April 2008 at Trinity College, Oxford to expand upon topics left undeveloped during The God Delusion Debate.[15][16]
* 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."[17][18]
* On 23 August 2008, Lennox debated Michael Shermer at the Wesley Conference Centre in Sydney, Australia, on the existence of God.[19][20]
* 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?".[21][22] The Spectator called the event "Huxley-Wilberforce, Round Two."[23]
* 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.[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][27][28]
* In August 2021, Lennox was the chief guest for the prestigious Malhar Fest hosted by St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.

## Personal life

[edit]

Lennox speaks English, Russian, French, Spanish and German. He is married to Sally and has three children and 10 grandchildren.[12] He has a brother named Gilbert Lennox, previously an elder in Glenabbey Church, Glengormley.[29] The hymn writer and recording artist Kristyn Getty, Gilbert's daughter, is Lennox's niece.

## Works

[edit]

* 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. pp. 224. ISBN 978-0-7459-5371-7.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
* 

 (2011). Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science. Zondervan. p. 192\. ISBN 978-0-310-49217-7.
* 

 (2011). God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design Is It Anyway? (1st ed.). Lion UK. p. 96\. ISBN 978-0-7459-5549-0.
* 

 (2011). Gunning for God: A Critique of the New Atheism (1st ed.). Lion UK. p. 248\. ISBN 978-0-7459-5322-9.
* 

; Gooding, David W. (2015). The Bible & Ethics. Myrtlefield Encounters. Vol. 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 978-0857216212.
* 

 (2017). Determined to Believe: The Sovereignty of God, Freedom, Faith, and Human Responsibility (1st ed.). Monarch Books. p. 352\. ISBN 978-0857218728.
* 

; Gooding, David W. (2018). Being Truly Human: The Limits of Our Worth, Power, Freedom and Destiny. The Quest for Reality and Significance. Vol. 1\. Belfast: Myrtlefield House. ISBN 978-1912721016.
* 

; Gooding, David W. (2018). Finding Ultimate Reality: In Search of the Best Answers to the Biggest Questions. The Quest for Reality and Significance. Vol. 2\. Belfast: Myrtlefield House. ISBN 978-1912721061.
* 

; Gooding, David W. (2019). Questioning Our Knowledge: Can We Know What We Need to Know?. The Quest for Reality and Significance. Vol. 3\. Belfast: Myrtlefield House. ISBN 978-1912721115.
* 

; Gooding, David W. (2019). Doing What's Right: The Limits of Our Worth, Power, Freedom and Destiny. The Quest for Reality and Significance. Vol. 4\. Belfast: Myrtlefield House. ISBN 978-1912721214.
* 

; Gooding, David W. (2019). Claiming to Answer: How One Person Became the Response to Our Deepest Questions. The Quest for Reality and Significance. Vol. 5\. Belfast: Myrtlefield House. ISBN 978-1912721269.
* 

; Gooding, David W. (2019). Suffering Life's Pain: Facing the Problems of Moral and Natural Evil. The Quest for Reality and Significance. Vol. 6\. Belfast: Myrtlefield House. ISBN 978-1912721160.
* 

 (2019). Can Science Explain Everything?. The Good Book Company. ISBN 978-1784984113.
* 

 (2019). Joseph: A Story of Love, Hate, Slavery, Power, and Forgiveness. Crossway. ISBN 9781433562969.
* Lennox, John (April 2020). Where is God in A Coronavirus World?. The Good Book Company. ISBN 9781784985691.
* Lennox, John (2020). 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity. Zondervan. ISBN 9780310109563.
* Lennox, John (2021). Cosmic Chemistry: Do God and Science Mix?. Lion Books. ISBN 9780745981406.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Recognition of Distinction". Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford. 29 July 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
2. ^ Billen, Andrew (17 November 2010). "God is a person not a theory". The Times.
3. ^ "John Lennox - The Mathematics Genealogy Project". www.genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu.
4. ^ Having a doctorate from both Cambridge and Oxford makes Lennox what Ghil'ad Zuckermann calls an "Oxbridge paradox": Lennox belongs to the rare group of people who hold a "pair o' docs" (sounding like "paradox" but meaning "two doctorates") – a D.Phil. (Oxon.) and a PhD (Cantab.) – from both Oxford and Cambridge universities (commonly abbreviated as Oxbridge) – see Biography.
5. ^ "About John Lennox". JohnLennox.org Website. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
6. ^ "Episode 28: John Lennox, PhD". Purpose Nation. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
7. ^ "Prof John Lennox - Experiences in the Soviet Union". YouTube. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
8. ^ "Has Science Buried God?". Veritas Forum. 16 September 2016. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
9. ^ "Has Science Buried God". Veritas Forum. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
10. ^ "God: Fact or Fiction?". Veritas Forum. 20 February 2013. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
11. ^ "Why is there suffering in the world?". The Veritas Forum. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
12. ^ a b "The God Delusion Debate (Dawkins-Lennox)". Fixed Point Foundation. Archived from the original on 17 August 2009.
13. ^ Naomi Schaefer Riley (12 October 2007). "A Revelation: In Alabama, A Civil Debate Over God's Existence". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
14. ^ Joanna Sugden (4 October 2007). "Richard Dawkins Debates in the Bible Belt". Times Online. Archived from the original on 30 May 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
15. ^ "Conversation between Richard Dawkins and John Lennox". RichardDawkins.net. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
16. ^ "Dawkins-Lennox Radio Interview at Trinity College". Fixed Point Foundation. Archived from the original on 14 December 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
17. ^ "Edinburgh International Festival 2008 Looks To European Identity". EdinburghGuide.com. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
18. ^ "New Europe, New Atheism?". Wet Lenses. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
19. ^ "The Great Debate: Does God Exist?". Centre for Public Christianity. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
20. ^ "Public Lectures, forums and debates with Dr. John Lennox" (PDF). Centre for Public Christianity. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
21. ^ "Has Science Buried God?". Fixed Point Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 December 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
22. ^ "Has Science Buried God?". BBC Oxford. 15 October 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
23. ^ Melanie Phillips (12 June 2008). "Huxley-Wilberforce, Round Two". The Spectator. Archived from the original on 7 November 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
24. ^ "Is God Great?". Fixed Point Foundation. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
25. ^ Greg Garrison (28 February 2009). "Christopher Hitchens argues against existence of God at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
26. ^ "Review of Lennox / Singer Debate: Is There A God?". ISCAST. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
27. ^ "Is There A God?". Fixed Point Foundation. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
28. ^ "Peter Singer vs John Lennox: Is There a God?". YouTube. 8 August 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
29. ^ "Authors". Evangelical Focus.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Lennox.

* Quotations related to John Lennox at Wikiquote
* Official website
* John Lennox at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
* Interview with John Lennox by Tim Bearder, BBC Radio Oxford Archived 29 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, 2008-10-16.
* Premier Christian Radio Archived 15 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Radio debate on "Are we alone in the Universe?"

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