Richard Dawkins, a biologist who is perhaps one of the world’s most prominent apologists for atheism, recently said that he considers himself a “cultural Christian.”
“I do think that we are culturally a Christian country, and I call myself a cultural Christian,” Dawkins said of his home nation, Britain. “I’m not a believer, but there’s a distinction between being a believing Christian and being a cultural Christian.”
Dawkins added, “But I must emphasize that I think that the things that Christians believe are actually nonsense.” Specifically, he scoffed at the idea that Jesus could be born of a virgin or that he rose from the dead. So it seems like Dawkins wants the societal benefits of Christianity, just without Christ.
On this episode, we discuss what to make of Dawkins’ cultural Christianity by looking into his comments within their context. Is Dawkins turning toward faith, or is something else going on here? What is cultural Christianity, and is it something Christians should seek to cultivate? If so, what should that even look like?
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READ: Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?
LISTEN: When Culture War Conversations Jump the Shark
REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE
READ: Richard Dawkins, Famed Apologist for Atheism, Considers Himself ‘A Cultural Christian’
“The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins
