Some Thoughts on Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Interview with Alex O'Connor

By Douglas Groothuis

Young atheist Alex O’Connor and renowned author Aayan Hirsi Ali recently discussed her conversion to Christianity from atheism on O’Connor’s popular podcast Within Reason. At the time of my writing, the episode had 237,000 views and over 8,200 comments. Before we address the substance of this important conversion, we need some background.

“Dr. Groothuis, I’d like to introduce you to one of our panelists tonight, Aayan Hirsi Ali. Ms. Ali, this is one of our Professors, Douglas Groothuis.” I don’t think my mouth fell open, but I was shocked because I had not noted that the estimable Ms. Ali was one of the speakers at the Cornerstone University Wisdom Conversations conference that night. It was her first public event as a self-described Christian. I had followed her writings and career for twenty years, and was thrilled when I read her essay, “Why I Am Now a Christian,” which had run a few months before.[1] I had prayed for years for this courageous and articulate woman, formerly both a Muslim and then an atheist, who now stood before me as a sister in Christ.

After I read her essay, my first concern was that she would receive the apologetic training she would need given her conversion. I tried to send her a copy of my book, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. I wrote her this letter, but I don’t know if it got through, although I tried several email addresses. I have found that it is difficult to communicate with well-known people.

Dear Ms. Ali:

I read with interest and appreciation your essay, “Why I Am Now a Christian.” I have appreciated your work for years and I respect your courage in speaking out on controversial issues (especially on Islam). I have prayed that you would discover the living God described in the Bible and who Incarnated through Jesus Christ. I’m sure you are receiving a lot of mail from Christians expressing their thanksgiving and perhaps offering advice, so I will keep this brief.

I am a Christian philosopher, who has taught at a Christian seminary full-time since 1993 as well as an adjunct philosophy professor at secular schools. I specialize in the philosophy of religion and apologetics, which I define as the discipline that defends Christianity as objectively true, compellingly rational, and pertinent to the whole of life. Since 1986, I have published nineteen books, and thirty academic articles, but my magnum opus is Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, 2^nd ed., which is published by InterVarsity Press. This publisher has produced many books by my friend Os Guinness, whom you recently shared a stage with. We are friends and have endorsed each other’s books over the years.

To encourage you in your newfound Christian faith, I am sending a copy of Christian Apologetics to you at the Hoover Institution. It is a thorough work, addressing the scientific, historical, and experiential evidence for the Christian worldview and which responds to criticisms of Christianity. One of my criteria for assessing worldview is the one you appealed to in your recent article.

Criterion 6. If a worldview is true, it should lead to intellectual and cultural fecundity. The greater the beneficial fecundity, the greater evidence that the worldview is true. [Groothuis, Douglas. Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith (p. 49). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.]

I apply the Christian worldview to my critique of Critical Race Theory in my book Fire in the Streets, which I dedicated to your esteemed colleague, Thomas Sowell. I also discuss how Christianity provides the only worldview adequate to ground what I call the historic “American vision,” of liberty, fairness, and opportunity.

I hope you will benefit from my book, Christian Apologetics, which is one long rational case for Christianity. If I can assist you in any way, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D.

When I met Ms. Ali, I asked if she had received the book, and she said she had not. I asked her for a good address, so I could send another copy. She said she didn’t want me to buy another book, but that she would get one.