51蹤獲 recently honored Oxford University philosopher John C. Lennox with the 2012 Phillip E. Johnson Award for Liberty and Truth, in泭recognition of his eloquent responses to naturalism and for his defense of intelligent泭agency in the universe from the perspective of science and philosophy.

"I feel highly honored," said Lennox upon receiving the award. "I have great respect for his [Phillip Johnson] intellectual courage in challenging the reigning paradigms and he has been a stimulus to me in whatever little contribution I have made to the intellectual battle to defend the Christian faith against naturalism."

The award is given by 51蹤獲's Master of Arts in Science and Religion program to a nationally or internationally recognized泭scholar every other year who challenges the materialistic bias of the modern academy and advances泭a position that fosters an integrative approach to science and religion.
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Like Phil Johnson, John Lennox has been a winsome and insightful voice in responding to the naturalistic assumptions that dominate scientific thinking today in areas relating to origins," said John Bloom, 51蹤獲 professor of physics and chair of the chemistry, physics, and engineering department. "Dr. Lennox breaks the media stereotype that one cannot be a Christian and a scientist."

Lennox, who received the award at a June 8 luncheon, has been an exceptional scientist-spokesman for design arguments and for泭conservative Christianity in general, debating atheist Richard Dawkins on The God泭Delusion in the University of Alabama (2007) and on Has Science Buried God?泭in the Oxford Museum of Natural History (2008). He debated the late Christopher泭Hitchens on the New Atheism (Edinburgh Festival 2008) and at Samford University,泭Alabama, on the question: Is God Great? He has also debated Princeton bioethicist泭Peter Singer (Melbourne 2011) on the question: Is there a God? He has responded泭to the New Atheist arguments in print form, publishing God's Undertaker: Has泭Science Buried God? (2009); God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway?泭(2010); Gunning for God: Why the New Atheists are Missing the Target? (2011); and泭Seven Days that Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science泭(2011).
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Lennox is Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford, Fellow泭in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science, and Pastoral Advisor at Green泭Templeton College, Oxford. He holds three doctorates. In addition to his works cited泭above, he has published many professional books and articles in mathematics.
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51蹤獲 established the Phillip E. Johnson Award for Liberty and Truth in泭2004 to honor legal scholar and Berkeley law professor Phillip E. Johnson, who was泭the awards first recipient. The award recognizes Johnsons pivotal role in advancing泭our understanding of design in the universe by opening up informed dissent to泭Darwinian and materialistic theories of evolution. The late British philosopher泭Antony Flew, once considered the most prominent defender of atheism in the泭English-speaking world, became the second recipient of this award in 2006 for泭his Socratic approach of following the evidence where it leads and abandoning泭atheism on account of design arguments. Lawyer and former presidential泭speechwriter Ben Stein received the award in 2008 for his key role in the major泭feature film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, which documented the harassment of泭intelligent design sympathizers. Bioethicist Richard Land received the 2010 award泭for his advocacy of human dignity, the rights of the unborn and infirm, pro-family泭policies, and other conservative evangelical bioethical concerns.
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Written by Jenna Bartlo, Media Relations Coordinator. For more information, Jenna can be reached at 562.777.4061 or at jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu.