Reviewed by: G. Connor Salter, professional writing student at Taylor University

Introduction

Title: The Faith of Christopher Hitchens: The Restless Soul of the World’s Most Notorious Atheist

Author: Larry Alex Taunton

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date:April 12, 2016

Format: Hardcover

Length: 217 Pages

OVERVIEW

He was known as one of the “Four Horsemen of the New Atheism.” The hero of many secularists, Christopher Hitchens spent his life rebelling against the idea God existed and publicly debating anyone who disagreed. But then how to explain Hitchens’s highly private but close friendships with certain evangelical Christians? Christian author and apologist Larry Alex Taunton, who became good friends with Hitchens in his later life, describes their relationship and shows how the world’s most notorious atheist began searching for truth.

This isn’t a simple book to read. Taunton analyzes a man whom many people described as “contradictory,” and the writing style sometimes reads more like an essay than an analytical narrative. In the end, though, neither of these things seriously hurt the book’s quality. Taunton shifts effortlessly between fascinating stories about his friendship with Hitchens and in-depth analyses of Hitchens’s earlier life and motivations. The insights into atheism are excellent and the story of Hitchens’s spiritual journey is intriguing. Together, these elements create a book that will keep readers thinking long after they’re finished reading it.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

4 out 5 Stars

Suggested Audience

Christians trying to understand motivations of some atheists, and Christians who want to relate to and share the Gospel with atheists.

Christian Impact

This book references Scripture multiple times, including a chapter in which the author and Christopher Hitchens study the Gospel of John during a road trip. There are also various apologetic and philosophical arguments against atheism throughout the book. More sensitive readers may be put off by discussions of Hitchens’s extremely secular lifestyle, including sparse references to homosexual activity.

G. Connor Salter is a student at Taylor University, majoring in professional writing. He is a freelance writer for The Echo, Church Libraries, and The Waynedale News.

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