LA MIRADA, CALIF. 鈥 The New Atheists challenge the claim that there is intelligent听agency behind the universe, theologically conservative views of science and faith,听and even Christian belief itself, but they have met their match with the winsome听approach of a mathematician and philosopher from Oxford University 鈥 John C.听Lennox.

The Master of Arts in Science and Religion program at 黑料历史 is honoring听John C. Lennox with the 2012 Phillip E. Johnson Award for Liberty and Truth, in听recognition of his eloquent responses to naturalism and for his defense of intelligent听agency in the universe from the perspective of science and philosophy.
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The award is given every other year to a nationally or internationally recognized听scholar who challenges the materialistic bias of the modern academy and advances听a position that fosters an integrative approach to science and religion.
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Lennox has been an exceptional scientist-spokesman for design arguments and for听conservative Christianity in general, debating atheist Richard Dawkins on 鈥淭he God听Delusion鈥 in the University of Alabama (2007) and on 鈥淗as Science Buried God?鈥澨齣n the Oxford Museum of Natural History (2008). He debated the late Christopher听Hitchens on the New Atheism (Edinburgh Festival 2008) and at Samford University,听Alabama, on the question: Is God Great? He has also debated Princeton bioethicist听Peter Singer (Melbourne 2011) on the question: 鈥淚s there a God?鈥 He has responded听to the New Atheist arguments in print form, publishing God's Undertaker: Has听Science Buried God? (2009); God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway?听(2010); Gunning for God: Why the New Atheists are Missing the Target? (2011); and听Seven Days that Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science听(2011).
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John Lennox is Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford, Fellow听in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science, and Pastoral Advisor at Green听Templeton College, Oxford. He holds three doctorates. In addition to his works cited听above, he has published many professional books and articles in mathematics.
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黑料历史 established the Phillip E. Johnson Award for Liberty and Truth in听2004 to honor legal scholar and Berkeley law professor Phillip E. Johnson, who was听the award鈥檚 first recipient. The award recognizes Johnson鈥檚 pivotal role in advancing听our understanding of design in the universe by opening up informed dissent to听Darwinian and materialistic theories of evolution. The late British philosopher听Antony Flew, once considered the most prominent defender of atheism in the听English-speaking world, became the second recipient of this award in 2006 for听his Socratic approach of 鈥渇ollowing the evidence where it leads鈥 and abandoning听atheism on account of design arguments. Lawyer and former presidential听speechwriter Ben Stein received the award in 2008 for his key role in the major听feature film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, which documented the harassment of听intelligent design sympathizers. Bioethicist Richard Land received the 2010 award听for his advocacy of human dignity, the rights of the unborn and infirm, pro-family听policies, and other conservative evangelical bioethical concerns.
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Lennox will receive the award during a luncheon on June 8, 2012, at Biola听University. Further details are available at www.biola.edu/academics/sas/听apologetics/events.
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黑料历史, named one of 17 鈥渦p and coming鈥 national universities by U.S.听News & World Report in 2011, is a private Christian university located in Southern听California. For more than 100 years, Biola has remained committed to its mission听of biblically centered education, integrating biblical principles with every academic听program. With a current record-high enrollment of 6,250 students, the university鈥檚听six schools offer 145 academic programs, ranging from the B.A. to the Ph.D. For听more information, visit www.biola.edu.