Dr. Stephen Bullivant: An Atheist Philosopher Became Catholic

Shared from BrandonVogt Blog

NOTE: This interview originally ran at StrangeNotions.com, the website I created to bring Catholics and atheists into dialogue.

Dr. Stephen Bullivant has long been one of the most popular contributors at Strange Notions. Atheists appreciate his respectful, fair-minded articles while Catholics value his careful articulation of what Catholicism actually teaches about atheism.

Part of the reason he’s beloved by both groups is because he’s seen both side of the divide. After adopting atheism for many years, and devoting his doctoral research to the topic, he converted to Catholicism in 2008.

Since then, Stephen has authored two books, The Salvation of Atheists and Catholic Dogmatic Theology (Oxford University Press, 2012) and Faith and Unbelief (Canterbury Press, 2013; Paulist Press, 2014). He also just released a massive tome that he co-edited with the philosopher Michael Ruse, titled The Oxford Handbook of Atheism (Oxford University Press, 2013).

I recently sat down with Stephen to discuss his conversion from atheism to Catholicism, the role of Christianity in the rise of atheism, and what Catholicism teaches about the salvation of atheists. Enjoy!

Topics Discussed:

1:32 – How did you, as an atheist, become interested in researching Catholicism?
3:16 – What role have Christians played in the rise of atheism?
6:10 – What does the Catholic Church teach about the salvation of non-believers?
10:19 – What can Christians and atheists learn from each other?