Hart Rejects Atheism for Unanswerable Philosophical Reasons

TL;DR

Peter Wehner interviews Eastern Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart on his path to faith and rejection of atheism.
Hart rejects atheism due to unanswerable philosophical arguments and finds Jesus a profound, eternal light.
Hart prioritizes Jesus' moral call to the poor over church institutions, which he sees as often flawed.

The story at a glance

Peter Wehner, a contributing opinion writer, interviews David Bentley Hart, a leading Eastern Orthodox theologian, philosopher, and author of over 30 books. Hart explains his reluctant turn to Christianity from a secular background, driven by philosophical reasoning and a sense of mystery beyond nature. The piece appears now as part of Wehner's series on Christian faith.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/jesus-christianity-atheism.html?searchResultPosition=1)[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/jesus-christianity-atheism.html)

Key points

Hart describes himself as a "thoroughly secular man" lacking natural religious sentiment, drawn instead to a profound mystery beyond nature felt in natural settings.
He rejects atheism because philosophical arguments against it—likely on consciousness, being, and metaphysics—are unanswerable in his view.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/jesus-christianity-atheism.html?searchResultPosition=1)
Jesus captivates Hart's imagination as a historical and eternal figure; beauty is central to Christian thought, alongside moral reasoning in biblical interpretation.
Suffering and evil do not undermine God's goodness for Hart; he denies the Bible teaches eternal conscious torment.
Materialism fails to explain consciousness's emergence, a key flaw in atheistic worldviews.
Hart is indifferent to dogmatic church authority, views Christian history as equally good and evil, and feels a burning obligation to the poor, marginalized, and strangers—those Jesus loved.
He defends God's true character against distorted portrayals by some church voices.[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/jesus-christianity-atheism.html)

Details and context

The interview opens with Wehner noting Hart's similarities to C.S. Lewis as a reluctant, surprising convert who writes powerfully on faith despite no innate piety. Hart clarifies he shifted from high church Episcopalianism to Eastern Orthodoxy but never embraced institutional piety; reverence comes from nature's transcendent hints.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/jesus-christianity-atheism.html?searchResultPosition=1)

Hart's theology emphasizes philosophical rigor over emotion: arguments for classical theism (God as infinite being, consciousness, bliss) overpower materialist atheism. He rejects hell as eternal torment, seeing it incompatible with a good God, and prioritizes Jesus' radical ethics—love for enemies, care for outcasts—over church power structures, which he critiques as often violent or authoritarian in history.

This fits Wehner's series exploring diverse Christian voices, highlighting tensions between personal faith in Jesus and organized religion.

Key quotes

"The reason I’m not an atheist is that I think the philosophical arguments against it are unanswerable."[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/jesus-christianity-atheism.html?searchResultPosition=1)

"I have a ‘burning sense of obligation’ to those whom Jesus loved — the poor, the marginalized, the strangers in our midst."[[2]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/jesus-christianity-atheism.html)

Why it matters

Hart's views challenge both dogmatic religion and reductive atheism, arguing for a philosophically robust faith centered on Jesus' boundless mercy. Readers wrestling with doubt may find his secular-to-Orthodox path and critiques of materialism a thoughtful alternative to institutional piety or materialist despair. Watch for responses from atheists, evangelicals, or Orthodox critics, though full impact depends on how his ideas spread beyond the paywall.[[3]](https://www.reddit.com/r/eformed/comments/1skhb2a/dbh_interview_in_the_nyt_the_reason_im_not_an)