Is Christianity Irrational? (Dr. Andy Bannister, Emeritus Professor Dr. Ronald de Sousa)

This presentation is part of the Relevant 2017 series (www.relevantseries.com).

Moderator: Nick Hill
Speakers: Dr. Andy Bannister (Christian) and Emeritus Professor Dr. Ronald de Sousa (Atheist)
Panelists: Dr. Andy Bannister, Emeritus Professor Dr. Ronald de Sousa

Dr. Andy Bannister is a popular author, speaker and broadcaster. He speaks and teaches regularly throughout Canada, the USA, Europe, and the wider world, addressing audiences of all faiths and none on issues of philosophy, belief, and scepticism. Andy holds a doctorate in Islamic studies from Brunel University, London, is a guest lecturer at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, is the the Director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, and Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at Melbourne School of Theology. He blogs regularly here.

Recently, Dr. Andy Bannister released the book: The Atheist Who Didn't Exist: Or the Dreadful Consequences of Bad Arguments (Oxford: Lion). In this book he looks at common atheist soundbites that at first glance sound like quite powerful, but upon deeper examination begin to unravel. He uses humour, wit, good illustrations, logic, and reason to get to the bottom of things.

Andy is the author of An Oral-Formulaic Study of the Qur’an (a groundbreaking and innovative study that reveals many of the ways the Qur’an was first composed). He also co-wrote and presented the TV documentary, Burning Questions.

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Dr. Ronald de Sousa is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He received his BA from the University Oxford and his PhD from Princeton University.

He has written the following books Love: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2015), Emotional Truth (Oxford, 2011), Why Think? Evolution and the Rational Mind (Oxford, 2007), The Rationality of Emotion (MIT, 1987).

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Nick Hill has been a campus staff member with Power to Change at the University of Toronto for the last seven years. He loves to spend time with students of different worldviews to learn, to discuss, and to talk about the big questions of life. Nick organizes many large and small events at U of T for the purpose of clearing away misunderstandings and roadblocks that keep students and professors from engaging with Jesus Christ. Some of these events have included: “Is it True? Getting to the Heart of the World’s Religions”, “Why? Exploring Life’s Key Questions?”, “Bad Arguments Against True Religion,” “Has Science Made God Irrelevant?” and the “Relevant Series."

Nick received a BA in Christianity and Culture from Trinity Western University. He has done graduate work in theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and summer studies at Yale Divinity School.

When not engaged in dialoguing with others about ideas that matter, Nick enjoys rock climbing both at his local gym and outdoors. He lives in Toronto, is married to Jen, and they have four wonderful children: Grace, Iain, Jacob, and Kate.