Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 21:1 (Spring 2024)
Article: I Believe In The Virgin Birth … And So Does Richard Dawkins: A Cheeky Proposal
Author: Tawa J. Anderson

I Believe In The Virgin Birth …
And So Does Richard Dawkins: A Cheeky Proposal

Tawa J. Anderson

Tawa Anderson is Associate Professor of Philosophy & Apologetics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans, LA.

I first met Bob Stewart in 2011, shortly after joining the Philosophy faculty at Oklahoma Baptist University. I had long admired Dr. Stewart’s scholarship and quickly came to appreciate his mentorship and friendship. Bob talked me (and more importantly my Dean) into bringing a group of OBU students to Defend 2013, and I have been an addicted fixture at Defend ever since. Defend is, in my humble but definitely correct opinion, the best apologetics conference in the world. Defend draws 400–500 attendees for a full week of apologetic teaching from top apologists and philosophers from throughout North America (and beyond). It is a privilege and a joy to now be teaching alongside Dr. Stewart at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; and it is an intimidating honor to be stepping into Bob’s shoes as the Director of Defend after his retirement this summer. This article, drawn from my plenary lecture at the end of this year’s Defend conference, is dedicated to Dr. Stewart and his legacy at NOBTS and Defend.

As a Christian, I affirm the virgin birth of Jesus. In this paper, my cheeky intention is to demonstrate that Richard Dawkins, the famous evolutionary biologist and atheist apologist, also believes in a virgin birth.1 I will endeavor to show that evolutionary atheists like Dawkins ALL embrace the virgin birth and other miraculous events, despite their protestations to the contrary.

Philosophy 101: Defining Terms

First things first. We need to start with two definitions. What do we mean by miracle? And what do we mean by evolution?

JBTM 21:1 (Spring 2024) 22

There are numerous definitions of miracle out there. David Hume famously defined miracle as “a violation of the laws of nature,” later adding “by the volition of a deity.”2 Others also include the notion of supernatural entities or gods or deities in their definition of miracle. John Locke: “A miracle then I take to be a sensible operation, which, being above the comprehension of the spectator, and in his opinion contrary to the established course of nature, is taken by him to be divine.”3 Thomas Aquinas: “Those events then are properly to be styled miracles, which happen by divine power beyond the order commonly observed in nature.”4 Among more contemporary thinkers, J. P. Moreland defines miracle as “an event or ...