Famous Atheists Who Found Faith: The 25 Most Surprising Conversions to Christianity

Chuvic - May 3, 2025

Few transformations capture our imagination like the journey from adamant disbelief to profound faith. These 35 individuals once firmly rejected Christianity through rational skepticism, scientific materialism, or personal trauma. Their stories span academia, entertainment, journalism, and science, revealing multiple paths to belief. Intellectual honesty, personal crisis, mystical experiences, and meaningful relationships transformed these committed atheists into passionate believers. Each discovered something in Christianity they couldn’t ignore.

G.E.M. Anscombe

The analytic philosopher encountered secular philosophy at Oxford that reinforced her non-theistic upbringing initially. Studying Thomas Aquinas and Ludwig Wittgenstein unexpectedly led her toward faith through logical reasoning. Anscombe’s 1940s conversion to Catholicism surprised academic colleagues who knew her rational approach. She became a prominent Catholic thinker while maintaining her philosophical rigor throughout her career. Her work continues shaping modern Catholic philosophy through its intellectual depth.

NEXT >>

Anne Rice

The author behind The Vampire Chronicles left Catholicism in her 20s following her young daughter’s death. Personal tragedies reinforced her rejection of faith for decades while writing supernatural fiction. Rice experienced a spiritual longing during a health crisis that led her back to church. Her 1998 return to Catholicism shocked fans of her vampire novels worldwide. She subsequently wrote the Christ the Lord series, exploring Jesus through historical fiction.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

The Somali-Dutch-American writer made headlines in 2023 with her unexpected conversion after decades as an outspoken atheist. She spent years criticizing religion after leaving Islam, founding foundations promoting secularism and women’s rights. Ali found her way to Christianity after recognizing its cultural value and finding spiritual solace within its teachings. Her essay in UnHerd described Christianity as a refuge from existential despair. This dramatic shift sparked heated debates among both atheists and Christians worldwide.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Lee Strobel

The Chicago Tribune’s legal editor approached Christianity with journalistic skepticism and professional determination. His wife’s 1979 conversion prompted his two-year investigation intended to disprove biblical claims once and for all. Strobel’s evidence-driven mind couldn’t ignore the historical facts he discovered about Jesus. His journey from atheism to faith in 1981 later became The Case for Christ bestseller. Millions have explored Christianity through his books and lectures about this unexpected transformation from skeptic to pastor.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Francis Collins

The Human Genome Project director viewed religion as superstition during his early scientific career at Yale and UNC. This changed when dying patients asked questions science couldn’t answer about suffering and purpose. Reading C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity challenged his atheistic assumptions about faith and reason. Collins realized faith and science could coexist harmoniously while mapping human genes. His conversion in his late 20s led to The Language of God, explaining this compatibility.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Alister McGrath

The Irish biochemist embraced Marxism and atheism as a teenager in Belfast during the violent Troubles. His Oxford studies unexpectedly revealed Christianity’s intellectual depth rather than confirming its irrationality as he expected. McGrath’s scientific background led him toward faith instead of away from it through careful analysis. His 1971 conversion shaped his career as a theologian and critic of Richard Dawkins. He now bridges science and faith through academic apologetics and numerous books.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Albert Henry Ross

The English lawyer wrote under the pen name Frank Morison while planning to debunk Christianity. He doubted biblical miracles based on rationalist principles and legal training. Ross set out to disprove Jesus’ resurrection through historical investigation and scholarly research. The evidence led him in the opposite direction by the 1930s after careful examination. His resulting book Who Moved the Stone? describes how examining facts transformed his skepticism into belief.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Joy Davidman

The American poet embraced militant atheism and Marxism despite her Jewish upbringing in New York. A profound mystical experience during her 1946 mental breakdown shattered her materialist worldview completely. Davidman joined a Presbyterian church shortly after this spiritual encounter while still recovering. She later married C.S. Lewis, profoundly influencing his later writings and emotional life. Their relationship inspired Lewis’s heartbreaking memoir A Grief Observed after her death from cancer.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Nabeel Qureshi

The former Ahmadi Muslim rejected faith entirely during college while studying medicine at Old Dominion University. His Christian friend David Wood challenged this position through years of friendly debate and discussion. Dreams, visions, and historical research gradually convinced Qureshi of Christianity’s truth despite family opposition. His 2005 conversion cost him family relationships but gained him purpose in ministry. Before his early death at 34, he wrote Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Rosalind Picard

The MIT scholar grew up without religious influence in a scientific household that valued logic. Scientific skepticism shaped her atheistic outlook until a friend suggested she read the Bible analytically. Picard approached scripture with her engineering mindset but found unexpected depth in its teachings. Her conversion during the 1980s didn’t diminish her scientific work in artificial intelligence. She founded MIT’s Affective Computing Research Group while integrating faith with technology ethics.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

John Lennox

The British mathematician initially viewed religion as irrational during his Northern Ireland upbringing, surrounded by conflict. His scientific studies surprisingly strengthened rather than weakened his emerging faith in mathematics’ order. Philosophical exploration and Christian mentors showed him faith’s coherence by his 20s at Cambridge. Lennox now debates prominent atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens worldwide. His scientific credentials make these exchanges particularly compelling for academics seeking truth.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Peter Hitchens

The British journalist followed his brother Christopher into atheism and leftist politics during the 1960s. Exposure to Christian art began shifting his perspective in unexpected ways while traveling in Europe. A personal crisis in the 1980s completed his journey to Anglican faith after years of soul-searching. Hitchens later wrote The Rage Against God, partly addressing his famous brother’s arguments. His writing critiques secularism’s impact on society while defending traditional Christian values.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Holly Ordway

The English professor valued reason above all else while teaching at Malibu’s Pepperdine University. Her academic skepticism rejected faith as intellectually inadequate for modern thinkers. Reading C.S. Lewis challenged this assumption with surprisingly robust arguments that demanded attention. Conversations with a Christian mentor addressed her deepest questions about existence and meaning. Ordway’s 2012 conversion surprised her academic colleagues but brought intellectual satisfaction. She now teaches apologetics and literature professionally.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Jane Fonda

The actress drifted from faith early in her activism-filled life while protesting Vietnam. A difficult divorce from Ted Turner prompted spiritual searching beyond her secular lifestyle. Fonda found unexpected comfort in evangelical Christianity during this personal crisis in 2001. Her conversion surprised many Hollywood friends who knew her as politically liberal. She describes Christianity as her “spiritual home” despite her unconventional path through various ideologies.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Kirk Cameron

The Growing Pains star absorbed Hollywood’s secular culture during his teenage fame in the spotlight. A friend’s church invitation at 17 sparked questions about his atheistic assumptions and lifestyle. Cameron experienced a profound conversion that transformed his career trajectory toward Christian media. He left mainstream entertainment to produce faith-based films like Fireproof and documentaries. His outspoken Christian values sometimes generate controversy but reflect his genuine conviction.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

William J. Murray

The son of America’s most famous atheist activist, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, shared her militant rejection of religion. Taylor Caldwell’s book Dear and Glorious Physician sparked unexpected spiritual interest while reading on a plane. Murray’s 1980 conversion to Christianity horrified his mother, who disowned him. He now leads the Religious Freedom Coalition as a Baptist minister advocating for persecuted Christians. His story demonstrates that faith can emerge even from the most anti-religious backgrounds.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Chuck Norris

The martial arts champion embraced a secular, self-reliant worldview during his early career focused on fighting. Something changed during the 1990s when Norris experienced a spiritual awakening after personal reflection. He embraced evangelical faith wholeheartedly after years of atheism that shaped his public image. Norris now advocates for Bible education in schools across America. His Christian books and public statements reflect how thoroughly faith transformed his once-secular perspective.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Gary Busey

The actor lived a hedonistic Hollywood lifestyle filled with substance abuse and reckless behavior. A near-fatal 1988 motorcycle accident forced him to confront mortality when doctors gave up hope. Busey claims he died briefly during surgery and experienced another realm of existence. This brush with death eventually led to his born-again Christian faith in 1996. He now speaks publicly about his dramatic spiritual journey from atheism to belief.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Mark Wahlberg

The actor’s troubled youth included crime and religious skepticism despite a Catholic upbringing in Boston. A priest’s mentorship in his 20s rekindled faith he had abandoned during his teenage years. Wahlberg credits Catholicism with turning his life completely around from violence and drugs. He now attends daily Mass whenever possible, despite his busy acting schedule. His support for Catholic charities shows a practical commitment to the faith he once rejected.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Julia Sweeney

The Saturday Night Live comedian built her career partly on religious skepticism and irreverent humor. Her one-woman show Letting Go of God documented her journey away from faith years earlier. Personal reflection later led Sweeney back toward Christianity in a quieter conversion process. Her experience underscores how spiritual journeys often resist simple narratives or explanations. She demonstrates that humor and faith can coexist in surprising ways through her writing.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

John C. Wright

The science fiction author based his atheism on philosophical materialism and scientific rationalism. Everything changed in 2008 when Wright experienced mystical visions during a heart attack crisis. These supernatural encounters completely upended his materialist worldview within hours of their occurrence. His dramatic conversion to Catholicism stunned fellow authors and fans alike, who knew his skepticism. Wright’s novels now incorporate Catholic themes while maintaining their science fiction elements.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Leah Libresco

The atheist blogger debated Christians online through her site, Unequally Yoked, for years successfully. Her search for moral foundations led to unexpected questions about her atheism’s ethical basis. Conversations with Catholics challenged her assumptions about ethics and virtue formation. Libresco’s 2012 conversion shocked her atheist readers who followed her rational argumentation. She continued blogging under the same name, documenting her newfound Catholic faith honestly.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Evelyn Waugh

The British novelist lived a skeptical, hedonistic life before his conversion, enjoying London’s social scene. Exposure to Catholic intellectuals in the 1930s shifted his perspective dramatically through conversation. Waugh embraced Catholicism despite its social disadvantages in England at that time for aristocrats. His classic novel Brideshead Revisited beautifully reflects his Catholic worldview within English society. Waugh’s faith influenced all his subsequent writing, though he remained personally acerbic.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

C.S. Lewis

The Oxford professor behind The Chronicles of Narnia rejected God after World War I experiences shattered his faith. Friends like J.R.R. Tolkien gradually changed his mind through compelling discussions about mythology and truth. Lewis fought his conversion, describing himself as “the most reluctant convert in all England” before accepting Christianity at age 32. His transformation from staunch atheist to Christianity’s greatest defender happened through intellectual struggle. Lewis later documented this shift in his memoir Surprised by Joy.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Alexis Mason

The militant atheist aggressively rejected religious authority throughout her early life in secular academia. Personal encounters with Christians gradually softened her antagonism through genuine friendship. Reading apologetics addressed her intellectual objections to faith one by one methodically. Mason’s conversion story appears in conversion anthologies despite being less publicly known. Her experience shows how even the most committed atheists sometimes find their way to Christianity.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Conclusion

These remarkable journeys remind us that belief remains fluid throughout life. People change. Former critics become defenders. Skeptics find faith. Each story here unfolded uniquely, yet all share profound transformation. The intellectual, emotional, and spiritual paths they traveled remind us to approach others with humility. Today’s atheist might become tomorrow’s believer. Today’s skeptic might discover unexpected truth in what they once rejected.

<< Previous