D’Souza Defends Christianity at OU

New York Times bestselling author, conservative scholar, college president, Christian apologist, and public intellectual Dinesh D'Souza will speak in a free public lecture at the University of Oklahoma this Wednesday evening, December 1, 2010.  The title of D’Souza’s address is: The God Decision: Delusion, Confusion or Truth? 

D’Souza, who earlier this year was named president of The King’s College, a Christian college located in the Empire State Building in New York City, will make a reasoned and thoughtful defense of orthodox Christianity and challenge the so-called “New Atheism” in the general culture and on the O.U. campus. 

The “New Atheism” is an increasingly popular worldview promoted by well-known intellectuals including, Sir Richard Dawkins (who spoke at O.U. in March 2009), Christopher Hitchens, Dr. Daniel Dennett and Sam Harris — the so-called “Four Horsemen of the New Atheism.” This belief system is essentially an embrace of scientific and philosophical Naturalism and a rejection of widespread Christian thought and theism that has existed in North America for 400 years.
 
D’Souza will speak to students, adults, and faculty at 8 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union Ballroom, 900 Asp Avenue, on the Norman campus. Following his remarks, he will engage in a Q & A session with audience members. This is a free public event. Earlier that afternoon, at 3 p.m., D’Souza will also visit the Credo House of Theology, 109 N.W. 142nd Street (west of Santa Fe), Suite B, in Edmond.
 
“We’re hoping that lots of people will come hear Dinesh D’Souza on Dec. 1,” said Mike Jestes, executive director of the Oklahoma Family Policy Council, one of the sponsors of D’Souza’s appearance. “Whether one is committed religious, strongly nonreligious, or undecided — a D’Souza fan or critic  — all Oklahomans will benefit by a night of exposure to Dinesh’s keen mind, razor-sharp wit and entertaining style,” Jestes said. 
 
Prior to his recent appointment, D’Souza, a native of India, had a distinguished 25-year career as a writer, scholar, and public intellectual. A former policy analyst in the Reagan White House, D’Souza also served as John M. Olin Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and the Robert and Karen Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Over the past 20 years, he has also appeared as a speaker or debater at hundreds of colleges and universities.
 
Among D’Souza’s many best-selling and controversial books are Illiberal Education, The End of Racism, Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader, The Virtue of Prosperity, What’s So Great About America, What’s So Great About Christianity, Life After Death: The Evidence, and his most recent work, The Roots of Obama’s Rage. (Previous Tulsa Today story click here.)

D’Souza’s appearance at O.U. is sponsored by an ad hoc coalition of private individuals and state-based organizations, including Bott Radio Network Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Family Policy Council, The Wilberforce Initiative and the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.