The faith of Christopher Hitchens : the restless soul of the world's most notorious atheist

169 Pages·2016·1.05 MB·English

PRAISE FOR LARRY TAUNTON
“The Faith of Christopher Hitchens is so good that words fail me. It is that triple
rarity: an astonishing tour de force of both heart and mind, and a bona fide page-
turner. If it doesn’t keep you up late, you are already sleeping. Who dreamt
anyone would ever get to see this side of the cartoon enfante terrible? Taunton’s
unprecedented access to the “real” Hitchens is a gift from the heavens—literally
and literarily—to anyone wanting to know who he really was, that man behind
the withering, glowering mien and fulminating blunderbuss voice. This
indefatigably clear-eyed window into the soul of the great Hitch may break your
heart with love for its subject, as it did mine, or it may make you wish to rent
yourself in twain with rage, Rumpelstilskin-style. Either way, it’s quite a book.
A triumph.”
—Eric Metaxas, New York Times
bestselling author and nationally
syndicated radio host
“If you really want to get to know someone intimately, go on a multi-day cross-
country road trip, share fine food and expensive spirits, and have open and
honest conversations about the most important issues in life. And then engage
them in public debate before thousands of people on those very topics. In this
engrossing narrative about his friendship with the atheist activist Christopher
Hitchens, the evangelical Christian Larry Taunton shows us a side of the man
very few of us knew. Apparent contradictions dissolve before Taunton’s
penetrating insight into the psychology of a man fiercely loyal to his friends and
passionately devoted to leading a life of integrity. This book should be read by
every atheist and theist passionate about the truth, and by anyone who really
wants to understand Hitch, one of the greatest minds and literary geniuses of our
time.”
—Michael Shermer, publisher, Skeptic
magazine; monthly columnist, Scientific
American; presidential fellow, Chapman
University; and author, The Moral Arc
“A riveting read that’s sure to spark the sort of controversy that was common to
its central figure ‘the Contrarian.’ Likely to expose many modern Freethinkers as
anything but as it demonstrates that their patron saint of secularism was more
open-minded than they care to admit.”
—Dan DeWitt, dean, Boyce College;
author, Christ or Chaos
“Every fan of Christopher Hitchens must read this elegant, honest, and beautiful
tale of an improbable friendship between an American Christian and an English
atheist. If you thought you knew ‘Hitch,’ you did not. Now, you will.”
—Paul Reid, coauthor of The Last Lion
“People are fascinating. We want to read biographies because we want a look
behind the scenes. We want to see if the public and private persona match up.
Larry’s unique relationship with Christopher Hitchens and his skill in writing,
combine for a narrative that does not disappoint. There are surprises on many
levels but what shines through is how people of diametrically opposed views can
interact, debate, and dialogue about their deepest differences. I highly
recommend this book, it is informative and moving; a great read.”
—Dr. Stuart McAllister, regional
director of the Americas, Ravi
Zacharias International Ministries
“Christopher Hitchens was a force to be reckoned with, whether one was a theist
or an atheist. While I never met him, I know firsthand through friendships with
those of other worldviews that ultimate issues can be discussed without
compromise, yet without animosity, with gentleness and with respect. Larry
Taunton traveled this road with Hitchens and reveals a man few knew: brash and
confident in public, but in quieter moments wrestling with deep questions about
ultimate truth that would not go away. In the end, Larry demonstrates that while
arguments and debate have their place in winning the mind and heart, it is love
that is the most powerful apologetic for the truth and beauty of the gospel. This
book will surprise and challenge you—and I hope, open fruitful conversation
among atheists and theists alike.”
—Ravi Zacharias, author and speaker

© 2016 Larry Alex Taunton
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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Nelson Books, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Nelson Books and Thomas Nelson are registered
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ISBN 978-0-71802-218-1 (eBook)
ISBN 978-0-71808-112-6 (IE)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Taunton, Larry.
Title: The faith of Christopher Hitchens: the restless soul of the world’s most notorious atheist / Larry Alex Taunton.
Description: Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2016.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015036567 | ISBN 9780718022174
Subjects: LCSH: Christianity and atheism. | Hitchens, Christopher—Religion. | Taunton, Larry—Religion.
Classification: LCC BR128.A8 T38 2016 | DDC 261.2/1—dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015036567
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To my boys, Michael, Christopher, and Zachary, who
always believed.
CONTENTS
Prologue
A Requiem for Unbelief
The Making of an Atheist
Intellectual Weapons
Two Books
Honor Thy Father
Brothers
September 11th
Undercover
The Atheist Heretic
Sasha
3:10 to Yuma
The Shenandoah
The Last Debate
Yellowstone
The Abyss
Epilogue: The Struggle for the Body of Christopher Hitchens
Acknowledgments
Notes
About the Author
PROLOGUE
Shortly after the death of Christopher Hitchens on December 15, 2011, Joel
Miller, then my editor at Thomas Nelson, encouraged me to write a book
about my relationship with the late atheist. I wasn’t interested. I just couldn’t see
how writing a book like that would be anything but an exercise in self-
flagellation. I prefer writing stories that are inspirational and redemptive.
Writing The Grace Effect was pure joy for me. That story—the story of my
remarkable adopted daughter, Sasha—is full of redemption. But the arc of
Christopher’s life contained few redemptive elements, so far as I could see. A
bare reading of the biographical facts would likely lead any Christian to
conclude that he led a life of rebellion and died. The End. Where’s the
inspiration in that? And there was an additional consideration: I did not want to
betray any confidences the way it seems friends and acquaintances of celebrities
so often do.
However, I gradually came to see Christopher’s life in a different light.
Redemption comes in many forms, and in this story, it is for the reader. Most of
us have someone like Christopher Hitchens in our lives; someone we love who is
so hell-bent on self-destruction that we feel powerless to help them. If his life
had a black box, this book is sifting through the wreckage to find it and
understand precisely what went wrong. In the final analysis, there is something
to be learned about how we, the living, are to process these lost relationships.
As for my latter objection to writing this book, Joel helped me to see that the
choice was not between writing a “tell-all” or a ponderous biography. Could I,
instead, focus on my relationship with Christopher? The idea intrigued me. That
an avowed atheist and an evangelical Christian were friends was a matter of
endless fascination to many people. Indeed, when Christopher told an audience
of some 1,200 people that we had studied the Gospel of John together during a
cross-country drive, they practically gasped. Among the gathered was Frank
Devine, a senior producer for 60 Minutes, who approached me immediately after
the event apparently to see if it was even possible.