Oxford mathematician and Christian apologist Professor John Lennox has encouraged believers to be more confident in sharing their faith, stressing that evangelism is not reserved for preachers, theologians or those with extensive biblical knowledge.
In a wide-ranging interview with Christian apologetics organisation Solas, the 81-year-old professor reflected on his decades of defending Christianity publicly and offered practical advice to Christians who feel intimidated by questions about their beliefs.
Speaking to Dr Simon Wenham, an assistant director for Solas, Lennox said it was his conviction that Christianity is true that has motivated him to share the gospel since his days at Cambridge in the 1960s.
Quoting biblical scholar FF Bruce, he said: “The New Testament knows nothing of silent Christians.”
Lennox added, “We may not all be preachers, but we can all share it. We are all called to be witnesses.”
However, Lennox expressed concern that many Christians lack the biblical understanding needed to engage confidently in conversations about their faith.
He observed that while believers often invest considerable effort into developing their professional qualifications, their knowledge of Scripture sometimes remains “at a Sunday school level”.
As a result, they can become embarrassed when confronted with difficult questions and retreat into silence, a tendency reinforced by a culture that increasingly encourages people to keep their religious beliefs private.
Explaining that the Greek word ‘apologia’ simply means ‘defence’, Lennox challenged the misconception that Christian apologetics is reserved for intellectuals or those with extensive philosophical knowledge.
He said it is not about “being erudite and being able to answer many philosophical questions”, but rather “defending the truth of the Christian faith and clearing up objections and difficulties that people have with believing it”.
He added: “If you look at the frequency of the distribution of the word apologia in the New Testament, Paul mainly uses it … to describe his own experience, which I suppose is the central apologetic … No one can take our experience away from us.
“So, we’ve got a slightly distorted view of it, which unfortunately means that a number of Christians feel that it's not their place to be involved in defending the Christian faith, when in fact we're all called to it.”
He encouraged Christians to seek to understand people's backgrounds, experiences and questions, and approach conversations with curiosity, humility and a genuine willingness to listen.
“Getting to know people and listening to them, it seems to me is a prerequisite that’s almost forgotten,” he said.
He also encouraged Christians not to be afraid of admitting when they cannot answer a question, suggesting that such moments can become opportunities for deeper conversations.
“If you can't answer something people ask you, admit it immediately,” he advised.
Rather than avoiding a difficult question, Christians could offer to explore it further and meet again to discuss it, he suggested.
He said: “The effect of that can be quite dramatic because the other person learns several things simultaneously. Firstly, that Christians aren't know-it-alls. They don't claim to know everything.
“Secondly, that here's someone who takes my question seriously enough that they're prepared to admit that they don't really have an answer to it, but … they're prepared to look for one.
“And that can be the beginning of a much deeper friendship and lead to people coming to faith in Christ.”
Ultimately, though, Christians can share their own testimonies, he suggested: “What we all can do is to share what Christ has done for us."
He pointed to the workplace as another mission field, describing it as a place where Christians could model the faith and “one prays that that will precipitate people asking questions”.
Addressing disagreements with atheists and sceptics, Lennox warned against approaching conversations as contests to be won.
“Winning an argument is one thing but winning the hearts of someone with whom you're speaking is an entirely different thing,” he said.
He encouraged Christians to remain calm and respectful, remembering that every person is made in God’s image and deserves to be treated with dignity, regardless of their beliefs.
“I think people can learn to respect you in that way,” he said. “Take their questions seriously, take them seriously and see what happens. But always pray for calm and peacefulness. It's remarkable how peaceful and calm Jesus was.”
He added that faith must arise from “personal conviction” rather than pressure or persuasion.
“It’s no use browbeating people or trying to,” he said.
“You can provide them with information, and a lot of people simply need more information. They don't know enough in order to be able to believe.”
Touching on arguments for God’s existence, Lennox shared his belief that science, particularly the mathematical order of nature, “points towards God,” and he recalled people coming to faith after watching his exchanges with prominent atheists like Richard Dawkins.
Reflecting on his life’s work, Lennox said his two principal aims have been to make a reasoned explanation of Christianity accessible to the wider public and to equip Christians to share their beliefs with greater confidence.
Ultimately, Lennox said, Christianity is not simply an intellectual system to be defended, but a living relationship with Jesus Christ.
“We’re communicating trust in a person, not in a theory,” he said. “It’s the idea that Christ is not only the truth, but the way and the life. And that He is the bridge between us and God and can bring us salvation.”
