Confessions of a French Atheist: How God Hijacked My Quest to Disprove the Christian Faith

by Guillaume Bignon, Lee Strobel (Foreword by)

Overview

“A compelling spiritual memoir that traces Bignon’s fascinating quest for answers to life’s most profound questions.” —Lee Strobel

God Wasn’t In His Plans Until . . .

Guillaume Bignon was a French atheist . . . and he was perfectly happy. He was very successful as a software engineer in finance, a musician, and a volleyball player. Yet a chance encounter with a beautiful woman would change the way he thought about his life and beliefs forever.

Confessions of a French Atheist is the unusual story of Guillaume Bignon—a man who didn’t need God but who grew to believe in God after he thought through the nature of morality, the relationship between science and faith, the supernatural, and the reliability of the Bible. With rigorous reasoning, remarkable authenticity, and a sense of humor, Guillaume takes the reader on a journey of his innermost questions and surprising discoveries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496443021
Publisher:	Tyndale House Publishers
Publication date:	06/07/2022
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Dr. Guillaume Bignon was born and raised in France, where he studied math, physics, and engineering science. He currently works as a software engineering manager. After a wholly improbable conversion from atheism to Christianity, Guillaume earned a master's in biblical literature with an emphasis on the New Testament, and a PhD in philosophical theology. His areas of interest include the metaphysics of free will, natural theology, and soteriology. Guillaume is an executive committee member of Association Axiome, a society of French-speaking Christian scholars. He and his wife, Katherine, have five young (and adorable) children.

Table of Contents

Foreword Lee Strobel xiii

1 Hooked in the Caribbean 2

2 A "Most Tender" Childhood 11

3 Relentless Pursuit of Success 27

4 Happiness at Any Price 45

5 The Turning Point 55

6 Intellectual Barriers 69

7 Searching for Certainty 91

8 Miracles: History or Mythology? 107

9 Where the Head Went, the Heart Followed 131

10 Moves and Debates 151

11 Discovering Apologetics 179

Epilogue: My Motivation for Writing 199

About the Author 213

Notes 215

What People are Saying About This

John Dickson

I have long thought—from both my readings and friendships—that the French do atheism better than pretty much anyone else. But Guillaume Bignon’s Confessions of a French Atheist shows that the French can also make the best public advocates for the Christian faith. Here is a story full of culture, verve, thoughtfulness, emotion, and intelligence. Bignon is as comfortable discussing romance, sex, and beauty as he is science, history, and philosophy. The arguments here are strong and so are the aesthetics. If France has long represented the leading edge of a post-Christian society, a book like this shows there is a way back, not to Christendom but to Christ himself.

Peter S. Williams

Philosopher Guillaume Bignon’s search for meaning took him from Paris to New York, from womanizing to marriage, and from a hedonistic brand of atheism to a thoughtful faith in Jesus. Confessions of a French Atheist is a gripping spiritual memoir and intellectual ‘apology’ that will engage the reader’s heart and mind.

Jana Harmon

As a brilliant, talented, and successful man, former atheist Guillaume Bignon had no need for God. In this transparent autobiography, he takes us along his unexpected journey into the question of belief and a closer exploration into his own life. Through earnest searching, honest wrestling, and reflection, he confronts his own false presumptions about atheism, Christianity, and even himself, and he finds life-changing truth in surprising ways.

Gary R. Habermas

A delightful and enchanting read—just try to put it down! This fast-paced and well-written volume recounts a search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world, interspersed with philosophical tidbits. What happens when atheistic intellectualism meets sophisticated apologetic arguments? Read on . . .

Justin Brierley

Guillaume has written an incredibly readable and searingly honest account of his journey from atheism to Christian faith, masterfully weaving together the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects of his journey. Apologetics can often be a ‘dry’ subject. This book is the opposite. Yes, Confessions of a French Atheist is packed with rational arguments for the truth of Christianity, but it is also a no-holds-barred account of how God graciously shows up in the messiness of our personal lives. Read it and then give it to the next intellectual enquirer you meet.

Craig J. Hazen

A superb and engaging lesson in philosophy, theology, and crystal-clear Christian apologetics, all propelled by an honest and captivating personal narrative. What a perfect book to get into the hands of skeptics and also into the hands of believers who find themselves struggling with doubt. Guillaume Bignon strikes just the right balance of head and heart to make this a true faith-building experience for anyone who is blessed to read it.

Kurt Jaros

Confessions is a captivating story of romance, betrayal, redemption, and a winsome presentation of a rational Christian faith. Guillaume’s journey, like so many, tells us of how wretched we are and yet how powerful God’s grace is. An inspiring book for all people.

Gregory Koukl

Guillaume Bignon’s story is simply incredible, just another example of a thoroughly committed atheist determined to discredit Jesus and Christianity who then gets turned upside down when forced to face the facts—the facts of Jesus’ life and the facts of his own life.

Robert M. Bowman Jr.

Guillaume Bignon weaves his own fascinating story with clear, persuasive explanations of the evidence that led him as a self-indulgent atheist to devote his life to serving the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ. Readers unfamiliar with the intellectual tradition of French unbelief are in for a treat as Bignon introduces such skeptical luminaries as Voltaire, Baron d’Holbach, Ernest Renan, and Prosper Alfaric and cogently engages their objections to Christianity. Colorful illustrations drawn from everything from volleyball to Disney movies make his answers fun and memorable. Yet it is the story of Bignon’s personal conversion, with the surprising twists and the highs, lows, and messiness of real life, that make it hard to put this book down.

Paul Copan

In Confessions of a French Atheist, Guillaume Bignon tells of his conversion story, and it is not only honest but also winsomely vulnerable. Bignon’s book brings together the moral and rational, the existential and the philosophical, and it reveals how the gospel of Christ satisfies our deepest human longings while also addressing humanity’s most fundamental intellectual questions. Read this book and pass it on to others!

Sean McDowell

My thoughts on Confessions of a French Atheist can be captured in one word: fantastic. It is captivating and insightful. I couldn’t put it down. It gets my highest recommendation for believers, seekers, and skeptics.

Mark Mittelberg

Think God’s a joke? Join former skeptic Guillaume Bignon on his journey so you can consider what he found. Having doubts about your faith? Let the answers Guillaume discovered bolster your beliefs. Want to help family and friends find faith? Give them a copy of Confessions of a French Atheist and let God use this compelling story to open their hearts and minds. There is something good for everyone in this powerful new book!

Editorial Reviews

In this engaging debut, French philosopher Bignon chronicles how his failed mission to debunk Christianity led to his conversion. Raised Catholic, Bignon considered himself an atheist by the time he was in high school. In his mid-20s, Bignon resolved to disprove his girlfriend’s Christian beliefs, including her commitment to abstinence before marriage. Bignon dusted off a Bible, but to his surprise found Jesus was “full of wisdom and quick comebacks.” Bignon also befriended a local pastor with whom he met regularly to discuss theology, which led to him changing his perspectives on “the supernatural, science, sex, knowledge, and salvation.” For instance, the author describes how he came to view abstinence as reasonable after the pastor clarified that Christianity doesn’t disapprove of sexuality, but sees it as a “gift” from God to be “enjoyed within the bounds of marriage.” These talks, supplemented by independent research and a close reading of the New Testament, revived Bignon’s faith. The author’s well-reasoned arguments in favor of the existence of God and a figurative understanding of scripture, along with thoughtful rebuttals to atheist critics of divine punishment and salvation by belief, cohere in a humorous and persuasive testament to the rationality of faith. Part memoir, part spiritual and intellectual treatise, this book has the power to change minds.

Publishers Weekly