The Boundless Bible 32: JANA HARMON: Skeptics and Ex-Skeptics
Jana Harmon, Ph.D, is the Senior Fellow For Christian Apologetics for the C.S. Lewis Institute and a Teaching Fellow for C.S. Lewis Institute Atlanta. She serves on the Atlanta Advisory Board and as an Adjunct Professor of Cultural Apologetics at Biola University. Her doctoral research studied the religious conversion of atheists to Christianity looking at the perspectives and stories of 50 former Atheists. She views apologetics through a practical, evangelistic lens. She is the host of the podcast eX-skeptic for the C.S. Lewis Institute. Jana received her PhD from the University of Birmingham, England.
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What truly opens a closed heart to faith? Dr. Jenna Harmon has spent years documenting the journeys of former atheists who found their way to Christianity—over 120 stories that reveal surprising patterns in spiritual transformation.
"I was driven there because I felt myself flat-footed in answering questions to atheists," shares Dr. Harmon, describing how her own journey into apologetics began. As host of the Ex-Skeptic podcast and a scholar with a PhD in religion and theology, she initially wondered what it would take for someone resistant to faith to genuinely consider God. What she discovered challenges conventional wisdom about evangelism and apologetics.
While intellectual arguments matter, they rarely serve as the primary catalyst for reconsidering faith. Instead, the door often opens through deeply human experiences: encountering a Christian whose character breaks down negative stereotypes, feeling a profound sense of meaninglessness in modern life, or recognizing what Dr. Harmon calls the "existential oddness" of reality—that only Christianity truly satisfies our deepest human longings for purpose, belonging, and love.
Her research revealed fascinating timing—people typically left faith around age 15 but experienced a catalyst toward reconsidering God around age 26, after about a decade of atheism. This process involves what one podcast host described as moving from confident atheism to genuine agnosticism (recognizing how little we truly know) before finding faith. As Dr. Harmon explains, engaging with skeptics requires discernment: "There are reasons why people say they don't believe. And then there are the real reasons."
Despite declining religious participation overall, Dr. Harmon sees encouraging signs, particularly among young men seeking substantive forms of faith that offer clear structure and meaning amid cultural confusion. For those wanting to explore these journeys further, ExSkeptic.org offers specially curated playlists addressing common questions like "Can I believe in science and God?" and practical advice for both Christians and curious skeptics.
Whether you're a skeptic yourself or care about someone who is, these stories remind us that no one is beyond the reach of God's love. As one dramatic conversion story demonstrates, even those deeply entrenched in opposing worldviews can find their way to faith when they encounter authentic Christianity lived out in love.
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