The Word-Based Universe: John Lennox on Scripture, AI, and Human Identity

Quill Summaries: YouTube Video of Oxford Professor on AI and God

In a profound conversation between David Perell and renowned mathematician and Christian apologist John Lennox, we journey through the intersection of faith, technology, and what it means to be human. Beginning with the concept of a "word-based universe" from John 1:1, Lennox explores how language and meaning fundamentally challenge materialistic worldviews. The discussion weaves through biblical interpretation, the nature of divine revelation, and culminates in examining artificial intelligence's implications for humanity. Throughout, Lennox offers a perspective that doesn't pit science against faith but sees them as complementary ways of understanding reality. As AI systems grow increasingly sophisticated, Lennox raises important questions about human identity, the dangers of playing God, and how ancient biblical warnings might speak to our technological moment with surprising relevance.

The Universe of Words and Meaning

Lennox begins by challenging materialistic worldviews through two powerful examples of "words" in our universe: mathematics and the human genome. Mathematics, as the most precise language we have, helps us understand how the universe works. Meanwhile, biology has revealed the human genome—a 3.4 billion letter "word" that codes for proteins and life itself.

"In all our human experience, words come from minds. So if we attribute mind to words of four letters long, it's rather curious when we come to a word of 3.4 billion letters long that we say it happens by chance and necessity." [John Lennox]

This observation forms the foundation of Lennox's argument against materialism. If we recognize that even simple words like "EXIT" on a sign must originate from a mind, it seems illogical to attribute the vastly more complex genetic code to mere chance. The information contained in DNA, while carried on a material substrate, is itself non-material—a fatal blow to purely materialistic explanations.

"Information, whatever it is, is not material. It's usually carried on a material substrate. The information on those pages is carried on paper and ink, but it itself is not material. So that means there are non-material entities in the universe. Well, that's the end of materialism as a philosophy." [John Lennox]

Lennox further explains how his mentor, Professor David Gooding, taught him to approach biblical literature by examining structure and thought flow. Rather than immediately asking what a text means, Gooding emphasized first understanding what it says—observing repetition, structure markers, and the placement of passages within larger arguments. This methodical approach to reading scripture reveals layers of meaning that casual readers might miss.

Reading Scripture: Beyond Surface Understanding

Lennox describes how his approach to scripture was transformed by his mentor, who challenged him to move beyond superficial reading. When asked why he studied scripture, Lennox initially mentioned preparing for Bible studies and sermons. His mentor responded with a perspective-shifting answer: "To get to know God."

"If this really is God's word, then logically you would expect God to authenticate himself through it, not by arguments about it or details of its authenticity from the perspective of documentary evidence... but that God actually speaks through it." [John Lennox]

This approach treats scripture not merely as a historical document to be analyzed but as a living text through which God communicates. Lennox emphasizes the importance of observing what the text actually says before jumping to interpretation or application. Many readers, he notes, rush to ask "What should I do?" without first understanding the text's structure, repeated phrases, and thought flow.

"Most of the failure to understand what scripture means is not taking enough time to see what it says." [John Lennox]

Lennox also addresses how metaphorical language in scripture points to reality rather than fantasy. Using the example of Jesus saying "I am the door," he explains that while Jesus is not literally a wooden door, he is a real doorway into spiritual experience. This distinction between literal and metaphorical language is crucial for understanding texts like Revelation, where symbols and metaphors stand for genuine realities rather than mere fantasy.

AI, Idolatry, and the Tower of Babel

When discussing artificial intelligence, Lennox expresses both appreciation for its capabilities and concern about its trajectory. He distinguishes between narrow AI (systems designed for specific tasks) and the pursuit of artificial general intelligence that might rival or surpass human capabilities. What troubles him is how many leading AI researchers seem genuinely frightened by what they're creating.

"Among the thought leaders, some of them seem to be running scared. And they're highly intelligent people and they are scared particularly of what is called the control problem—that we lose control, that something's going on in some of these very advanced systems that we don't quite understand and haven't quite tamed." [John Lennox]

Lennox draws parallels between modern AI development and biblical warnings. He notes how physicist Max Tegmark's scenario of an AI-controlled totalitarian system eerily resembles descriptions in Revelation of a world where "no one can buy or sell unless they have the mark." This connection between ancient prophecy and contemporary technological concerns was affirmed by Peter Thiel when Lennox questioned him directly about it.

"The irony of the whole thing is that this race for AI super intelligence is the race to make God and be God. The biblical message is God became human. It goes in the reverse direction." [John Lennox]

The pursuit of creating godlike AI reflects what Lennox calls "the original lie" from Genesis: "You shall be as God." He sees modern technological ambitions as a new Tower of Babel—humans attempting to reach heaven through their own efforts. While AI can serve as a useful tool, Lennox warns against the hubris of trying to create or become gods through technology, especially when many driving this pursuit are explicitly atheistic.

Human Identity in the Age of Machines

As AI systems become increasingly capable, they raise profound questions about what it means to be human. Lennox points to Genesis 1:26, where humans are described as made in God's image, as the foundation for understanding human uniqueness and dignity. Unlike stars or other created things that merely show God's glory, humans uniquely bear God's image.

"From the point of view of our moral existence and status, Genesis 1:26 undergirds all of Western civilization... God made human beings in his image. He didn't make the stars in his image. They show his glory, but they're not in his image. That's a very different thing. You are more important than a star actually." [John Lennox]

Lennox references C.S. Lewis's prescient warnings from the 1940s about the danger of humans eventually producing not another human being but an artifact. Lewis wrote that "the final triumph of humanity will be the abolition of man"—a chilling prediction of how technology might fundamentally alter what it means to be human.

"God has done with human beings is to put intelligence together with consciousness. These machines are not conscious. Nor are they ever likely to be for a very simple reason. Nobody knows what consciousness is." [John Lennox]

While acknowledging that AI can be useful as a servant rather than a master, Lennox emphasizes the distinction between simulation and reality. AI may simulate intelligence, but it lacks consciousness and spirit. He warns particularly against spiritual leaders using AI to generate content without discernment, noting that while a system like ChatGPT might accurately describe the doctrine of the Trinity, "there's no spiritual power in a machine."

Balancing Wonder and Explanation

Throughout the conversation, Lennox and Perell explore how modern society has lost its sense of wonder and transcendence. Perell notes that his own thinking has evolved from believing "the world ended with my ability to explain something" to embracing mystery and wonder, particularly through belief in God.

"Faith in God instead of closing inquiry down, opens it up and introduces a dimension of wonder." [John Lennox]

Lennox draws on neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist's work about the brain's hemispheres to explain this cultural shift. The left hemisphere focuses on analyzing what things are, while the right hemisphere explores what things mean. Modern society has emphasized the left-brain approach at the expense of the right, leading to a world where "we know how almost everything works, but we know the meaning of nothing."

"Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts them together to see what they mean." [John Lennox, quoting Lord Sacks]

This imbalance manifests in how we approach explanation itself. Lennox points out that explanations exist at multiple levels that don't conflict but complement each other. Just as Henry Ford doesn't conflict with physics and engineering as an explanation for automobiles, God doesn't conflict with science as an explanation for the universe. Even scientific explanations are often less complete than we think—Newton could describe gravity's effects mathematically but admitted he didn't know what gravity actually is.

Finding Meaning in a Technological Age

The conversation between John Lennox and David Perell offers a thoughtful framework for navigating the challenges of faith and technology in our time. Lennox presents a vision where science and faith aren't adversaries but complementary approaches to understanding reality—one focused on mechanism, the other on meaning. This integration becomes increasingly important as AI advances raise fundamental questions about human identity and purpose.

Lennox's perspective on AI is nuanced rather than alarmist. He acknowledges AI's benefits while warning against its potential misuse and the hubris behind creating "godlike" machines. His parallel between biblical warnings and contemporary technological concerns isn't presented as definitive prophecy but as a pattern worth considering—the human tendency to seek godlike power without godly wisdom.

Perhaps most valuable is Lennox's emphasis on approaching both scripture and technology with careful discernment. Just as he advocates taking time to understand what a text says before interpreting what it means, he encourages thoughtful engagement with technology rather than uncritical adoption or rejection. His approach to writing—seeking criticism, considering how words might be misunderstood, and reading widely—models the intellectual humility needed in both theological and technological discussions.

As AI continues to reshape our world, Lennox reminds us that the most important questions aren't about what machines can do, but about what it means to be human in relationship with God and each other. In a world increasingly dominated by artificial words, he points us back to the Word that was in the beginning.

"The technology moves much faster than the ethics. But the technology is partly driven, I believe, by that 'we shall be as gods.' In other words, if we can do it, we should do it. And bother the consequences—and that's a very dangerous attitude."