Peter Hitchens, brother of famous atheist Christopher Hitchens, made his rebellion against religion official at age 15 by ceremonially burning his Bible—a gift from his parents—in the school yard. Like his brother, he became an atheist and radical socialist.
Journalist Finds Faith in Russia
But their paths diverged. Peter's journey back began unexpectedly while working as a journalist in Soviet Russia. Seeing the tragedy brought on by the atheistic state overturned his Marxist convictions. As he settled into adulthood, he occasionally attended Anglican church—not from conviction, but respect for British tradition.
Atheist Converted Through Art
The pivotal moment came in Europe's great art galleries. Peter spent time admiring architecture and art, but realized his enjoyment was "completely banal" unless he confronted the fact that so much of it was devoted to the glory of God.
Then, at a medieval hospital in France, he encountered Rogier van der Weyden's painting of the Last Judgment. It struck him with sudden and true conviction. "The people hurrying to their doom on the wrong side of the Last Judgment were naked and, having been stripped of any medieval appearance, looked enormously like him and the people he knew."
Faith Transforms Famous Atheist
At about age 33, Peter was confirmed in the Church of England. He documented his journey in "The Rage Against God: How Atheism Led Me to Faith" (2010), partly as a response to his brother Christopher's bestseller "God Is Not Great."
The brothers publicly debated faith for years. Peter, the conservative Anglican, argued that goodness is impossible without religious faith. Christopher maintained his atheism until his death in 2011.
"When I was an atheist I was even more selfish than I am now," Peter has said. His testimony stands as a powerful counterweight to his brother's famous unbelief—demonstrating that intellectual rigor can lead to faith as readily as to skepticism.