John L. Barger: Former Secular Existentialist

Marcus and John answer open-line questions from the Journey Home audience.

John grew up in a nonreligious home. As a boy he wanted to know the truth. In high school he debated evangelical Christians. Their unquestioning appeal to scriptural authority he felt was circular reasoning. In college, he studied the philosophers, but their contradicting of each other led him to despair and atheism. He left college and entered the military. He found his only comfort in drinking. He believed that truth could only be discovered through science. While taking a course at the Citadel, in South Carolina, he was introduced to Aristotle. From this he discovered that, outside of science, truth could also be discovered through logic. His professor gave him a copy of “The Everlasting Man” by G. K. Chesterton. This began his journey to Christ and the Catholic faith. John is the founder of Sophia and its long-time President of Sophia Institute Press.

Read more of Dr. Barger’s story in From Atheism to Catholicism: Nine Converts Explain Their Journey Home.