What happens when a brilliant researcher, once convinced God was nothing more than a cultural artifact, decides to take a second look?

In this episode of eX-skeptic, Dr. Lee Holcombe shares his remarkable journey from faith in childhood, through skepticism and intellectual dismissal of Christianity, to a surprising return to Christ. With a career spanning electrical engineering, education policy, and high-level research, Lee applied his analytical skills to life’s biggest questions. His pursuit of truth took him from Alaska to Morocco, Harvard to Texas, and ultimately to unexpected encounters with God through both reason and experience.

In this conversation, we explore:

How childhood faith gave way to skepticism and intellectual rejection of God
The role of the Peace Corps, education, and tragedy in shaping his worldview
Why near-death experiences, philosophy, and cosmology opened him to the possibility of God
Powerful dreams that challenged his materialism and drew him to Christ
How God is now using his expertise in education and data-driven strategy in global missions

If you’ve ever wondered whether faith can hold up under the weight of tough questions—or whether God still meets skeptics on the path of truth—Lee’s story will encourage and challenge you.

Visit exskeptic.org for curated playlists on science, suffering, meaning, and God’s reality, along with resources from past guests.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Lee Holcombe is a researcher, educator, and missionary whose career spans engineering, education policy, and international missions. After earning his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Rice University, he worked on advanced defense technology before serving in the Peace Corps in Morocco. He went on to earn a doctorate in education from Harvard and served in leadership and research roles at the University of Texas and Texas Higher Education Agency, bridging the worlds of research and policy.

Resources Mentioned:

America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): https://americaschristiancu.com/Jana/

Gary Habermas – Minimal Facts Argument for the Resurrection

C.S. Lewis Institute – cslewisinstitute.org

Research on near-death experiences (University of Virginia Division of Perceptual Studies)

Lee’s recommended resources:

• William Lane Craig on the Kalam Cosmological Argument

• Thomas Nagel, Mind and Cosmos

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Researching God – Dr. Lee Holcombe’s Story