This fall, renowned humanist, atheist and author Richard Dawkins will arrive on campus.

On Oct. 13, Dawkins will begin his visit with a question and answer session exclusively for Oakland University students from 10-12 p.m., hosted by the new student organization Atheists at OU.

According to Todd Shackelford, psychology department chair and Atheists at OU faculty advisor, the significance of the event cannot be understated.

“It’s huge, absolutely huge,” Shackelford said. “So far, 26 academic units at Oakland have come forward to support the event. People should understand how rare it is that this many departments are behind it. It’s really quite astounding, the onslaught of support. I couldn’t be more pleased with the outpouring of support we’ve seen to have Dawkins here.”

Dawkins comes to OU in part to promote his new book, “The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True.” A lecture from 1-2:30 pm in the OC banquet rooms, formally hosted by the department of psychology, will feature his recent work. Afterward, students and visitors can attend a book signing.

In the evening, university faculty and administrators will hold a dinner in Dawkins’ honor at Meadow Brook Hall, a gesture of thanks for making Oakland one of only six stops on his U.S. book tour.

Perhaps even more remarkable than his stop at OU, however, is that Dawkins agreed to drop in on his own dime. Additionally, all proceeds from the book signing will be donated to the university.

“He (Dawkins) offered to pay for his own airfare and accommodations,” Shackelford said. “Plus, he’s big on student groups, so he has waived his speaking fee too, which is normally about $25,000.”

Senior and psychology major Kimberly Danner, vice president of Atheists at OU, said Dawkins’ willingness to come to OU demonstrated his greater concern for students than for financial details.

“It’s kind of remarkable,” Danner said. “He’s only stopping at six places, and one of them is here. I thought it was a little far-fetched at first, to actually bring Dawkins here as a speaker, but here we are today.”

A controversial legacy

Junior James Kleiner, psychology and philosophy double-major, added that although Dawkins’ work is followed across the world, it also comes with controversy.

“It’s definitely a big deal to have him here, but there’s also a lot of controversy that seems to follow him,” he said. “I hope the day runs smoothly, but it seems that many of the places he goes have protests of some sort.”

An outspoken atheist, Dawkins has been criticized by many Christian groups in the U.S. and other countries. His most famous book, “The God Delusion,” has attracted much religious debate. Millions of copies have been sold worldwide.

Agape, one of several Christian student organizations at OU, is one such group that takes exception to Dawkins’ philosophy.

“The way we have seen (Dawkins) speak in the past, it’s offensive and very strong,” Agape president Emma Goodman said. “It hurts when my faith is attacked.”

However, Agape is open to the thoughts of others, according to Goodman. A dissenting opinion, she said, is not necessarily negative in its entirety.

“Because Agape is open, we like to hear differing views,” Goodman said. “How can we expect people to believe something if they haven’t heard the opposite view?”

Rebeccah Capen, administrative assistant for  Christian group Intervarsity, saw some benefit to experiencing Dawkins in person.

“Everyone has a right to express their opinions,” she said. “It is good because it raises questions. It may cause people to explore further.”

However, Capen suggests that Dawkins opinions may have negative consequences.

“I warn him (Dawkins), because he is treading on dangerous ground,” she said. “If God does exist, then he (Dawkins) has a big problem on his hands.”

Since the Atheists at OU was founded in January, an opposition of thought has been very evident, Kleiner said.

On campus, flyers promoting Dawkins have been defaced or torn down. According to campus police reports, the new group has also had conflicts with other students.

“People can be dismissive-very quick to shun new ideas that they don’t want to hear,” Kleiner said. “A lot of people can’t conceive that we don’t have a belief in God, so they find it threatening, I suppose.”

CRU, a Bible study group at OU, released the following statement on Dawkins.

“We feel indifferent to Mr. Dawkins speaking at Oakland University, and we also believe that God loves Mr. Dawkins just as he loves us all,” CRU said. “Jesus Christ died for all of our sins, including Mr. Dawkins’s sin, and that, even through an event such as this, the glory and immeasurable love of God our Father will be shown.”

Regardless of the controversy that surrounds a lifetime of work, Dawkins’ brief stay at OU will be both memorable and impactful, although likely for different reasons. For information, visit

oakland.edu/psychology