Agnosticism and atheism Books

Book SynopsisThe bestselling cult classicgod Is Not Great is the ultimate case against religion. In a series of acute readings of the major religious texts, Christopher Hitchens demonstrates the ways in which religion is man-made, dangerously sexually repressive and distorts the very origins of the cosmos. Above all, Hitchens argues that the concept of an omniscient God has profoundly damaged humanity, and proposes that the world might be a great deal better off without 'him'. In god is Not Great Hitchens turned his formidable eloquence and rhetorical energy to the most controversial issue in the world: God and religion. The result is a devastating critique of religious faithTrade ReviewDo yourself a favor and skip the Dawkins and Harris; they're smug, turgid, and boring, with all the human feeling of a tax return. Read Hitchens instead... A tendentious delight, a caustic and even brilliant book... Thank God for Christopher Hitchens. -- Mark Warren * Esquire *Dazzling... A campaign to put this glittering anti-theist tract on the national curriculum for "religious education" should begin here. -- Johann Hari * Independent *Hitchens is a grand rhetorician, and his double-barrelled shotgun of a book is high entertainment... As with Voltaire, his scornful laughter is a powerful weapon. -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *The anti-religion case has never been put so well, so comprehensively or so definitively as in this razor-sharp book... Hitchens accumulates a devastating case... Outstanding. -- A.C. Grayling * Independent on Sunday *Christopher Hitchens is a master craftsman of argument... God is not Great is undoubtedly the most boisterously entertaining contribution to the [atheism] debate. -- Siobhan Murphy * Metro *God is not Great is easily the most brilliant and fascinating contemplation upon the role of religion in human society in recent times, the Das Kapital of a tolerant, if exasperated, atheism. -- Kevin Myers * Irish Independent *Table of Contents1: Putting It Mildly 2: Religion Kills 3: A Short Digression on the Pig; or, Why Heaven Hates Ham 4: A Note on Health, to Which Religion Can Be Hazardous 5: The Metaphysical Claims of Religion Are False 6: Arguments from Design 7: Revelation: The Nightmare of the "Old" Testament 8: The "New" Testament Exceeds the Evil of the "Old" One 9: The Koran Is Borrowed from Both Jewish and Christian Myths 10: The Tawdriness of the Miraculous and the Decline of Hell 11: "The Lowly Stamp of Their Origin": Religion's Corrupt Beginnings 12: A Coda: How Religions End 13: Does Religion Make People Behave Better? 14: There Is No "Eastern" Solution 15: Religion as an Original Sin 16: Is Religion Child Abuse? 17: An Objection Anticipated: The Last-Ditch "Case" Against Secularism 18: A Finer Tradition: The Resistance of the Rational 19: In Conclusion: The Need for a New Enlightenment

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Book SynopsisThe central contention of the “New Atheism” of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens is that there has for several centuries been a war between science and religion, that religion has been steadily losing that war, and that at this point in human history a completely secular scientific account of the world has been worked out in such thorough and convincing detail that there is no longer any reason why a rational and educated person should find the claims of any religion the least bit worthy of attention.But as Edward Feser argues inThe Last Superstition, in fact there is not, and never has been, any war between science and religion at all. There has instead been a conflict between two entirely philosophical conceptions of the natural order: on the one hand, the classical “teleological” vision of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas, on which purpose or goal-directedness is as inherent a feature of the physical world as mass or electric charge; and the modern “mechanical” vision of Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, and Hume, according to which the physical world is comprised of nothing more than purposeless, meaningless particles in motion. As it happens, on the classical teleological picture, the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, and the natural-law conception of morality are rationally unavoidable. Modern atheism and secularism have thus always crucially depended for their rational credentials on the insinuation that the modern, mechanical picture of the world has somehow been established by science. Yet this modern “mechanical” picture has never been established by science, and cannot be, for it is not a scientific theory in the first place but merely a philosophical interpretation of science. Moreover, as Feser shows, the philosophical arguments in its favor given by the early modern philosophers were notable only for being surprisingly weak. The true reasons for its popularity were then, and are now, primarily political: It was a tool by which the intellectual foundations of ecclesiastical authority could be undermined and the way opened toward a new secular and liberal social order oriented toward commerce and technology. So as to further these political ends, it was simply stipulated, by fiat as it were, that no theory inconsistent with the mechanical picture of the world would be allowed to count as “scientific.” As the centuries have worn on and historical memory has dimmed, this act of dogmatic stipulation has falsely come to be remembered as a “discovery.”However, not only is this modern philosophical picture rationally unfounded, it is demonstrably false. For the “mechanical” conception of the natural world, when worked out consistently, absurdly entails that rationality, and indeed the human mind itself, are illusory. The so-called “scientific worldview” championed by the New Atheists thus inevitably undermines its own rational foundations; and into the bargain (and contrary to the moralistic posturing of the New Atheists) it undermines the foundations of any possible morality as well. By contrast, and as The Last Superstition demonstrates, the classical teleological picture of nature can be seen to find powerful confirmation in developments from contemporary philosophy, biology, and physics; moreover, morality and reason itself cannot possibly be made sense of apart from it. The teleological vision of the ancients and medievals is thereby rationally vindicated – and with it the religious worldview they based upon it.

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times bestsellerChristopher Hitchens was an unparalleled, prolific writer, who raised the polemical essay to a new art form, over a lifetime of thinking and debating the defining issues of our times. As an essayist he contributed to the New Statesman, Atlantic Monthly, London Review of Books, TLS and Vanity Fair. Any publication of a volume of Hitchens' essays was a major event on both sides of the Atlantic. Now comes a volume of Hitchens' previously uncollected essays, covering the themes that define Hitchens the thinker: literature, religion and politics. These essays remind us, once more, of the fierce, brilliant and trenchant voice of Christopher Hitchens.Trade ReviewThe range is remarkable... Literary criticism is often where he shines - the pieces on Orwell and Chesterton, in particular, are alert, nuanced and witty. * Financial Times *And yet... there are few journalists who can match the verve and panache of Hitchens's prose. He mixes the loquaciousness of the barfly with the fluency of the literary artist, and could not pen a dull sentence if he tried. * Guardian *What you will find in And Yet..., is a body of work that offers some of the most various, nutritious and amusing prose you are likely to encounter, and that stands as a testament to the consolations of a phrase he cherished: litera scripta manet - the written word remains. * Daily Telegraph *This final collection displays his startling ability to write so well about so much... The sense of loss at the subjects he will not write about is more than outweighed by the pleasure at those that he did. * New Statesman *Table of Contents1: Che Guevara: Goodbye to All That 2: Orwell's List 3: Orhan Pamuk: Mind the Gap 4: Bring on the Mud 5: Ohio's Odd Numbers 6: On Becoming American 7: Mikhail Lermontov: A Doomed Young Man 8: Salman Rushdie: Hobbes in the Himalayas 9: My Red-State Odyssey 10: The Turkey Has Landed 11: Bah, Humbug 12: A. N. Wilson: Downhill All the Way 13: Ian Fleming: Bottoms Up 14: Power Suits 15: Blood for No Oil! 16: How Uninviting 17: Look Who's Cutting and Running Now 18: Oriana Fallaci and the Art of the Interview 19: Imperial Follies 20: Clive James: The Omnivore 21: Gertrude Bell: The Woman Who Made Iraq 22: Physician, Heal Thyself 23: Edmund Wilson: Literary Companion On the Limits of Self-improvement, Part I: Of Vice and Men 24: On the Limits of Self-improvement, Part II: Vice and Versa 25: On the Limits of Self-improvement, Part III: Mission Accomplished 26: Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The Price of Freedom 27: Arthur Schlesinger: The Courtier 28: Paul Scott: Victoria's Secret 29: The Case against Hillary Clinton 30: The Tall Tale of Tuzla 31: V. S. Naipaul: Cruel and Unusual 32: No Regrets 33: Barack Obama: Cool Cat 34: The Lovely Stones 35: Edward M. Kennedy: Redemption Song 36: Engaging with Iran Is Like Having Sex with Someone Who Hates You 37: Colin Powell: Powell Valediction 38: Shut Up about Armenians or We'll Hurt Them Again 39: Hezbollah's Progress 40: The Politicians We Deserve 41: Rosa Luxemburg: Red Rosa 42: Joan Didion: Blue Nights 43: The True Spirit of Christmas 44: Charles Dickens's Inner Child 45: G. K. Chesterton: The Reactionary 46: The Importance of Being Orwell 47: What Is Patriotism?

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Book SynopsisRoger Scruton explores the place of God in a disenchanted world. His argument is a response to the atheist culture that is now growing around us, and also a defence of human uniqueness. He rebuts the claim that there is no meaning or purpose in the natural world, and argues that the sacred and the transcendental are ''real presences'', through which human beings come to know themselves and to find both their freedom and their redemption.In the human face we find a paradigm of meaning. And from this experience, Scruton argues, we both construct the face of the world, and address the face of God. We find in the face both the proof of our freedom and the mark of self-consciousness. One of the motivations of the atheist culture is to escape from the eye of judgement. You escape from the eye of judgement by blotting out the face: and this, Scruton argues, is the most disturbing aspect of the times in which we live. In his wide-ranging argument Scruton explains the growing sense oTrade ReviewRoger Scruton is one of our most interesting intellectuals... This is an important book, with a very wide cultural range. It is brave in pointing to a turning away from God as the fundamental plight of our times. * The Church Times *... if you want a handy pocket guide to humanity's perennial search for God, one that will take you safely round the edges of the current religious battlefield, this elegant and gracious book is one to buy. * New Statesman *... [Scruton's] sequence on the structure of the effable (buildings) is good, and the book contains many interesting and prettily phrased thoughts. * The Guardian *Scruton develops this account with illuminating attention to some classic artworks (the book has 20 illustrations), and the book's introduction and five chapters are consistently nontechnical and accessible. -- P.K. Moser, Loyola University Chicago * CHOICE *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The View from Nowhere 2. The View from Somewhere 3. Where Am I? 4. The Face of the Person 5. The Face of God

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A tour-de-force survey of the changing relation of culture and religion."—Publishers Weekly"Eagleton produces an account of the continuing power of religion that is rich and compelling. Open this book at random, and you will find on a single page more thought-stirring argument than can be gleaned from a dozen ponderous treatises on philosophy of sociology. Most of the critical turning points in modern thought are examined illuminatingly."—John Gray, New Statesman"Wide-ranging and intellectually impassioned."—Sarah Bakewell, Financial Times"His latest book confirms him as one of the most interesting thinkers on culture and religion that we have, and the good news is that what he says about our contemporary situation is true, important and accessible . . . That Eagleton . . . ought to be taken seriously by serious people is beyond doubt."—John McDade, The Tablet"Getting rid of God has been a long slog, Eagleton’s concise, absorbing overview of the philosophical and cultural trends of the past three centuries explains."—Marcus Tanner, The Independent"Terry Eagleton brings all his forensic insights and acerbic wit, to the search for a replacement for God in critical thinking since the Enlightenment . . . Eagleton’s thoughts – 'one can kill for all sorts of motives, but killing on a spectacular scale is almost always the consequence of ideas' – are a joy to ponder. That and his depth of knowledge make for fascinating reading."—Scarlett MacGwire, Tribune Magazine"If Terry Eagleton didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent him."—Simon Critchley, author of The Book of Dead Philosophers"The central virtue of Eagleton's reliably witty and erudite story of culture and politics in Western thought is the insistence on how difficult, and how rare, genuine atheism is. No one interested in the seemingly endless 'God debate' can ignore this book, which briskly surveys more than three centuries of intellectual discourse about democracy and the divine, and then ends with a well-turned, provocative snarl."—Mark Kingwell, author of Unruly Voices: Essays on Democracy, Civility and the Human Imagination

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Book SynopsisWhy have Western societies that were once overwhelmingly Christian become so secular? Looking to the feelings and faith of ordinary people, the award-winning author of Protestants Alec Ryrie offers a bold new history of atheism.We think we know the history of faith: how the ratio of Christian believers has declined and a secular age dawned. In this startlingly original history, Alex Ryrie puts faith in the dock to explore how religious belief didn't just fade away. Rather, atheism bloomed as a belief system in its own right.Unbelieverslooks back to the middle ages when it seemed impossible not to subscribe to Christianity, through the crisis of the Reformation and to the powerful, challenging cultural currents of the centuries since. As this history shows, the religious journey of the Western world was lived and steered not just by published philosophy and the celebrated thinkers of the day the Machiavellis and Michel de Montaignes but by men and women at every level of society. TheiTrade Review Praise for Unbelievers ‘Unbelievers covers much ground in a short space with deep erudition and considerable wit. The history of doubt is still in its relatively early stages. This is an important and convincing contribution to it.’ Spectator ‘Highlights the dynamic role that emotions have played in the very human tendency to disbelieve religious claims … Those with an interest in the history of religion will be treated to a new perspective on the old opposition between believers and nonbelievers’ Library Journal ‘Ryrie’s contention that its power and effectiveness derive as much from its emotional impact as its rational argumentation makes considerable sense to me … what Ryrie’s engaging book suggests is that the battle over God is really a battle about a certain sort of emotional literacy. Giles Fraser, Unherd.com ‘In Unbelievers we encounter heart-wrenching expressions of faith and its absence with nuanced attention to words and modulations of emotions. We find preachers, female writers, dramatists, poets and essayists who struggled daily with a religion that demanded faith … An arresting consideration of how their voices shaped what came after them. Deep insights are leavened with characteristic wit and humour, making this book a crucial read for anyone thinking about religion in our time.’ Bruce Gordon, author of Calvin ‘With wit and remarkable breadth of learning, Ryrie addresses an issue that touches us all.’ John O’Malley, author of Vatican I ‘How has unbelief come to dominate so many Western societies? The usual account invokes the advance of science and rational knowledge. Ryrie’s alternative, in which emotions are the driving force, offers new and interesting insights into our past and present.’ Charles Taylor, author of A Secular Age

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Book SynopsisAtheism is an erudite and open-ended exploration of profound questions of estrangement, death, suicide, and the infinite that demonstrates the range and the provocative power of Alexandre Kojève’s thought.Trade ReviewKojève is a riddle, his Russian roots eclipsed by his legendary role as explicator of German idealism to French intellectuals in the 1930s. This splendid translation of his erudite, eccentric 1931 text reveals him taking on the most Dostoevskian of questions with all the wisdom of Western Europe at his back. What is our relation to what is outside the world? Here is an inquiry into atheistic anthropology that would have thrilled Heidegger himself. -- Caryl Emerson, Princeton UniversityAlexandre Kojève became famous and influential primarily because of his seminar on Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit that was given in Paris between the years 1933 and 1939. This seminar was regularly attended by leading figures of the French intellectual life of that time such as Georges Bataille and Jacques Lacan. Kojève's earlier book Atheism is a brilliant analysis of the relationship between faith and atheism that offers invaluable insights on the formation of Kojeve’s thought but also remains important in our time. -- Boris Groys, author of Under Suspicion: A Phenomenology of MediaAlexandre Kojève's philosophical novella on the stakes of atheism for his time is the most significant work of his early career. It is key to understanding his famous Hegel lectures, his attempt to outdo Heidegger, and his idiosyncratic early politics that mixed hopes of radical transformation with a deep pessimism. Thanks to Jeff Love's translation, we can open up anew those philosophical movements of interwar France, including phenomenology and existentialism, which Kojève would so profoundly affect. -- Stefanos Geroulanos, New York UniversityIn Jeff Love's careful translation, this difficult text exudes the irresistible attraction of Kojève's philosophical prose. Written a couple of years before his famous lectures on Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, this essay already displays Kojève's signature combination of intellectual depth, probity, and radicalism. -- Galin Tihanov, George Steiner Professor of Comparative Literature, Queen Mary University of LondonKojève’s text is intriguing and suggestive in its ideas as well as in its genre. -- Clare Carlisle * Times Literary Supplement *I found it most enlightening and asking questions that lie underneath the surface that is usually not scratched by other atheist philosophers. * Scene Point Blank *This book is dense and very rewarding for those who approach it patiently. * Choice *We are glad to have this profound essay to stimulate our thinking on theism, atheism, and mortality, and to give us further insight into the breadth of Kojeve's inquiries. * Review of Metaphysics *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Atheism and PoliticsTranslator’s NoteAtheismNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisAn updated edition showcasing the social health of the least religious nations in the worldReligious conservatives around the world often claim that a society without a strong foundation of faith would necessarily be an immoral one, bereft of ethics, values, and meaning. Indeed, the Christian Right in the United States has argued that a society without God would be hell on earth. In Society without God, Second Edition sociologist Phil Zuckerman challenges these claims. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with more than 150 citizens of Denmark and Sweden, among the least religious countries in the world, he shows that, far from being inhumane, crime-infested, and dysfunctional, highly secular societies are healthier, safer, greener, less violent, and more democratic and egalitarian than highly religious ones. Society without God provides a rich portrait of life in a secular society, exploring how a culture without faith copes with death, grapples with the meaning of life, and remainTrade ReviewZuckerman has been at the forefront of the growing field of Secular Studies for the best part of two decades. From Society Without God, it's easy to see why: beautifully written and engaging, drawing on both deep scholarship and an insightful mind. This is classic Zuckerman. -- Stephen Bullivant, Professor of Theology and the Sociology of Religion, St Mary's University, UK

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Book SynopsisA dazzling investigation into psychology, art and religion; the demise of capitalism; and the beginning of a new era from the author of IDEAS.Trade ReviewI would not wish to have missed The Age of Nothing by Peter Watson, a brisk 565 pages on the displacement of God from Western Culture. -- TOM STOPPARD * TLS - BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2014 *his erudition is formidable -- THEODORE DALRYMPLE * THE TIMES *In a vividly engaging conspectus of the formative ideas of the past century, The Age of Nothing shows how Nietzsche's diagnosis evoked responses in may areas of cultural life, including some surprising parts of the political spectrum. -- John Gray * NEW STATESMAN *I recommend this book to anyone who needs to know what the loss of religious faith has meant to the high culture of our civilsation and what, if anything, we might do about it.... (it) covers a whole century of intellectual endeavour as lightly as it can. -- ROGER SCRUTON * THE INDEPENDENT *The beauty of this book is Watson's ability to impose order on a riot of ideas. * PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY *This book will appeal to anyone with intellectual curiosity about the human condition and the development of ideas. It will especially appeal to the non-religious reader. This isn't a book about, or even particularly in defence of atheism as a worldview, but it sets out objectively a history of non-religious thought that covers everything from science to poetry, incorporating philosophy, the rise of new age 'spiritualism' and therapy. -- GREG JAMESON * ENTERTAINMENT FOCUS *There is much in this book that I did not know, and I am grateful to have learnt it. -- Theodore Dalrymple * THE TIMES *his erudition is formidable -- Theodore Dalymple * THE TIMES *The beauty of this book is Watson's ability to impose order on a riot of ideas. * Publisher's Weekly *This book will appeal to anyone with intellectual curiosity about the human condition and the development of ideas. It will especially appeal to the non-religious reader. This isn't a book about, or even particularly in defence of atheism as a worldview, but it sets out objectively a history of non-religious thought that covers everything from science to poetry, incorporating philosophy, the rise of new age 'spiritualism' and therapy. -- Greg Jameson * Entertainment Focus *I recommend this book to anyone who needs to know what the loss of religious faith has meant to the high culture of our civilsation and what, if anything, we might do about it.... (it) covers a whole century of intellectual endeavour as lightly as it can. -- Roger Scruton * THE INDEPENDENT *In a vividly engaging conspectus of the formative ideas of the past century, The Age of Nothing shows how Nietzsche's diagnosis evoked responses in may areas of cultural life, including some surprising parts of the political spectrum. -- John Gray * NEW STATESMAN *

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Book SynopsisA study of clerical reaction to the sizeable number of Catholics who outwardly conformed to Protestantism in late 16c England. An important and satisfying monograph... Many insights emerge from this rich and original study, whichwhets the appetite for more. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW [Diarmaid MacCulloch]`Church Papist' was a nickname, a term of abuse, for those English Catholics who outwardly conformed to the established Protestant Church and yet inwardly remained Roman Catholics. The more dramatic stance of recusancy has drawn historians' attention away from this sizeable, if statistically indefinable, proportion of Church of England congregations, but its existence and significance is here clearly revealed through contemporary records, challenging the sectarian model of post-Reformation Catholicism perpetuated by previous historians. Alexandra Walsham explores the aggressive reaction of counter-Reformation clergy to the compromising conduct of church papists and the threat theyposed to Catholicism's separatist image; alongside this she explains why parish priests simultaneously condoned qualified conformity. This scholarly and original study thus draws into focus contemporary clerical apprehensions andanxieties, as well as the tensions caused by the shifting theological temper ofthe late Elizabethan and early Stuart church.ALEXANDRA WALSHAM is Lecturer in History at the University of Exeter.Trade ReviewA short book on a big subject...fluent, well-structured, sensitive, wise and mature. I wish it had been twice as long. JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORYAn important and satisfying monograph... Many insights emerge from this rich and original study, which whets the appetite for more. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW [Diarmaid MacCulloch]A distinguished and impressively scholarly book... Alexandra Walsham has succeeded admirably in her basic aim of putting church papists firmly on the religious map of early modern England. * HISTORY *Table of ContentsThe discovery of the church papist; the Reformation and the rediscovery of the church papist; "Reasons of Refusall"; "Comfortable Advertisements"; church papists; statute protestants.

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Book SynopsisExamines how Religious Nones negotiate tensions with those who think they ought to provide their children with a religious upbringingThe fastest growing religion in America isnone! One fifth of Americans now list their religion as none, up from only 7 percent two decades ago. Among adults under 30, those poised to be the parents of the next generation, fully one third are religiously unaffiliated. Yet these Nones, especially parents, still face prejudice in a culture where religion is widely seen as good for your kids. What do Nones believe, and how do they negotiate tensions with those convinced that they ought to provide their children with a religious upbringing?Drawing on survey data and in-depth personal interviews with religiously unaffiliated parents across the country, Christel Manning provides important demographic data on American Nones and offers critical nuance to our understanding of the term. She shows that context is crucial in understanding how thoTrade ReviewFull of new insights both conceptual and practical about the growing religiously unaffiliated population today. Manning offers a new typology for understanding its diverse constituency, beliefs and identities. For 'none' parents, she addresses many questions and issues likely to arise with their children. And does so in an honest and engaging manner drawing on insights gleaned from dealing with her own teenage daughter. A good and informative read. -- Wade Clark Roof,J.F. Rowny Professor of Religion and Society Emeritus, University of California at Santa BarbaraA very useful and timely addition to the sociological literature on the fast growing population of Nones, which is having a growing impact on 21st century American society. The dilemmas facing the current generation of parents who self-identify with no religion and have to grapple with the question of how to raise their children can be a real challenge for many couples. This book provides valuable insights and guidance by offering a rich body of material including a societal overview, interviewees stories, and the authors own experience as a parent. -- Barry A. Kosmin,Director, Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society & Culture, Trinity CollegeThe 'rise of the Nones' has been the decade's most important story about religion in America, but we know very little about what distinguishes the religiously unaffiliated from other Americans. In this sophisticated yet accessible qualitative study, Christel Manning provides a fascinating view of how None parents negotiate the moral and spiritual upbringing of their children. -- Mark Silk,Trinity CollegeThis book should be required reading for anyone interested in the changing contours of American religious and nonreligious life. * Reading Religion *Manning offers a thorough and incisive examination of the salience of choice in unaffiliated parents'moral world views. * Review of Religious Research *Will be of interest to the very population it examines, as it unwittingly reads a little like a how-to manual. I write thisweeks away from the birth of my first child, and I found this book informative, since I will soon be joining the ranks of the unaffiliated parents. * Sociology of Religion *[Manning] explores how parents of these varying worldviews raise their children, some in parts of the country where not attending church is viewed with great suspicion, and how they respond when a child asks the big questionsabout God, about death, about going to church. * VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates *This book is lively, readable, and provocative. * Nova Religio *Manning explores the incredible diversity to be found among Nones, who include everyone from the esoteric spiritual seekers to devout Christians who simply don't identify with a particular denomination...a thorough primer. * Publishers Weekly *Refreshingly nonpolemicalwill be of special interest to secular parents struggling with some of the issues presented. * Kirkus Reviews *Complicates our scholarly understanding of religiousNonesand advances our understanding of how religion functions in their lives as parents."Losing Our Religionoffers important nuances in the picture of religious Nones in the early 21stcentury in the United States. Manning also makes important contributions to painting a more finely grained picture of Nones, their diversity, their motivation and longings, and the families they create * Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *[] Christel Mannings interesting new analysis of the unaffiliated, also known as & Nones for their stated preference for no religion in particulararea diverse lot but even the secularists, like Manning herself, still commonly struggle with the default religiosity of American society and with the assumption that religion is inherently good or necessary for individual goodness. * Anthropology Review Database *[T]he most interesting insight in this book comes from Mannings characterization of what Nones are looking for in their own lives and the way they bring up their children. * Books & Culture *In this impressive book, [Manning] presents a detailed profile of religiously unaffiliated or disinterested parents and reveals the variety of ways in which they are raising the next generation. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice *

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Book SynopsisDemonstrates definitively that the secularization thesis is correct, and religion is losing its grip on societies worldwideIn the decades since its introduction, secularization theory has been subjected to doubt and criticism from a number of leading scholars, who have variously claimed that it is wrong, flawed, or incomplete. In Beyond Doubt, Isabella Kasselstrand, Phil Zuckerman, and Ryan T. Cragun mount a strong defense for the theory, providing compelling evidence that religion is indeed declining globally as a result of modernization. Though defenses of secularization theory have been mounted in the past, we now have many years' worth of empirical data to illuminate trends, and can trace changes not just at a given point in time but over a trajectory. Drawing on extensive survey data from nations around the world, the book demonstrates that, in spite of its many detractors, there is robust empirical support for secularization theory. It also engages with the Trade ReviewSociology professors Kasselstrand, Zuckerman, and Cragun examine the rise of secularization in this edifying entry. The authors draw on rich empirical evidence and careful analysis to make their case, and the global perspective is both ambitious and rewarding. Religion students and scholars will find this illuminating. * Publishers Weekly *Emphatically argues that when empirical measures and rigorous definitions are applied, religion declines. ... The authors take aim at refuting the stances of sociologists Rodney Stark, Peter Berger, Grace Davie, Christian Smith, and others who said otherwise. They also sift through the global survey data on religious beliefs, behaviors, and belonging. From this, they posit that the rationalization and differentiation of modernism has had exactly the effect that secularization theory predicted it would: that religions will decline as societies develop. * Library Journal *Featuring multiple decades’ worth of extensive and comprehensive data, the authors defend and formalize secularization theory in a way that is compelling yet simple. Indeed, Beyond Doubt will be the defining text on the undeniable proof that secularization theory is correct and here to stay. -- Steve Bruce, author of Secularization: In Defence of an Unfashionable TheoryPresents critics’ arguments against secularization theory fairly, yet the case the authors make I think critics will find difficult to reject. This book will make a significant contribution, not just to the sociology of religion, but to anyone interested in the role of religion in society today. -- Jesse M. Smith, co-editor of Secularity and Non-religion in North America

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Book SynopsisThere is widespread confusion about the nature of religious truth. For the first time in history, a significantly large number of people want nothing to do with God. Militant atheists preach a gospel of godlessness with the zeal of missionaries and find an eager audience. Tracing the history of faith from the Palaeolithic Age to the present, Karen Armstrong shows that meaning of words such as ''belief'', ''faith'', and ''mystery'' has been entirely altered, so that atheists and theists alike now think and speak about God - and, indeed, reason itself - in a way that our ancestors would have found astonishing.Does God have a future? Karen Armstrong examines how we can build a faith that speaks to the needs of our troubled and dangerously polarised world.Trade ReviewOne of our best living writers on religion...prodigiously sourced, passionately written * Financial Times *A journey through religion that helps us to rescue what remains wise from so much that to many in Britain today no longer seems true... Armstrong is one of the the handful of wise and supremely intelligent commentators on religion -- Alain de Botton * Observer *A tour de force of learning. A hefty history of theology, philosophy and science, and how they converge, it knocks Dawkins and Hitchens into an intellectual cocked hat...Armstrong rejoices in the unknowableness of life and searches, logically enough for meaning therein * Sunday Herald *It isn't an easy read - why should it be? - but she is wonderfully clear and insightful - and not out to convert anyone * Daily Mail *Dense and brilliant, chastening and consoling. Whether or not it sells as well as the latest Hitchens or Dawkins will be a measure of us, not the book * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisSUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE CATHOLIC HERALD BOOK AWARD FOR RELIGION AND THEOLOGYA NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019''Wonderful ... one of the few books that I started to reread a couple of minutes after I''d finished it.'' - Melvyn Bragg A meditation on the importance of atheism in the modern world - and its inadequacies and contradictions - by one of Britain''s leading philosophers''When you explore older atheisms, you will find some of your firmest convictions - secular or religious - are highly questionable. If this prospect disturbs you, what you are looking for may be freedom from thought.''For a generation now, public debate has been corroded by a narrow derision of religion in the name of an often very vaguely understood ''science''. John Gray''s stimulating and extremely enjoyable new book describes the rich, complex world of the atheist tradition, a tradition which he sees as in many ways as rich as that of religion itself, as well as being deeply intertwined with what is so often crudely viewed as its ''opposite''. The result is a book that sheds an extraordinary and varied light on what it is to be human and on the thinkers who have, at different times and places, battled to understand this issue.Trade ReviewA highly readable, fascinating book that jerks the debate on religion versus atheism right out of its crusted rut into the light of serious intellectual scrutiny * Observer *Pithy and revelatory -- Christopher Bellaigue * Financial Times *Wonderful ... the range, thoughtfulness and trenchant sense of Gray's sweep across the centuries of thought is wholly exhilarating ... one of the few books that I started to reread a couple of minutes after I'd finished it. -- Melvyn Bragg * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisDuring his 2009 inaugural speech, President Obama described the United States as a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus--and nonbelievers. It was the first time an American president had acknowledged the existence of this rapidly growing segment of the population in such a public forum. And yet the reasons why more and more people are turning away from religion are still poorly understood. In Faith No More, Phil Zuckerman draws on in-depth interviews with people who have left religion to find out what''s really behind the process of losing one''s faith. According to a 2008 study, so many Americans claim no religion (15%, up from 8% in 1990) that this category now outranks every other religious group except Catholics and Baptists. Exploring the deeper stories within such survey data, Zuckerman shows that leaving one''s faith is a highly personal, complex, and drawn-out process. And he finds that, rather than the cliché of the angry, nihilistic atheist, apostates are life-afTrade ReviewEveryone knows, deep down, that there is a conflict between reason and faith-between having good reasons for what one believes and having bad ones. This conflict finds its most poignant expression in the lives of men and women who have lost their belief in God despite their best efforts to maintain it. Faith No More offers a fascinating look at these lives, and at the myriad ways in which thoughtful people can come to their senses." * Sam Harris, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Moral Landscape, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The End of Faith *With Faith No More Philip Zuckerman has given us a fascinating look at how individual contemporary Americans raised in various religions awakened out of a belief in the supernatural. His care in not rounding all these up into any facile overarching theories is itself almost supernatural, and yet in this careful reporting of their stories he manages to offer a great deal of insight. It is a wonderfully informative and provocative study and should be read by everyone interested in the real experience of religion and irreligion." * Jennifer Michael Hecht, author of Doubt: A History *Faith No More helps us understand the diverse routes people take to irreligiosity and the dilemmas they face in a culture that often condemns them. Far from being kneejerk atheists, it turns out that the most secular Americans have actually spent a lot of time wrestling with their faith. Documenting their journeys and placing them in sociological context, this book establishes Phil Zuckerman as one of the most sophisticated analysts of secularity today. * Arlene Stein, Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University *This could-be-dry content proves immensely engaging becuase of Zuckerman's jargin-free exposition and his seamless incorporation of interview material rendered apparently verbatim-verbal tics("like,""you know," etc) and all-in the manner of a good documentart film. * Ray Olson, Booklist *Zuckerman's writing is engaging and straightforward, which makes for enjoyable reading...[Faith No More] is laudable for its rich interview data, readability, and insight into the lived experiences of American apostates. * Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *This is an absorbing book that puts flesh on the bones of recent identifiable trends in American nonbelief and, in turn, profoundly questions the assumption of a 'spiritual turn' in Western societies. Moreover, it provides distinctive insights into the complexities of belief, nonbelief, doubt and scepticism. * Social Forces *Zuckerman here builds on his previous work which examined 'Society without God,' that is, Nordic countries which rank amongst the least religious places in the world. In this book he combines qualitative interviews and rich descriptions to produce an interesting and well written book. * Catholic Books Review *The interview data are valuable for research on irreligion in America. The book will probably be enjoyed most by readers who, like Zuckerman's subjects, have lost their religion. These readers are likely to feel encouraged that they are not alone, that it takes courage to do what they have done, and that life can be good without religion. * Sociology of Religion *well written and engaging read that sheds light on the stories, emotions, thoughts, experiences and struggles of men and women in the United States who have left faith and religious involvement for a more secular life... * Patrick Mitchel, Evangelical Quarterly *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Chapter One: Mother was an Exorcist ; Chapter Two: Stopped Making Sense ; Chapter Three: Misfortune ; Chapter Four: To be Mormon, or Not to Be ; Chapter Five: Sex and Secularity ; Chapter Six: Others ; Chapter Seven: Jail, Food Stamps, and Atheism ; Chapter Eight: The Apostate Worldview ; Chapter Nine: All in the Family? ; Chapter Ten: How and Why People Reject Religion ; Conclusion ; Appendix: Research Methods and Sample Characteristics ; Notes ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisInfidel. Atheist. Rationalist. Agnostic. Occultist Aleister Crowley, soldier J. F. C. Fuller, and poet Victor Neuburg embraced these labels as active contributors and participants in the British secularist movement at the dawn of the twentieth century. Rebelling against Victorian religious and social strictures, they dreamed of a world guided by scientific evidence instead of superstition. Friendship in Doubt examines how the Agnostic movement-from Saladin''s Agnostic Journal and G. W. Foote''s Freethinker, to the Rationalist Press Association and its Literary Guide--inspired and introduced Crowley, Fuller, and Neuburg to each other as foundational figures in the new religious movement of Thelema. Agnosticism would inform not only Thelema, but also Crowley''s publishing company S.P.R.T.; A?A?, a successor to the fragmented Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn; the Equinox journal; and the concept of magick as Scientific Illuminism. This volume also collects for the first time the contributions of all three to the Agnostic literature. This scarce and largely unknown material provides insight into the thinking of Crowley, Fuller and Neuburg at the start of their careers, and an understanding of their subsequent trajectories after they parted ways. As such, it provides unique insights into the role of Agnosticism in the formative years of an emerging occult movement which would go on to exert an immense influence on Western esotericism in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

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Book SynopsisRecent books by, among others, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens have thrust atheism firmly into the popular, media, and academic spotlight. This so-called New Atheism is arguably the most striking development in western socio-religious culture of the past decade or more. As such, it has spurred fertile (and often heated) discussions both within, and between, a diverse range of disciplines. Yet atheism, and the New Atheism, are by no means co-extensive. Interesting though it indeed is, the New Atheism is a single, historically and culturally specific manifestation of positive atheism (the that there is/are no God/s), which is itself but one form of a far deeper, broader, and more significant global phenomenon.The Oxford Handbook of Atheism is a pioneering edited volume, exploring atheism--understood in the broad sense of ''an absence of belief in the existence of a God or gods''--in all the richness and diversity of its historical and contemporary expressions. BringTrade Review...a touchstone reference work in the study of atheism and related phenomena, and the editors and contributors are to be commended for producing an accessible refer-ence text containing world-leading, original scholarship that will stand the test of time. * Christopher R. Cotter, Numen *This collection will be warmly welcomed by philosophers of religion, philosophers of science, historians of ideas, andmetaphysicians for themany fresh angles it opens up on familiar difficulties with defining atheism ... the volume provides an especially gratifying richness of reflection on its strengths and weaknesses as a full-fledged philosophical outlook * James Orr, Religious Studies *a truly interdisciplinary and comprehensive review ... All of the chapters are well-written and coverage of major philosophers and movements is extensive ... an essential resource. No library should be without it. * Darren E. Sherkat, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *The Oxford Handbook of Atheism is a momentous achievement, displaying a depth and breadth that is unlikely to be equaled * Benjamin B. DeVan, Theology and Science *The Oxford Handbook of Atheism is an essential resource. No library should be without it. * Darren E. Sherkat, Scientific Study of Religion *Table of Contents1: DEFINITIONS AND DEBATES; 2: HISTORY OF (WESTERN) ATHEISM; 3: WORLDVIEWS AND SYSTEMS; 4: ATHEISM AND THE NATURAL SCIENCES; 5: ATHEISM AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES; 6: GLOBAL EXPRESSIONS; 7: ATHEISM AND THE ARTS

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Book SynopsisThoughtful essays to revive dialogue about atheism beyond belief. The Varieties of Atheism reveals the diverse nonreligious experiences obscured by the combative intellectualism of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens. In fact, contributors contend that narrowly defining atheism as the belief that there is no god misunderstands religious and nonreligious persons altogether. The essays show that, just as religion exceeds doctrine, atheism also encompasses every dimension of human life: from imagination and feeling to community and ethics. Contributors offer new, expansive perspectives on atheism's diverse history and possible futures. By recovering lines of affinity and tension between particular atheists and particular religious traditions, this book paves the way for fruitful conversation between religious and non-religious people in our secular age.Trade Review“What does it mean to be an atheist? It’s not just one thing, it’s not just disbelief in god. There’s a positive expression connected to ideas of ethics, our relationship with authority, how reason and experience and the material world inform our lives, when does science become moral–these are big questions that we have to ask. This book points the way to a positive belief.” * Beyond Atheism Podcast *"Fundamental for anyone interested in the study of atheism." * Reading Religion *“What is atheism? Neither a mere negation, nor a single (self-evident?) truth: this book makes clear that it is as rich, varied, and nuanced as religion itself. To call yourself an atheist is not to state a position, but to start a conversation—a conversation for which this book is an excellent primer.” -- Alec Ryrie, author of 'Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt'“An excellent collection of essays by well-established and up-and-coming voices in religious studies, this book is both critical of New Atheism’s reductive critique of religion and constructive with new possibilities—theological, philosophical, ethical, and political. It enriches the debates by giving atheism histories and subtleties that debates themselves frequently lack.” -- Graham Ward, University of Oxford“Just as contemporary scholars of religion have pushed us to move beyond simplistic equations between religion and belief, this stimulating collection of essays urges us to recognize that atheism also comes in many varieties. By exploring the implications of different forms of atheism and their relation to different conceptions of science, politics, power, ethics, literature, and, indeed, life, this book is a major contribution to the study of religion and its critics. Anyone interested in the relation between religion and the modern world will have much to learn from this exciting collection.” -- Leora Batnitzky, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction The Genealogy of Atheism David Newheiser 1 Atheism and Science: On Einstein’s “Cosmic Religious Sense” Mary-Jane Rubenstein 2 Atheism and Society: Hume’s Prefiguration of Rorty Andre C. Willis 3 Atheism and Power: Nietzsche, Nominalism, and the Reductive Spirit Denys Turner 4 Atheism and Ethics: Recovering the Link between Truth and Transformation Susannah Ticciati 5 Atheism and Metaphysics: A Problem of Apophatic Theology Henning Tegtmeyer 6 Atheism and Politics: Abandonment, Absence, and the Empty Throne Devin Singh 7 Atheism and Literature: Living without God in Dante’s Comedy Vittorio Montemaggi 8 Atheism and the Affirmation of Life: Dostoevsky’s Response to Russian Nihilism George Pattison Afterword: The Drama of Atheism Constance M. Furey Acknowledgments Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“What does it mean to be an atheist? It’s not just one thing, it’s not just disbelief in god. There’s a positive expression connected to ideas of ethics, our relationship with authority, how reason and experience and the material world inform our lives, when does science become moral–these are big questions that we have to ask. This book points the way to a positive belief.” * Beyond Atheism Podcast *"Fundamental for anyone interested in the study of atheism." * Reading Religion *“What is atheism? Neither a mere negation, nor a single (self-evident?) truth: this book makes clear that it is as rich, varied, and nuanced as religion itself. To call yourself an atheist is not to state a position, but to start a conversation—a conversation for which this book is an excellent primer.” -- Alec Ryrie, author of 'Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt'“An excellent collection of essays by well-established and up-and-coming voices in religious studies, this book is both critical of New Atheism’s reductive critique of religion and constructive with new possibilities—theological, philosophical, ethical, and political. It enriches the debates by giving atheism histories and subtleties that debates themselves frequently lack.” -- Graham Ward, University of Oxford“Just as contemporary scholars of religion have pushed us to move beyond simplistic equations between religion and belief, this stimulating collection of essays urges us to recognize that atheism also comes in many varieties. By exploring the implications of different forms of atheism and their relation to different conceptions of science, politics, power, ethics, literature, and, indeed, life, this book is a major contribution to the study of religion and its critics. Anyone interested in the relation between religion and the modern world will have much to learn from this exciting collection.” -- Leora Batnitzky, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction The Genealogy of Atheism David Newheiser 1 Atheism and Science: On Einstein’s “Cosmic Religious Sense” Mary-Jane Rubenstein 2 Atheism and Society: Hume’s Prefiguration of Rorty Andre C. Willis 3 Atheism and Power: Nietzsche, Nominalism, and the Reductive Spirit Denys Turner 4 Atheism and Ethics: Recovering the Link between Truth and Transformation Susannah Ticciati 5 Atheism and Metaphysics: A Problem of Apophatic Theology Henning Tegtmeyer 6 Atheism and Politics: Abandonment, Absence, and the Empty Throne Devin Singh 7 Atheism and Literature: Living without God in Dante’s Comedy Vittorio Montemaggi 8 Atheism and the Affirmation of Life: Dostoevsky’s Response to Russian Nihilism George Pattison Afterword: The Drama of Atheism Constance M. Furey Acknowledgments Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisThe Problem of Atheism offers the first translation of Augusto Del Noce’s landmark book from 1964. One of the earliest works to recognize the new secularizing trends in Western culture following World War II, this book remains relevant to contemporary debates about secularization, political theology, and modernity.

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Book SynopsisAn intimate psychological study of a largely invisible minority navigating life in a religious world.Trade ReviewAtheists in America is a unique contribution to the literature on atheism touching on topics rarely discussed or researched. I do not know of any other book on the market that seeks to bring together individual narratives of deconversion and the challenges faced afterward. -- Amarnath Amarasingam, York University Atheists in America-a vital new contribution to the growing literature on nonbelievers-reveals in their own words how a wide diversity of people learned to live lives of integrity and meaning without God. The book also grants readers ready to hear it the message that not only is it okay not to believe, being an atheist can be both enlightening and liberating. -- Michael Shermer, editor of Skeptic I used to preach that atheists are fools who lead sad, empty, meaningless, and immoral lives. Then I actually met some atheists. After reading the moving and honest stories in Atheists in America, you will agree with me that nonbelievers lead reasonable, moral, and purposeful lives. -- Dan Barker, copresident, Freedom from Religion Foundation Intriguing... This volume should appeal to academics and some spiritual seekers. Library JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction. The Other Closet: An Introduction to Atheism and Coming Out Processes Part 1. Leaving Faith: Arriving at Atheist Identity from Religious Backgrounds 1. How I Got to None of the Above, by Alvin Burstein 2. Religion and the F-Word (Feminism), by Lynnette 3. Clap Our Hands Like Trees, by Chris Matallana 4. Ex-Mormon, by Cora Judd Part 2. Cultural Contexts in Coming Out as Atheist 5. An Unexamined Life, by Naima Cabelle 6. User Error: Coming Out as Atheist in Utah, by James Mouritsen 7. The Names We Call Home, by Shawn Mirza 8. A Life of Class Consciousness, by David Hoelscher Part 3. Two Closets? Identifying as Both LGBTQ and Atheist 9. A Tale of Two Closets, by Stephen S. Mills 10. The Permanent Prodigal Daughter, by Sherilyn Connelly 11. Far from Home, by David Philip Norris Part 4. Ain't No Mountain High Enough: Navigating Romantic Relationships as an Atheist 12. An Atheist's Simple Revelation About Love: It's Complicated, by Ethan Sahker 13. Swept Under the Rug, by Kristen Rurouni 14. On Love and Credulity, by Matt Hart Part 5. Family Life and Atheist Parenting 15. Dinner with Grandma, by Ronnelle Adams 16. Parenting Authentically in an Interfaith Marriage, by Kevin J. Zimmerman 17. Having a Baby Made Me an Atheist, by Amy Watkins 18. Born Secular, by Adrienne Filardo Fagan Part 6. The Search for Connection: Coming Out to Friends and Questing for Community 19. Slow Growth, by Justus Humphrey 20. An Atheist in the Bible Belt, by Brittany Friedel 21. Coming Out and Finding Home, by Pam Zerba Part 7. Atheism at Work: Tales of Coming Out to Coworkers and Colleagues 22. Is This the Way to Amarillo?, by Samuel W. Needleman 23. Cracking Open the Closet Door, by Camilo Ortiz 24. My Favorite Atheist, by John Douma Part 8. Atheism and Aging: The Challenges of Entering Older Adulthood as a Nonbeliever 25. The Road Less Traveled, by Ursula Raabe 26. A Contrarian Life Story, by Elizabeth Malm Clemens 27. Dark Matter and Missing Socks, by Margaret M. Bennett Concluding Thoughts: The Open Door Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAtheism is an erudite and open-ended exploration of profound questions of estrangement, death, suicide, and the infinite that demonstrates the range and the provocative power of Alexandre Kojève’s thought.Trade ReviewKojève is a riddle, his Russian roots eclipsed by his legendary role as explicator of German idealism to French intellectuals in the 1930s. This splendid translation of his erudite, eccentric 1931 text reveals him taking on the most Dostoevskian of questions with all the wisdom of Western Europe at his back. What is our relation to what is outside the world? Here is an inquiry into atheistic anthropology that would have thrilled Heidegger himself. -- Caryl Emerson, Princeton UniversityAlexandre Kojève became famous and influential primarily because of his seminar on Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit that was given in Paris between the years 1933 and 1939. This seminar was regularly attended by leading figures of the French intellectual life of that time such as Georges Bataille and Jacques Lacan. Kojève's earlier book Atheism is a brilliant analysis of the relationship between faith and atheism that offers invaluable insights on the formation of Kojeve’s thought but also remains important in our time. -- Boris Groys, author of Under Suspicion: A Phenomenology of MediaAlexandre Kojève's philosophical novella on the stakes of atheism for his time is the most significant work of his early career. It is key to understanding his famous Hegel lectures, his attempt to outdo Heidegger, and his idiosyncratic early politics that mixed hopes of radical transformation with a deep pessimism. Thanks to Jeff Love's translation, we can open up anew those philosophical movements of interwar France, including phenomenology and existentialism, which Kojève would so profoundly affect. -- Stefanos Geroulanos, New York UniversityIn Jeff Love's careful translation, this difficult text exudes the irresistible attraction of Kojève's philosophical prose. Written a couple of years before his famous lectures on Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, this essay already displays Kojève's signature combination of intellectual depth, probity, and radicalism. -- Galin Tihanov, George Steiner Professor of Comparative Literature, Queen Mary University of LondonKojève’s text is intriguing and suggestive in its ideas as well as in its genre. -- Clare Carlisle * Times Literary Supplement *I found it most enlightening and asking questions that lie underneath the surface that is usually not scratched by other atheist philosophers. * Scene Point Blank *This book is dense and very rewarding for those who approach it patiently. * Choice *We are glad to have this profound essay to stimulate our thinking on theism, atheism, and mortality, and to give us further insight into the breadth of Kojeve's inquiries. * Review of Metaphysics *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Atheism and PoliticsTranslator’s NoteAtheismNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisFrom its gradual decline during the latter part of the 20th century, religion has been catapulted back into public consciousness, not least by acts of violence, extremism and various forms of fundamentalism. This book calls for a reasoned dialogue between believers and non-believers about questions which impinge deeply on all our lives.

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Book SynopsisStudies secularism and religiosity in Russia, past and presentTrade ReviewDrawing upon the material on a particular Russian region, the Republic of Marii El (the former Mariiskaia Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic), from the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first century, the author traces the intricate relationship of religion and secularism in Soviet and post-Soviet times.49.1 2015 * Canadian-American Slavic Studies *Highly recommend[ed]. * H-Soz-u-Kult *[Sony Lûrman's] objective of the study is to compare methods to promote atheist and religious ideas in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, respectively. Although the content of the teaching of religion [is] the opposite of atheistic propaganda, according to the author, there are similarities in terms of audience and methods . . . .1 2014 * Laboratorium *[This book] greatly enhances our understanding of the post-Soviet revival of religion.June 2013 * REVIEW OF POLITICS *Each chapter traces a concept, an 'elective affinity,' through rich descriptions of how that concept is instantiated in practice across time and across a multireligious social field. The result is new and productive lens through which to understand the relationship between religion and communism. * Anthropos *Highly recommend[ed].April 2014 * H-Soz-u-Kult *Secularism Soviet Style is an attractively written and thought-provoking book that deserves to be read not only by regional specialists but by scholars of religion and secularism more generally. * Slavic Review *Luerhmann's ethnography makes an important contribution to studies about the nature of and the relationships between secular and religious movements in Russia. At the same time, its impact will extend beyond studies of religion to shed critical light on processes of knowledge formation and knowledge transmission. In many ways, because Luerhmann does such a good job of attending to and unpacking Russian styles of persuasion, it will be of tremendous value to schlars working on a wide range of topics, from political ideology to forms of aesthetics and representation to institutions and bureaucracies, not just in Russia but across the former Soviet Union. * The Russian Review *Luehrmann's book is well written and excellently researched. It provides much-needed understanding of the late-Soviet atheist endeavors. Importantly, by showing how Soviet secularism diverged from liberal projects, it makes a valuable contribution to conceptualizations of secularism. * PoLAR *Luehrmann's book is a fascinating anthropological inquiry into the every-day lives of post-communist citizens that focuses especially on four religious groups: Orthodox,Protestant-Lutherans, Evangelical (especially Pentecostal and Charismatic) and Traditional Mari Religion (Chimarij) and the way these religious groups appropriate the secular mobilization and didactic techniques that were forged during the Soviet period. * Anthropology of East Europe Review *This is a fascinating probe into the complex world of a country attempting to remove religion and god from society in order to modernize, but finding that atheism is not synonymous with modernization, and that religion has deep roots and an extraordinary ability to adapt to changing circumstances. . . . Recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgmentsNote on Translation, Transliteration, and NamesIntroduction: Atheism, Secularity, and Postsecular ReligionI. Affinities1. Neighbors and Comrades: Secularizing the Mari Country2. "Go teach:" Methods of ChangeII. Promises3. Church Closings and Sermon Circuits4. Marginal LessonsIII. Fissures5. Visual Aid6. The Soul and the SpiritIV. Rhythms7. Lifelong LearningConclusion: Affinity and DiscernmentGlossaryNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the contemporary experience of cultural and religious pluralism, the authors in this volume work toward a reconception of the basic concepts in philosophy of religionthe idea of God and the religious ways of knowing that ideaas historically dynamic.Eliot Deutsch argues that aesthetic and religious considerations are not peripheral to philosophy but are at the heart of the philosophic enterprise. Cornel West shows how recent developments in American philosophy, particularly in the work of Quine, Goodman, and Sellars, have opened up the possibility of a historicist philosophy of religion. After reviewing some of the fundamental defenses for belief in God in his neoclassical theism, Charles Hartshorne elaborates the argument from order and the argument from the rational aim. J.N. Findlay insists that the philosophy of religion is itself part of religious knowing, and so, that there can be no radical distinction between philosophic method and personal religious belief

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Book SynopsisAn account of a personal journey exploring the evidence for, and implications of, human evolution. The author addresses spiritual questions on creation and the meaning of life, and reflects on the experience and effects on his thought of lecturing on controversial matters in American universities.Trade Review“This is one of the rare books on evolution, science, and religion that is still fresh and current one-third century after its authorship by a Domincan priest-professor. Anyone who is wrestling with issues related to the conflicts and tensions that prevail between Christian faith and scientific evolution will benefit from the insights sprinkled lavishly throughout this book.”

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Book SynopsisHuman Destinies brings together a wide range of approaches to the central questions posed by the philosophy of religion and philosophical anthropology.Trade Review"This is an admirable collection of essays honoring the memory of Gerald Hanratty as an inspiring teacher, admired colleague, and valued friend. It ranges impressively over the history of philosophy from Aristotle to the present. It does so with precise focus on the recurrent perplexities of the human condition. A remarkable tribute, it is full of diverse contributions marked by scholarly and intellectual excellence." —William Desmond, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, and Villanova University"This volume offers a significant contribution to the various fields within philosophy that its authors address. Many of the essays have an intrinsic contemporary appeal to scholars, academics, intellectuals, clergy, and students who are concerned with matters touching on both philosophical and theological issues of some significance—especially those essays that deal with classic models of human nature, popular atheist authors, Heidegger, and other twentieth-century thinkers such as Adorno, Ricoeur, Edith Stein, and Derrida." —Glenn Hughes, St. Mary's University, San Antonio“What is perhaps most compelling about the volume is that Human Destinies presents so many potentially competitive frameworks and approaches to investigating human reality, and highlights the significant way in which our contemporary discourse still draws so heavily from classical, medieval, and Enlightenment sources. The wide variety of topics and the depth of these investigations make very evident the richness of human being and this world, and indicate possibilities for continued investigation.” —Augustinian Studies

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Book SynopsisIn God as Reason: Essays in Philosophical Theology, Vittorio Hösle presents a systematic exploration of the relation between theology and philosophy. In examining the problems and historical precursors of rational theology, he calls on philosophy, theology, history of science, and the history of ideas to find an interpretation of Christianity that is compatible with a genuine commitment to reason. The essays in the first part of God as Reason deal with issues of philosophical theology. Hösle sketches the challenges that a rationalist theology must face and discusses some of the central ones, such as the possibility of a teleological interpretation of nature after Darwin, the theodicy issue, freedom versus determinism, the mindbody problem, and the relation in general between religion, theology, and philosophy. In the essays of the second part, Hösle studies the historical development of philosophical approaches to the Bible, the continuity between the New TestamTrade Review"God as Reason makes a powerful contribution to the task of the philosophical assessment of religion and theology, and indeed to the task of arriving at a philosophically defensible account of God. Vittorio Hösle here addresses key questions concerning teleology in nature, theodicy, freedom and determinism, and the mind-body problem in essays of exemplary clarity and economy of expression that are equally informed by the full breadth of the philosophical tradition of the West and by the most important contemporary developments in both philosophy and the natural sciences." —Jennifer A. Herdt, Yale Divinity School"The essays in this collection constitute a fresh exploration of the relation between theology and philosophy throughout the history of the Western world and a brilliant achievement. This is truly a book for our post-secular age. It is a text peppered with criticism of our contemporary attitudes in very numerous fields including philosophy, ours being a 'time in which the essence of philosophy is being undermined by an increasingly narrow specialization,' and it stimulates the reader on almost every page. This is not only a major challenge to fideists and fundamentalists of every hue, and a demonstration of the centrality of the quest for rational religion in our not so secular age, but a powerful challenge to the secularists themselves." —Jonathan Israel, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University“With an inductive style, Hösle seeks to demonstrate his thesis that ‘modernity is Christianity’s legitimate child’. . . . God as Reason is an elegant demonstration of Hösle’s masterful grasp of historical philosophy and theology.” —Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies“Vittorio Hösle’s latest publication is an excellent look at the interrelatedness of faith and reason. He presents a fascinating series of essays, all written between 1997 and 2009, in an attempt ‘to find an interpretation of Christianity that is compatible with . . . [a] commitment to reason.’ Of notable interest in this volume is Hösle’s philosophical dialogue between the mind and body, which contains several humorous exchanges.” —Catholic Library World“[Hösle] shows an especially sensitive appreciation for the ‘pragmatics’ of the exchange between the various parties before turning to consider their arguments. His treatment concludes with a useful summary and the provocative idea that ‘the human prospect would look better than it does if a function equivalent to [a common religion] could be found for the twenty-first century.’” —Toronto Journal of Theology

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the religious contexts of Virginia Woolf’s life and work, her religious practices, her ideas about God, and the new forms of community she imagined.Trade Review“[Paulsell’s] is a meditative, ‘slow-reading’ approach that enables readers to investigate Woolf’s works with restored appreciation for religious language and resonances. It builds into a dazzling survey of religion around Woolf which makes the history of ideas exciting—and revelatory.”—Matthew Macer-Wright Virginia Woolf Bulletin“Stephanie Paulsell takes our appreciation of Virginia Woolf’s religious sensibilities to a new level. An important read for Woolf scholars, this book also demonstrates her significance for anyone interested in the spiritual value of literature.”—Jane de Gay,author of Virginia Woolf and Christian Culture“Religion Around Virginia Woolf will inspire poets, novelists, theologians, scholars—anyone who has ever wondered about the origins of Virginia Woolf's genius. Stephanie Paulsell's brilliant and impassioned study uncovers the ways in which Woolf's life—and especially her life as a reader—shaped her writing about the hidden connections among humans, the making of art, and her notions of the divine. In brilliant, lucid prose, Paulsell's insights and close readings describe the ‘fresh chapels’ where we might find new forms of devotion. This is a book I'm recommending to all the serious readers and writers I know.”—René Steinke,author of Friendswood“Stephanie Paulsell has written a landmark book on Virginia Woolf. It is revelatory. She has dared to name what we all have intuited: Woolf is not just a literary writer with a politics of her own, but she is also a spiritual writer who touches the ineffable, so we can touch it too. With uncommon insight and brilliant scholarship, Paulsell illuminates and elucidates Woolf’s prose for what it is: sacred text. I now want to reread everything Virginia Woolf has written as if I were on a pilgrimage with fresh eyes.”—Terry Tempest Williams,author of When Women Were Birds: Fifty-Four Variations on Voice“Paulsell offers valuable context and thoughts for further exploration.”—W. T. Martin Choice“From this well-researched book, readers will take away a new understanding of how religion works in and ‘around’ literature and a deeper appreciation of Virginia Woolf’s religious contribution, despite her professed atheism, to secular modernity and literary modernism.”—Emily Griesinger Woolf Studies Annual“Religion Around Virginia Woolf is a thoughtful and thorough addition to the growing Religion Around series. Impeccably researched and fresh, it is a provocative and fascinating read. Drawing on a diverse range of sources and including many lyrical passages from Woolf’s own writing, Paulsell accomplishes a difficult task for the scholar: she increases both one’s understanding and one’s love and appreciation for Woolf’s work.”—Grace Perry McCright Christianity and Literature

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Book SynopsisThe rise of the New Atheism has aroused great general interest, yet the debate up to this point has focused largely on rebutting the new atheist critique of Christianity. Alister McGrath takes the discussion further, and explores how the ideas of the New Atheism are defended and propagated through websites and blogs.Trade ReviewMcGrath's book, in my view, conclusively refutes any claim that "reason and science" can claim some sort of rational superiority to "reason and religion", and is a masterly exposé of the moral pretensions of the "new atheism". -- Keith Ward * Church Times *Why God Won't Go Away simply demolishes New Atheism in all departments and in every respect . . . There's no way back for it from this. And to think that mild-mannered Alister McGrath delivered the fatal blow. Priceless. * The Church of England Newspaper *Armed with McGrath, the message is clear - it's time for Christians to embrace science and philosophy without fear, and defend Christianity from the misleading rhetoric of the militant atheists. * Christianity magazine *

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