You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
A call to action to address people's psychological and social motives for a belief in God, rather than debate the existence of God With every argument for theism long since discredited, the result is that atheism has become little more than the noises reasonable people make in the presence of unjustified religious beliefs. Thus, engaging in interminable debate with religious believers about the existence of God has become exactly the wrong way for nonbelievers to try to deal with misguided—and often dangerous—belief in a higher power. The key, author James Lindsay argues, is to stop that particular conversation. He demonstrates that whenever people say they believe in "God," they are really telling us that they have certain psychological and social needs that they do not know how to meet. Lindsay then provides more productive avenues of discussion and action. Once nonbelievers understand this simple point, and drop the very label of atheist, will they be able to change the way we all think about, talk about, and act upon the troublesome notion called "God."
The first book on Christian apologetics written by a leading atheist figure that teaches Christians the best and worst arguments for defending their faith against attack The Christian faith has been vigorously defended with a variety of philosophical, historical, and theological arguments, but many of the arguments that worked in an earlier age no longer resonate in today's educated West. Where has apologetics gone wrong? What is the best response to the growing challenge presented by scientific discovery and naturalistic thought? Unlike every work on Christian apologetics that has come before, How to Defend the Christian Faith is the first one written by an atheist for Christians. As a former Christian defender who is now a leading atheist thinker, John Loftus answers these questions and more. He shows readers why Christian apologists have failed to reach the intelligent nonbeliever and offers practical advice for Christians, whether they want to better defend their faith against atheist arguments, or actively convert more individuals to Christianity.
Where Christianity Errs comprises a group of essays that aim to carefully, clearly, fairly, and without rancor argue that Christianity has significantly erred in some of its important beliefs and activities. Among the topics assessed are original sin, prayer, faith, hell, the meaning of life, Christian apologetics, Christian ethics, Christianity and politics, and Christianity and atheism. This book contains novel arguments and insights that will be of interest to non-specialists as well as those who have some background in religion and the philosophy of religion.
Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Savior of the human race, who died for the sins of humanity on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3). The next verse adds the essential “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” In Jesus’ Death and Burial, Michael Alter critically surveys the writings of leading Christian apologists about Jesus’ death and burial, and then explains why detractors and skeptics cannot accept the New Testament claim that Jesus died on the cross and received a tomb burial. The Resurrection and Its Apologetics is an in-depth series that significantly contributes both to the academic and non-academic world reviewing and analyzing the most salient claims put forward in defense of Jesus’ death, burial, and bodily resurrection from the dead.
A compelling essay on free will from an internationally recognized authority on atheism, and author of God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction. Do we have free will? And if we don’t, why do we feel as if we do? In a godless universe governed by impersonal laws of cause and effect, are you responsible for your actions? Former evangelical minister Dan Barker (God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction) unveils a novel solution to the question that has baffled scientists and philosophers for millennia. He outlines the concept of what he calls “harmonic free will,” a two-dimensional perspective that pivots the paradox on its axis to show that there is no single answer—both sides are right. Free will is a useful illusion: not a scientific, but a social truth.
Space is infinitely interesting! Space has both scientific and cultural currency because it has captured the imagination of human beings from ancient times until today. What seemed like science fiction centuries and only decades ago, is now science fact. Technological developments present and on the cusp are putting more and more of space into our hands. That is both exciting and frightening at the same time (think Lovecraft)! This book attempts to speak to the philosophical and ethical issues raised by space. Who owns space? Who should pay for space exploration and what is the impact on human beings on earth today? What happens if we’re not alone in the universe? What is the value and mea...
The New Testament has had a profound impact on Western society. But what do we actually know about its evolution? In what context did the texts originate? Who was Jesus, and how did he become the 'Son of God'? Were the four evangelists reliable witnesses? Why are there so many inconsistencies and contradictions in the New Testament? Unbelievable: The Gospel Texts in Narrative Tradition and Historical Context. explores the traditions and historical reality behind the New Testament, shedding a whole new light on the biblical stories. This book is aimed at interested readers who want to learn how the New Testament came into being, and how it has moulded our societies. Although it is based on sound scholarly research, Unbelievable seeks primarily to appeal to a broad audience. Its style and clear language enable the reader to gain insight into the historical and literary contexts from which these texts emerged, and how they have shaped all Western cultures.
In twenty-first century America, antisemitism is on the rise, especially on the extreme left, the radical right, and within political Islamism. Expressions of this oldest hatred are also increasingly prevalent in popular culture, where they are spread by politicians, entertainers and celebrities, the media, social justice activists, and religious leaders, as well as in universities, in schools, on the streets, and even, in some instances, by Jews. Once, Jews regarded the United States as die Goldene Medina–the Golden Land–where they could escape persecution and finally be free. However, this dream has not been realized and major trends are moving in the opposite direction. In Poisoning the Wells, leading scholars analyze contemporary antisemitism in the United States.
Two major obstacles to belief in God in the twenty-first century are the idea that science is incompatible with religious faith, and the idea that the diversity of religions undermines the credibility of belief that any one religion could be truer than the others. This book addresses both of these challenges to belief in God and explores a connection between them. It argues that science and religion are not only compatible, but that some recent scientific discoveries actually support belief in the existence of the Creator God. The diversity of religions is widely believed to undermine the credibility of religious truth claims because of the assumed lack of any way to settle disagreements bet...