100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

🏆Don't forget Father's Day this Sunday! Auckland Bookstore open 8:30am-5:00pm Sat & Sun 🎉

Why God Won't Go Away

Engaging With The New Atheism
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Why God Won't Go Away explores the rise of New Atheism and critically examines the views of its leading figures such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Alister McGrath challenges the movement’s core beliefs, questioning whether religion is truly delusional or evil, and whether faith rooted in reason and science alone suffices. The book also considers why religion continues to thrive in the modern era and probes the deep human need for spiritual adoration, presenting a thought-provoking dialogue on faith, reason, and the enduring presence of belief in God.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book appeals to readers interested in the intersection of religion, philosophy, and science, particularly those curious about contemporary debates surrounding faith and atheism. It is suitable for Christians seeking a deeper understanding of their beliefs in the modern age, as well as general readers engaged in the discourse about religion's place in the 21st century.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The 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.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The recent rise of the New Atheism has aroused great general interest, thrown up questions of fundamental importance, and started a fascinating conversation. Why God Won't Go Away invites us to join in.

The volume opens with a survey of the main ideas of the New Atheism, as expressed in the works of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens. We then examine the core views of the movement closely, making due reference to its 'virtual community' of websites and blogs. Subjects explored include: whether religion is delusional and evil, the belief that human beings are fundamentally good, whether we should have faith only in what can be proved through reason and science, the idea that the best hope for humanity is a 'New Enlightenment'.

The result is a lively and highly thought-provoking volume that poses a number of interesting questions. Why is religion experiencing a resurgence in the twenty-first century, when we are meant to have grown out of such a primitive fixation? Has the New Atheism's fascination with rationality led to a fatal underestimation of the longing of the human heart to adore? And if, as Christopher Hitchens writes in exasperation, religion is 'ineradicable', doesn't this tiresome fact suggest that dismissing belief in God as irrational and unscientific might just be a waste of time?

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised for its thorough refutation of New Atheism, McGrath's work is described as a masterly exposé of the moral pretensions of the movement, effectively demolishing its arguments. Reviews highlight its role in encouraging Christians to confidently embrace science and philosophy while defending their faith against militant atheism. The book is recognised as a decisive and intellectually engaging response to contemporary debates on religion.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780281063871

Publisher: SPCK Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 February 2011

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: SPCK Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 179g

Pages: 128

About the Author

Alister McGrath is Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at the University of Oxford, and a prolific author. His bestselling volume The Dawkins Delusion? has sold over 150,000 copies worldwide in 17 languages, and his other books for SPCK include The Landscape of Faith, Mere Theology and Enriching Our Vision of Reality.

Also by Alister McGrath

View all
  • Self-esteem
    Self-esteem is a problem for many people today, including Christians. Low self-esteem can hinder people from achieving their potential, and prevent even the most dedicated Christians from fulfilling God's purpose in their lives. Yet, properly understood, the gospel provides an important answer to low self-esteem. In this important book, Joanna McGrath, a psychologist, and Alister McGrath, a theologian, explore a...
    Paperback
    $3599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Dawkins Delusion?
    World-renowned scientist Richard Dawkins writes in The God Delusion: 'If this book works as I intend, religious readers who open it will be atheists when they put it down'. The volume has received wide coverage, fuelled much passionate debate and caused not a little confusion. Alister McGrath is ideally placed to evaluate Dawkins' ideas. Once an atheist himself, he gained...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks

More from Health & Wellness

View all
  • Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story (Expanded Edition)
    Honour his legacy with the greatest gift of all—his story. The Official Hear Your Story Collection Your dad's story is more than just memories—it's a journey filled with wisdom, experiences, and defining moments that shaped his life. Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story is a guided journal that gives him the chance to share those stories in his own...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    17% off
    The Age Code
    What if the food you eat could rewind your biological clock? 'Clear and compelling' — Chris van Tulleken 'Really interesting and insightful' — Joe Wicks 'Fascinating' — Tim Spector From the rising incidence of cancer in the under-50s to increased infertility rates, there are signs everywhere that growing numbers of us are ageing too quickly. Why? Many believe there’s one...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Crescent City Paperback Box Set
    A beautiful box set containing all three paperback instalments of the Crescent City series from #1 bestselling global phenomenon Sarah J. Maas. BOUND BY BLOOD. TEMPTED BY DESIRE. UNLEASHED BY DESTINY. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan - Time Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James – Telegraph Spiced...
    Set
    $5499
    Elsewhere:
    $7000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    19% off
    Surviving White Island
    Surviving White Island - Surviving the unsurvivable. Healing from the unhealable. This is an inspiring memoir of physical and mental recovery, from someone who lived through the Whakaari White Island volcanic eruption. "I heard someone say, 'Wow!' And someone else exclaimed, 'Look at that!' I had my back to the crater. I turned around. The moment I saw it, I...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • 2027 Witch's Diary - Southern Hemisphere
    From the bestselling authors of Spellcasting, which has now sold over 250,000 copies worldwide, comes the essential witchy journal to plan your days, harness magick, and connect with higher powers. Features include: 8" x 6" (8" x 12" open) Beautiful glossy gold gatefold cover Compact size, perfect to carry in your bag and keep on you throughout the day 12-month...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Power of Hormones
    For decades, three vital hormones in the female body, progesterone, estrogen andtestosterone, have been misunderstood, dismissed and feared. Their critical roles inimproving function of women's brains, bones, hearts and long-term health have beenignored. Confusion between natural, body identical hormones and synthetic, chemically altered'hormones' has fuelled fear, distorted medical guidelines and shaped media narratives.The result? Countless women struggling with hormone imbalances...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Eat Your Ice Cream
    The New York Times bestseller that presents a bold new vision for living well and ageing with purpose from a world-renowned health expert THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From a leading doctor and world-renowned health expert, the simple, uplifting and practical guide to cutting through the wellness noise, living well and ageing with purpose. ‘Essential reading for anyone who...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • On Sale
    20% off
    Betrayal
    ‘Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.’ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Better Never Stops
    Signed Copy
    New Release
    Better Never Stops
    The Art and Science of Continuous Improvement From delinquent to doctor, Paul Wood knows first-hand how far we can take our lives if we address what holds us back. At the age of 18, Wood was sent to New Zealand's toughest prison. Almost 11 years later, in 2006, he walked out a free man, escaping his past and becoming a...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Modern Dad
    New Release
    The Modern Dad
    A love letter to modern fatherhood and being a stay-at-home dad by one of NZ's most popular storytellers. Louis Davis (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua) is one of Aotearoa's most popular storytellers, with a combined global audience of three million people tuning in to see his heartfelt and funny videos about fatherhood, fishing, and whānau life. But even with three young children—and...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Body Keeps the Score
    The Body Keeps the Score by Dr Bessel van der Kolk is a compelling and compassionate exploration of the deep-seated impact of trauma on the human body and mind. This groundbreaking work delves into the complex causes of trauma and paints a vivid picture of the revolutionary treatments that are enabling countless individuals to reclaim their lives filled with purpose...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Mauritau
    New Release
    Mauritau
    A journal to find balance with the 12 states of Mauri. Mauri is the pulse of wellbeing - the spark that makes you uniquely you. In Mauritau, clinical psychologist Jessica Gerbic introduces the 12 states of Mauri and shows how intentional awareness can guide your sense of balance across mind, body, spirit, environment and whānau. From Mauri Oho, a sudden...
    Hardback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.