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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.
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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 exposΓ© 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.

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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.

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