Every thinking person wants to lead a life of meaning and purpose. For thousands of years, holy books have told us that such a life is available only through obedience and submission to some higher power. Today, the faithful keep popular devotionals and tracts within easy reach on bedside tables and mobile devices, all communicating this common message: "Life is meaningless without God." Former pastor Dan Barker eloquently, powerfully, and rationally upends this long-held belief in life-driven purpose. Offering words of enrichment, emancipation, and inspiration, he reminds us how millions of atheists lead happy, loving, moral, and purpose-filled lives. Practicing what he preaches, he also demonstrates through his own personal journey that life is valuable for its own sake--that meaning and purpose come not from above, but from within.

A Lament for the Soul of Atheism. Real Atheism for Real Atheists. Rooted in continental philosophy, phenomenology and existential philosophy, Atheism Reclaimed is original in its attempt to create different existential concepts to give expressions to what an authentic atheism might look like for the 21st Century. Utilizing thinkers like Heidegger, Nietzsche, Bataille and Ranciere, Virno and Sartre, Patrick O,Connor opens up a new path for atheist thought based on questions of time, truth, objects and equality in opposition to more traditional scientific materialist accounts that underline conventional atheism. O'Connor engages with five key moments that, he argues, allow us to begin to build a new conceptual discourse for atheism: Nietzsche's response to nihilism; the role of objects; an atheistic interpretation of Heidegger's account of time; the strange relation between truth and violence; and a refiguring of notions of the common.

This volume of the classic series is devoted to the claims, arguments, and perspectives of the New Atheists. The volume collects original work on these topics of leading thinkers in the philosophy of religion, epistemology, and metaphysics, and philosophy of science. These studies are punctuated by an original short story by a leading novelist.

Heralded as the exponents of a 'new atheism', critics of religion are highly visible in today's media, and include the household names of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Sam Harris. David Fergusson explains their work in its historical perspective, drawing comparisons with earlier forms of atheism. Responding to the critics through conversations on the credibility of religious belief, Darwinism, morality, fundamentalism, and our approach to reading sacred texts, he establishes a compelling case for the practical and theoretical validity of faith in the contemporary world.
An invitation to engage in a rich dialogue, Faith and Its Critics supports an informed and constructive exchange of ideas rather than a contest between two sides of the debate. Fergusson encourages faith communities to undertake patient engagement with their critics, to acknowledge the place for change and development in their self-understanding whilst resisting the reductive explanations of the new atheism.

Frank Schaeffer has a problem with the New Atheists. He also has a problem with the religious fundamentalists. The problem is that he doesn't see much of a difference between the two camps. Sparing no one and nothing, including himself and his fiery evangelical past, and invoking subtleties too easily ignored by the pontificators, Schaeffer adds much-needed nuance to the existing religious conversation as he challenges atheists and fundamentalists alike.

The New Atheist Novel is the first study of a major new genre of contemporary fiction. It examines how Richard Dawkins's so-called New Atheism' movement has caught the imagination of four eminent modern novelists: Ian McEwan, Martin Amis, Salman Rushdie and Philip Pullman. For McEwan and his contemporaries, the contemporary novel represents a new front in the ideological war against religion, religious fundamentalism and, after 9/11, religious terror: the novel apparently stands for everything freedom, individuality, rationality and even a secular experience of the transcendental that religion seeks to overthrow. In this book, Bradley and Tate offer a genealogy of the New Atheist Novel: where it comes from, what needs it serves and, most importantly, where it may go in the future. What is it? How does it dramatise the war between belief and non-belief? To what extent does it represent a genuine ideological alternative to the religious imaginary or does it merely repeat it in secularised form? This fascinating study offers an incisive critique of this contemporary testament of literary belief and unbelief.

Kenny writes By profession I am a philosopher: and in the present century philosophers in this country have been keen to emphasise not only the difficulty of stating God's will on particular issues but the difficulty for human beings of saying anything intelligible at all about the nature of God. It is probably true to say that the majority of philosophers in this country in the last fifty years have been atheists of one kind or another. In his masterly introduction, Kenny explains the autobiographical background to this important new book. For some years, Kenny was a Roman Catholic priest, he lost his faith and resigned from the priesthood. This was something of a cause celebre and Kenny gave a full account of this development in his book The Path From Rome. But, as this book demonstrates, he has never been able to let go of God and he continues to struggle with the intellectual problems of theism and the possibility of believing in God, especially in an intellectual climate dominated by Logical Positivism. In this book Kenny revisits the Five Ways of Aquinas and argues that they are not so much proofs as definitions of God.; He is also in constant dialogue with Wittgenstein for, K

"Atheism Explained" explores the claims made both for and against the existence of God. On the pro side: that the wonders of the world can only be explained by an intelligent creator; that the universe had to start somewhere; telepathy, out-of-body experiences, and other paranormal phenomena demonstrate the existence of a spirit world; and that those who experience God directly provide evidence as real as any physical finding. After disputing these arguments through calm, careful criticism, author David Ramsay Steele presents the reasons why God cannot exist: monstrous, appalling evils; the impossibility of omniscience; and the senseless concept that God is a thinking mind without a brain. He also explores controversial topics such as Intelligent Design, the power of prayer, religion without God, and whether a belief in God makes people happier and healthier. Steele's rational, easy-to-understand prose helps readers form their own conclusions about this eternally thorny topic.

Over the past decade the Religion vs. Atheism debate has generated a lot more heat than light. With passionate advocates on both sides, it is possible we have lost sight of the real people and problems behind the controversies and conflicts. Where does the truth lie? In Faitheism Krish Kandiah asks us to take a long hard look at ourselves - and a more understanding look at each other. Written for both committed Christians and committed Atheists and everyone in between, this accessible and practical book can help all of us find a way to talk about the things that really matter to us in ways that encourage empathy, mutual understanding and respect and yet that don't shy away from tackling the hard topics. The ideas in this book can transform our relationships, our workplaces and our nation as it lays down a path for a genuinely more inclusive, hospitable and understanding society. Krish contends that whether you are a Christian, an Atheist or somewhere in between, we can all grow in our own beliefs and understand each other better. In this challenging exploration of the myths about Christianity and Atheism, time and again we will find the evidence shows that the truth on the ground is not what one might expect - and the potential for genuine understanding is far greater than the antagonists on either side would have you believe.

A militant Marxist atheist and a "Radical Orthodox" Christian theologian square off on everything from the meaning of theology and Christ to the war machine of corporate mafia. "What matters is not so much that Zizek is endorsing a demythologized, disenchanted Christianity without transcendence, as that he is offering in the end (despite what he sometimes claims) a heterodox version of Christian belief."-John Milbank "To put it even more bluntly, my claim is that it is Milbank who is effectively guilty of heterodoxy, ultimately of a regression to paganism: in my atheism, I am more Christian than Milbank."-Slavoj Zizek In this corner, philosopher Slavoj Zizek, a militant atheist who represents the critical-materialist stance against religion's illusions; in the other corner, "Radical Orthodox" theologian John Milbank, an influential and provocative thinker who argues that theology is the only foundation upon which knowledge, politics, and ethics can stand. In The Monstrosity of Christ, Zizek and Milbank go head to head for three rounds, employing an impressive arsenal of moves to advance their positions and press their respective advantages. By the closing bell, they have not only proven themselves worthy adversaries, they have shown that faith and reason are not simply and intractably opposed. Zizek has long been interested in the emancipatory potential offered by Christian theology. And Milbank, seeing global capitalism as the new century's greatest ethical challenge, has pushed his own ontology in more political and materialist directions. Their debate in The Monstrosity of Christ concerns the future of religion, secularity, and political hope in light of a monsterful event-God becoming human. For the first time since Zizek's turn toward theology, we have a true debate between an atheist and a theologian about the very meaning of theology, Christ, the Church, the Holy Ghost, Universality, and the foundations of logic. The result goes far beyond the popularized atheist/theist point/counterpoint of recent books by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and others. Zizek begins, and Milbank answers, countering dialectics with "paradox." The debate centers on the nature of and relation between paradox and parallax, between analogy and dialectics, between transcendent glory and liberation. Slavoj Zizek is a philosopher and cultural critic. He has published over thirty books, including Looking Awry, The Puppet and the Dwarf, and The Parallax View (these three published by the MIT Press). John Milbank is an influential Christian theologian and the author of Theology and Social Theory: Beyond Secular Reason and other books. Creston Davis, who conceived of this encounter, studied under both Zizek and Milbank.

Islam is often treated as an inextricable part of Arab culture, and in the minds of many in both the west and the Arab world, to be an Arab is to be a Muslim by default. While many religious minorities, notably the Druze, Jews and Christians, have found ways of reconciling their Arab identity with their beliefs, a far greater challenge faces the growing number of Arabs who identify as atheists, agnostics, or sceptics. Emboldened by the political upheavals of the Arab spring and facilitated by the growth of social media, these predominantly young men and women are becoming an increasingly vocal and assertive presence in Arab societies, despite facing the risk of imprisonment, ostracism, and death. Arabs Without God explores the roots and consequences of this phenomenon, as well as the experiences of those living as 'non-believers' in Muslim countries. Beginning with an examination of the history of atheism in the Arab world, it goes on to consider the circumstances which led these Arab Muslims to question their faith. It also examines the pressures they face in attempting to assert and defend their stance, both in Muslim countries and in the west, where they often find themselves caught between political Islamists who deride them as 'westernised' apostates, and a far right which regards all people from Muslim backgrounds as potential extremists. Arabs Without God argues passionately that these developments, previously ignored by western observers, are of vital importance to the future of Arab societies. For as the author says it is only 'when an atheist can be accepted and respected as a normal human being' that liberty will truly have arrived.

In this volume, Mark Bevir argues that postfoundationalism is compatible with humanism and historicism. He shows how postmodernists, especially Derrida and Foucault, drew on structuralism and the avant-garde in ways that led them to downplay human agency and historical context. He then explores how we today might recover and rethink humanism and historicism. And, finally, he discusses the critical and ethical practices that such ideas might inspire.

Islam is often treated as an inextricable part of Arab culture, and in the minds of many in both the west and the Arab world, to be an Arab is to be a Muslim by default. While many religious minorities, notably the Druze, Jews and Christians, have found ways of reconciling their Arab identity with their beliefs, a far greater challenge faces the growing number of Arabs who identify as atheists, agnostics, or sceptics. Emboldened by the political upheavals of the Arab spring and facilitated by the growth of social media, these predominantly young men and women are becoming an increasingly vocal and assertive presence in Arab societies, despite facing the risk of imprisonment, ostracism, and death. Arabs Without God explores the roots and consequences of this phenomenon, as well as the experiences of those living as 'non-believers' in Muslim countries. Beginning with an examination of the history of atheism in the Arab world, it goes on to consider the circumstances which led these Arab Muslims to question their faith. It also examines the pressures they face in attempting to assert and defend their stance, both in Muslim countries and in the west, where they often find themselves caught between political Islamists who deride them as 'westernised' apostates, and a far right which regards all people from Muslim backgrounds as potential extremists. Arabs Without God argues passionately that these developments, previously ignored by western observers, are of vital importance to the future of Arab societies. For as the author says it is only 'when an atheist can be accepted and respected as a normal human being' that liberty will truly have arrived.

Although most historians have sought the roots of atheism in the history of "free thought," Alan Charles Kors contends that attacks on the existence of God were generated above all by the vitality and controversies of orthodox theistic culture itself. In this first volume of a planned two-volume inquiry into the sources and nature of atheism, he shows that orthodox teachers and apologists in seventeenth-century France were obliged by the logic of their philosophical and pedagogical systems to create many models of speculative atheism for heuristic purposes. Unusual in its broad sampling of the religious literature of the early-modern learned world, this book reveals that the "great fratricide" among bitterly competing schools of Aristotelian, Cartesian, and Malebranchist Christian thought encouraged theologians to refute each other's proofs of God and to depict the ideas of their theological opponents as atheistic. Such "fratricide" was not new in the history of Christendom, but Kors demonstrates that its influence was dramatically amplified by the expanding literacy of the seventeenth century. Capturing the attention of the reading public, theological debate provided intellectual grounds for the disbelief of the first generation of atheistic thinkers. Originally published in 1990. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.