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.

This book argues that the world has sold its soul to Satan. To make this case, Hawkes undertakes a careful, precise analysis of what the terms 'soul' and 'Satan' have meant historically. Focusing on the story of Dr. Faustus, which he argues is the definitive myth of the modern era, Hawkes claims that the autonomous, individual human subject has become dissolved in a sea of representation. The system of performative signs that we call 'the market' functions today as an openly magical power, existing only in our minds, but ruling the world nonetheless, and systematically extinguishing the essence of humanity. Hawkes describes how this situation has arisen using a wide-ranging, trans-national account of the versions of Faust presented by Marlowe, Calderon, Milton, Moliere, Goethe, Byron, Dostoevsky, Wilde, Thomas Mann, Ngugi Wa'Thiongo and Salman Rushdie. Literary scholars, historians, philosophers and even economists will find fascination and instruction in this comprehensive, original book.

Satan worship. Witches. New Age channelers. The last two decades have witnessed a vast upsurge in occult activity. Scores of popular books have warned Christians of the dangers and urged them to do battle against these spiritual forces. Few books, however, have developed a careful biblical theology on demons, principalities and powers. Clinton Arnold seeks to fill this gap, providing an in-depth look at Paul's letters and what they teach on the subject. For perspective, he examines first-century Greek, Roman and Jewish beliefs as well as Jesus' teaching about magic, sorcery and divination. Arguing against many recent interpretations that have seen principalities and powers as impersonal social, economic and political structures, Arnold contends that the New Testament view is that such forces are organized, personal beings which Jesus defeated at the cross and will bring into full subjection at his return. In his concluding section Arnold suggests practical ways in which Christians today can contend with the forces of evil. A thoughtful, biblical look at an urgent challenge facing the church.

The Indigo Child concept is a contemporary New Age redefinition of self. Indigo Children are described in their primary literature as a spiritually, psychically, and genetically advanced generation. Born from the early 1980s, the Indigo Children are thought to be here to usher in a new golden age by changing the world's current social paradigm. However, as they are "paradigm busters", they also claim to find it difficult to fit into contemporary society. Indigo Children recount difficult childhoods and school years, and the concept has also been used by members of the community to reinterpret conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and autism. Cynics, however, can claim that the Indigo Child concept is an example of "special snowflake" syndrome, and parodies abound. This book is the fullest introduction to the Indigo Child concept to date. Employing both on- and offline ethnographic methods, Beth Singler objectively considers the place of the Indigo Children in contemporary debates around religious identity, self-creation, online participation, conspiracy theories, race and culture, and definitions of the New Age movement.

A Dweller on Two Planets was "channeled" to FREDERICK SPENSER OLIVER (1866-1899) at his Northern California home near Mount Shasta over a period of three years, beginning when he was seventeen. The true author, according to Oliver, was Phylos the Thibetan, a spirit and one-time inhabitant of the lost continent of Atlantis. Oliver claimed not to have written any of the text, asserting here that he was merely transmitting that which Phylos revealed to him. In fact, professed Oliver, the manuscript was dictated to him out of sequence (much of it backward) so that he could not interfere with the outcome. In this classic of new age and spiritual literature, Phylos describes in rich detail the culture, politics, architecture, and science of Atlantis, as well as its demise. He addresses karma and reincarnation, and predicts technological innovations in the 20th century that match and even exceed those of Atlantis. Supporters maintain that many of those predictions came true. Read for yourself and decide.

In this wide-ranging collection of articles, essays, and speeches, George H. Smith analyzes atheism and its relevance to society today. The featured essay in this volume provides a full analysis of Ayn Rand's unique contribution to atheism, explaining how her objectivist metaphysics and laissez-faire economic principles rested on a purely godless worldview. Several chapters address the evolution of atheism; arguments in favor of religious toleration; the efforts of early Church fathers to discredit Roman polytheism and how these arguments can be used with equal force against later Christian descriptions of God; and a survey of the contributions to freethought made by the deists of the 18th and 19th centuries. With incisive logic and considerable wit, Smith ties atheism to reason and argues that reason itself can be a moral virtue. In one penetrating chapter, Smith salutes three Christian theorists who he believes embody the spirit of reason: Thomas Aquinas, Desiderius Erasmus, and John Locke. This is followed by a philosophical drubbing of his "least favorite Christians" - St. Paul, St. Augustine, and John Calvin. In subsequent chapters, Smith examines religion and education; addresses the 20th century fundamentalist revival; offers suggestions on how to debate atheism with religious believers; critiques "new religions," including pop therapy, est, and tranactional analysis; and provides a comprehensive bibliographic essay on the literature of freethought.

Antoine Fabre d'Olivet (December 8, 1767-March 25, 1825) was a French author, poet, and composer whose biblical and philosophical hermeneutics in?uenced many occultists, such as Eliphas Lvi and Gerard Encausse (Papus), and Ren Gunon. D'Olivet spent his life pursuing the esoteric wisdom concealed in the Hebrew scriptures, Greek philosophy, and the symbolism of many ancient cultures as far back as ancient India, Persia, and Egypt. His writings are considered classics of the Hermetic tradition. His best known works today are his research on the Hebrew language (The Hebraic Tongue Restored), his translation and interpretation of the writings of Pythagoras (The Golden Verses of Pythagoras), and his writings on the sacred art of music. In addition to the above two books and the present one, Hermetica has also published in consistent facsimile format for its Collected Works of Fabre d'Olivet series Cain and The Healing of Rodolphe Grivel. D'Olivet's interest in Pythagoras started a revival of Neo-Pythagoreanism that would later in?uence many occultists and new age esotericists. His mastery of many ancient languages and their literatures enabled him to write (in the time of Napoleon) his Hermeneutic Interpretation of the Origin of the Social State of Man and the Destiny of the Adamic Race, which remains a landmark investigation of the deeper esoteric undercurrents at work in the history of culture. A selection of chapter titles indicates the scope of this extraordinary text: Intellectual, Metaphysical Constitution of Man; Man is One of Three Great Powers of the Universe; Division of Mankind; Love, Principle of Sociability; Man is First Mute-First Language Consists of Signs; Digression on the Four Ages of the World; Deplorable Lot of Woman; Origin of Music and Poetry; Deviation of the Cult, Superstition; Establishment of Theocracy; Divine Messenger; Who Rama Was; Digression upon the Celts; Divine Unity Admitted into the Universal Empire; Origin of the Phoenician Shepherds; Foundation of the Assyrian Empire; New Developments of the Intellectual Sphere; Orpheus, Moses, and Fo-Hi; Struggle between Asia and Europe; Greece Loses her Political Existence; Beginning of Rome; Mission of Jesus; Conquest of Odin; Mission of Mohammed; Reign of Charlemagne; Utility of Feudalism and of Christianity; Movement of the European Will towards America; Principle of Monarchical Government; Causes which Are Opposed to the Establishment of Pure Despotism and Democracy.

This fascinating book considers systems of belief and practice which are not religions in the full-blown sense, but which nevertheless affect human life in ways similar to the role played by the recognised religions. Professor Smith's thorough account compares the features which Humanism, Marxism and Nationalism share with recognised religions, analysing each in turn, and asks whether there is not always a threat of the demonic when any contingent reality - man, the economic order, or the state - is made absolute.

"In Karma, Mind, and Quest for Happiness," Dr. Susmit Kumar seeks to explain certain facts of Tantric philosophy, such as the constituent parts of the mind, the effect of mantra on the mind, and how karma may be scientifically defined and explained.

Until recently, people considered units of time and distance in terms of 100-200 years and 100-200 miles; astronomers now measure time and distance in billions of years and trillions of miles. Even so, science can study the scientific laws of only 4 percent of the materials in the universe, as it cannot "see" the remaining 96 percent, referred to as "dark matter" and "dark energy."

Great individuals-such as Christ, Buddha, Moses, Prophet Muhammad, and Krishna-knew something about the workings of the Universe that is not common knowledge; this is why we claim their actions to be miracles or religious dogma.

Furthermore, during the last 10,000 years, many saints in Asia have explored the human mind and its relationship with the Infinite. Most of them did it after first having established the limitations of physical pleasure and intellectual knowledge. When they started to explore the functioning of their minds and how everything around them was created, they developed a theory called Tantra.

"In Karma, Mind, and Quest for Happiness," Dr. Kumar will explore how Tantra is free from the distorting influences of time and place.

In the Afro-Cuban Lukumi religious tradition - more commonly known in the United States as Santeria - entrants into the priesthood undergo an extraordinary fifty-three-week initiation period. During this time, these novices - called iyawo - endure a host of prohibitions, including most notably wearing exclusively white clothing.A Year in White, sociologist C. Lynn Carr, who underwent this initiation herself, opens a window on this remarkable year-long religious transformation. In her intimate investigation of the ""year in white"", Carr draws on fifty-two in-depth interviews with other participants, an online survey of nearly two hundred others, and almost a decade of her own ethnographic fieldwork, gathering stories that allow us to see how cultural newcomers and natives thought, felt, and acted with regard to their initiation. She documents how, during the iyawo year, the ritual slowly transforms the initiate's identity. For the first three months, for instance, the iyawo may not use a mirror, even to shave, and must eat all meals while seated on a mat on the floor using only a spoon and their own set of dishes. During the entire year, the iyawo loses their name and is simply addressed as ""iyawo"" by family and friends. Carr also shows that this year-long religious ritual - which is carried out even as the iyawo goes about daily life - offers new insight into religion in general, suggesting that the sacred is not separable from the profane and indeed that religion shares an ongoing dynamic relationship with the realities of everyday life. Religious expression happens at home, on the streets, at work and school. Offering insight not only into Santeria but also into religion more generally, A Year in White makes an important contribution to our understanding of complex, dynamic religious landscapes in multicultural, pluralist societies and how they inhabit our daily lives.

Werewolf Histories is the first academic book in English to address European werewolf history and folklore from antiquity to the twentieth century. It covers the most important werewolf territories, ranging from Scandinavia to Germany, France and Italy, and from Croatia to Estonia.

A clear, concise and detailed historical analysis of the eclectic and beautiful visual and material culture of paganism. The book begins with an introduction that clarifies what we mean by ‘pagan’. It traces the pre-Christian origins of paganism, the development of the different aspects of pagan belief over centuries and how materials from the pre-Christian religions of Europe, North Africa and West Asia are built into the practices of today’s Pagans. The book is then organized into three broad sections – Ancient Ways, Ritual and Community – each containing three themed chapters. For each of the nine themed chapters, illustrated narrative text is interspersed with double-page presentations of the key figures, key stories and key iconography relevant to that theme. Paintings and artefacts are examined in detail, identifying and explaining the symbolism and the stories depicted in each. As the book progresses, readers will not only come to understand the many symbols that define pagan religions and practices, but will also discover the beliefs and philosophies of pagans from around the world, from polytheism to pantheism and from magic and ritual to ideas about the afterlife.

There is currently much confusion about the nature of humanism and a good deal of interest in its point of view. As the object of attack and suspicion by fundamentalists, conservatives, and traditional religionists, Howard B. Radest believes that humanism deserves a clear and responsible treatment. He accomplishes this in this book by clarifying the nature of humanism in historical and current thought. The Enlightenment, Radest states, gave birth to a number of humanist values that are still being worked out in today's societies. He reconstructs how humanist values have been considered dangerous by those who fear a change in the status quo. Humanism, Radest maintains, is the true descendant of the age of reason and freedom.

In this unique volume, humanism is viewed as being misunderstood by both traditionalists and the humanists themselves. Radest does not wish to disparage traditional beliefs, but he emphasizes that humanism is a legitimate philosophical, ideological, and religious alternative--a party to the current struggle for a postmodern life philosophy. "The Devil and Secular Humanism" examines humanism in a more comprehensive way than most current literature, and it includes an assessment of the prospects for humanism in the years ahead. It will be of great use to a literate, but nontechnical, audience who are engaged in philosophy, religion, law, and politics.