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This anthology fills a conspicuous gap in the discussion of religion and theism. The issues that theology addresses, the meaning of life, the existence of God, the truth of the Bible, the possibility of life after death, are so important to people that they ought to examine both sides of these fundamental questions. The atheist and rationalist writings collected here are virtually impossible to obtain anywhere else, even in large university library collections. This material chronicles the contributions of many distinguished thinkers who have carefully investigated key issues in religion and philosophy, but have arrived at remarkably different conclusions from those of the clergy or media. We should not neglect this long and rich history or ignore the insights rooted in the freethough tradition. "An Anthology of Atheism and Rationalism", a thorough introduction to the writings of the world's most famous freethinkers, will lead intellectually curious and intelligent people of all religious persuasions to an increased appreciation of the scope and limitations of their own opinions and attitudes on these important issues, including the existence of God, the definition of atheism and rationalism, the possibility of Divine Revelation, the existence of the Devil, and the real history/contribution of atheism to intellectual thought.

In 1848 the Fox sisters, living near Rochester, New York, began modern spiritualism by producing a series of "raps" or "knocks", supposedly from the spirit world, through which communication could be maintained. The public's interest was captured, and soon an overwhelming desire to communicate with departed loved ones led to the devising of other methods of communicating with spirits. Spiritualism spread rapidly both in Britain and the United States, with mediums setting up shop everywhere. These mediums ranged from obvious charlatans and highly skilled conjurors to those who sincerely believed they had psychic power. Gradually a number of the more skillful mediums gained reputations that brought them national and even international renown. Among these "superstars" was Daniel Dunglas Home (1833-1886), still recognized as the finest physical medium of the nineteenth century. The Scottish-born Home rose to prominence as a medium in the United States, returning to England in 1855. He spent the rest of his career in England and Europe, conducting seances at the homes of the wealthy and in the chambers of royalty. His feats of bodily levitation and elongation, "spirit hands", fire resistance, "rapping", and the like astounded his audiences. They were convinced of his extraordinary powers to reach "beyond". Scientists of the time remained aloof from the phenomena of spiritualism, unwilling to attend seances or examine the phenomena under controlled conditions. A rare exception was Sir William Crookes (1832-1919), a chemist and physicist who was roundly ridiculed by many of his fellow scientists for his five-year investigation of a number of important spiritualists and mediums, includingDaniel Dunglas Home, Florence Cook, and Anna Eva Fay. Although many were later proven frauds, this was never the case with Daniel Dunglas Home - until now. The Sorcerer of Kings takes readers inside the testing procedures of Crookes, to explore just what his investigation entailed. What made Sir William a believer? How could so many other mediums fall victim to their own gimmicks while Daniel Dunglas Home successfully overcame efforts to expose him? Noted researcher Gordon Stein unwraps this century-old mystery to reach startling new conclusions about a man whose "powers" were eagerly sought on two continents and the man of science who attempted to find him out once and for all. Stein has written a fascinating study of Victorian England and a character study of several notable Victorians that could cause a revision in the social history of that period.