“A very thought-provoking book, sure to be controversial. I love it!”
—John W. Loftus, author of How to Defend the Christian Faith

About the Book

Everybody is wrong about God, and the error is one of the most consequential ever made by humankind. No corner of the world has been untouched by religious violence or conflict. The problem is the very idea of theism, or belief in the existence of God, and, by extension, atheism, or nonbelief in the existence of God. Just as Nietzsche declared God dead more than a century ago, now is the time to declare atheism dead, too. As James A. Lindsay argues, theism has been so thoroughly and utterly discredited—philosophically, sociologically, and scientifically—that it no longer warrants serious consideration. With every argument for theism long since discredited, atheism has become little more than the noises reasonable people make in the presence of unjustified religious beliefs. Thus, engaging in interminable debate with religious believers about the existence of God has become exactly the wrong way for nonbelievers to try to deal with the misguided—and often dangerous—belief in a higher power. The key, Lindsay argues, is to stop that particular conversation. Demonstrating that whenever people say they believe in “God,” they are really telling us that they have certain psychological and social needs that they do not know how to meet, he directs the reader to more productive avenues of discussion and action. Only once nonbelievers understand this simple point, and drop the very label of atheist, will they be able to change the way we all think about, talk about, and act upon the troublesome notion called “God.”

About the Author(s)

James A. Lindsay holds degrees in physics and mathematics, with a doctorate in the latter. He has authored two previous books, including Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. Peter Boghossian (foreword by) is author of A Manual for Creating Atheists.

Details

ISBN: 9781634310369
Format: paperback
SRP: $15.95
Page count: 224 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: December 2015

“An extremely lively, engaging, and enjoyable book. Cragun masterfully weaves together personal anecdotes, international current events, sociological data, relevant social issues, and theoretical insights in presenting a sober, clear, and at times quite passionate introduction to how social scientists understand and approach religion. This highly readable, conversational, and yet soundly argued book is strongly, enthusiastically recommended.”
—Phil Zuckerman, Professor of Sociology at Pitzer College and author of Faith No More and Society Without God

About the Book

What is a religion? Why are people religious? Are religious people more educated than nonreligious people? Are religious people more moral? Are they humbler or happier? Are religious people more or less prejudiced than nonreligious people? Are religious people better at coping with death? Is religion good for your health? Are people becoming more or less religious? Based on what you hear from the media—and on what religions themselves purport to teach—you may think you know the answers, but think again.

Studying religion as a social phenomenon, heralded sociologist Ryan T. Cragun follows the scientific data to answer these and other fascinating questions about the nature and state of religion (and nonreligion) across populations. He presents his findings in this groundbreaking book, What You Don’t Know about Religion (but should). No matter your beliefs, the data he presents will challenge all—from religious fundamentalists to the New Atheists—and change how you view religion, both in your life and in society at large.

At times irreverent, but always engaging and illuminating, this book is for all those who have ever wondered whether religion helps or hurts society—or questioned what the future holds for religion. As Cragun argues, our increasingly complex globalized multiethnic world presents a series of challenges that demand a reasoned response. Our world needs tolerance. It needs technology. It needs science. It needs education. It needs respect for the environment. It needs gender equality. It needs good parents. And, as the data presented in this book make plain, it also needs a new way of thinking about religion.

About the Author

Ryan T. Cragun is an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Tampa. His research interests include Mormonism and the nonreligious. He is the author of more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles and half a dozen book chapters. His research is regularly featured in national media.

Details

ISBN: 9780985281533
Format: hardcover
SRP: $24.95
Page count: 278 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: June 2013

“Andy Thomson, with Clare Aukofer, has written a wonderfully concise introduction to our growing scientific understanding of religion. If you would like to learn, in the span of an hour, why we have every reason to believe that God is man-made—this is the book to read.”
—Sam Harris, author of the New York Times best sellers The Moral Landscape, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The End of Faith

About the Book

In this groundbreaking volume, J. Anderson Thomson, Jr., MD, with Clare Aukofer, offers a succinct yet comprehensive study of how and why the human mind generates religious belief. Dr. Thomson, a highly respected practicing psychiatrist with credentials in forensic psychiatry and evolutionary psychology, methodically investigates the components and causes of religious belief in the same way any scientist would investigate the movement of astronomical bodies or the evolution of life over time—that is, as a purely natural phenomenon. Providing compelling evidence from psychology, the cognitive neurosciences, and related fields, he, with Ms. Aukofer, presents an easily accessible and exceptionally convincing case that god(s) were created by man—not vice versa. With this slim volume, Dr. Thomson establishes himself as a must-read thinker and leading voice on the primacy of reason and science over superstition and religion.

About the Author(s)

J. Anderson “Andy” Thomson Jr., MD, is a staff psychiatrist at the University of Virginia's Student Health Center and Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy, and maintains a private practice of adult and forensic psychiatry. He serves as a trustee of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. Clare Aukofer is a medical writer and editor in Charlottesville, Virginia. Richard Dawkins (foreword by) is a Fellow of the Royal Society and was the inaugural holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair of Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University.

Details

ISBN: 9780984493210
Format: paperback
SRP: $12.95
Page count: 144 pages
Trim size: 4 3/4 x 7
Pub date: June 2011