FullReviews Index
Philosophers Without Gods: Meditations on Atheism and the Secular Life
Critics of atheism and contemporary atheists complain about the tone of so-called 'New Atheism' and insist that it can only have negative effects for atheists in society - as if atheists used to be the subjects of universal adulation and praise. Well, one positive effect of the atheist books which everyone loves to hate is the vastly increased public profile of atheists in society - and thus also the market for even more books by atheists about atheism.
Religion in the Modern American West
The American West has never been merely a geographical space. Instead, it has long played a nearly sacred role in the American imagination and sense of national identity. Because of the worldwide reach of American media, it even plays a role in the imaginations of others around the globe - very often, the American West becomes a symbol for America itself. But what role, if any, has religion played in the development and identity of the West?
Natural Atheism, by David Eller
Religion, particularly forms of religion that are fundamentalist or fervent in nature, have experienced explosive growth in recent decades. Many have found this to be strange, considering that great scientific, social, and political progress made made in secular circles. What could be going on? What are people looking for that they don't find in secularism?
I'm Perfect, You're Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah's Witness Upbringing
What's it like to grow up in an oppressive household run according to the dictates of a fanatical religion? Fortunately, not very many people know and some of those who do let the rest of us in on what's happened to them. It's hard to read their stories without being depressed, horrified, angry, and usually some combination of all the above. It's a rare writer who can tell a tale of oppression, repression, or really horrible decisions yet still be entertaining and amusing.
The Spanking Room: A Child's Eye View of the Jehovah Witnesses, by William Cobur
Most people have probably had Jehovah's Witnesses appear at their door, trying to sell their religion, but how many understand what the culture of Jehovah's Witnesses' families and communities is really like? True believers surely regard their religious culture to be just fine, but they also don't make much effort to reveal all the details which might be regarded negatively by outsiders. That task is left to apostates who leave the Jehovah's Witnesses, and they don't paint a pretty picture.
Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief
Perhaps one of the most difficult questions atheists have to tackle is both one of the most practical and one of the most significant when it comes to long-term consequences: how to best raise children in an atheist household. One of the benefits religion can provide is a set of traditions, practices, and answers for raising children. Not all those answers and traditions are good, and raising children isn't easy for anyone, but religion provides a map to help. What do atheists have?
Life, Sex, and Ideas: The Good Life Without God
Philosophy is a serious and often difficult topic, yet just as often it is made out to be more difficult than it actually is. The basic point of philosophy is, at least much of the time, to think reflexively and critically about those things which matter most in our lives. It's about fundamental questions without easy and pat answers. Studying philosophy shouldn't be a pursuit just for university students - unfortunately, not many teachers of philosophy reach out beyond that narrow audience.
One Planet, One People: Beyond 'Us vs. Them', by Carl Coon
Human beings have evolved not only biologically, but also culturally. Perhaps one of the most important advances in our cultural evolution has been our ability to expand the definition of the 'in' group - the group we consider most deserving of kindness and assistance. Today most people's idea of 'us' is much broader than it was a few thousand years ago. How much further can the circle be increased?
Book Review: God's Funeral
Why had most intellectuals and writers in Europe abandoned traditional Christianity by the end of the nineteenth century? Was it a result of industrial and scientific progress? Was it Charles Darwin and his insightful writing on evolution? As A.N. Wilson writes, the sources of this skepticism and disbelief were many and varied.
Fascism: A Very Short Introduction
Everyone has heard of fascism - it's one of the most significant political philosophies of the twentieth century. But what is fascism, exactly? Is it a reactionary program against modernity, or is it a revolutionary program against the traditional order? Actually, it is a bit of both - and that is why it has always managed to have some appeal to people on both the left and the right.
Daughters of Light: Quaker Women Preaching and Prophesying in the Colonies
What role and influence did Christian women have in 17th and 18th century America? Most people's answer to this question would be heavily colored by the image of Puritan women, who practiced a religion which idealized female submission to men in both this world and the next. These were not, however, the only Christian women in America - there were also many Quaker women, and they lead dramatically different lives.
Atheism, Morality, and Meaning
Morality has played an important role in both religion and theism throughout human history. So deeply intertwined have the two been that most people today sincerely believe that morality isn't possible outside of religion or, at the very least, without belief in God. As a consequence, atheists are commonly thought of as being immoral and lacking any purpose or meaning to their lives.
Handbook of Religion and Health: A Century of Research Reviewed
Is religion good for your health? For a long time, religion and medicine were closely intertwined, with healthcare generally relying heavily upon the ideas created by religious tradition. In the modern age, the two diverged and medicine became a subject of scientific research. Today, however, religion and medicine may be moving closer together again - but should they?
Sartre, by Neil Levy
Sartre: Jean-Paul Sartre was acclaimed by the people of France in ways normally reserved for rock stars in other countries. When he died in 1980, fifty thousand people lined the streets of Paris to watch his coffin go by. What did he do to merit such respect and attention?
Life Evolving: Molecules, Mind, and Meaning, by Christian de Duve
Life is an amazing thing. Throughout human history, we have tried to understand life - what it is, why it exists, and how it has developed. Only in the last fifty years or so, however, have we developed enough of an understanding about the nature of life - from the tiniest cells up through the workings of the human brain - to really move forward on understanding how life might have developed. We still have quite a ways to go of course, but we've already come farther than most people realize.
Oberammergau: The Troubling Story of the World's Most Famous Passion Play
In the German village of Oberammergau, both theater and life intermingle to the point where it has become difficult to tell which is which - and in more ways than one. It hosts the oldest continuous staging of a 'Passion Play,' the drama of Jesus' arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. It also hosts, as a result, one of the oldest continuous debates about the presence of anti-semitism in Christian theology - and whether or not that anti-semitism can ever be removed.
Review: Sacred Choices: Right to Contraception and Abortion in World Religions
Family planning, contraception and abortion are all intimately related issues which are often subject to rancorous debates in modern society and international politics. According to conventional wisdom, traditional religious beliefs and institutions are opposed to all three. According to conventional wisdom, religion is inevitably anti-choice in such matters. What if conventional wisdom is wrong?
Sleeping with Extra-Terrestrials: The Rise of Irrationalism and Perils of Piety
As many have surely noticed by now, America has a buoyant love affair with all things irrational. It's not just religion, but also astrology, psychics, wacky conspiracy theories, and worse. This has been going on since last century at least and while some may treat it as unimportant to how society functions, the widespread irrationalism and uncritical acceptance of things like angels, aliens, gurus, etc. has serious repercussions for everyone.
Can We Be Good Without God? Biology, Behavior, and the Need to Believe
For much of human history, there has been the perception that morality is largely or wholly dependent upon religion. Thus, people have argued that a person simply cannot be good without a religious belief system and, more importantly, a belief in some god. But is this perception accurate? Is it perhaps arguable that ignoring the existence of any gods might actually be preferable? Perhaps it shouldn't matter to us whether any gods exist or not when debating moral values.
Can We Be Good Without God? Biology, Behavior, and the Need to Believe
For much of human history, there has been the perception that morality is largely or wholly dependent upon religion. Thus, people have argued that a person simply cannot be good without a religious belief system and, more importantly, a belief in some god. But is this perception accurate? Is it perhaps arguable that ignoring the existence of any gods might actually be preferable? Perhaps it shouldn't matter to us whether any gods exist or not when debating moral values.
Book Review: A Rumor About the Jews: Reflections on Antisemitism
The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion was a forged pamphlet, probably created by the secret police of Imperial Russia in the late 1890's. The goal was to get people to believe that it was actually the minutes of meetings of Jewish leaders plotting to take over the world. What it attacked, however, was not simply Jews but in fact the entire project of the Enlightenment - religious diversity, freedom, toleration, and social progress.
How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age
Belief in paranormal, supernatural and mysterious claims have always been very popular, so how can skeptics best approach such claims to evaluate their credibility and offer a critical perspective? What tools and principles should we employ in dealing with obviously weird things that come up in life? What are the methods of thinking which people should be employing more often, but aren't? So long as separating truth from falsehood is important, these are vital questions for everyone.
Southern Cross: The Beginnings of the Bible Belt, by Christine Leigh Heyrman
What is the American 'Bible Belt' and how did it originate? Why did the most conservative strains of Christianity moved from New England down to the South? Much has been written about Southern evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity in America, but not a lot has been written about its very earliest origins: how a mostly Anglican region based upon money and commerce was converted to the Baptist and Methodist denominations based on authoritarianism and masculinity.
The Vatican Exposed: Money, Murder, and the Mafia, by Paul Williams
There is no disputing the fact that the Vatican, the clerical bureaucracy which controls and leads the Roman Catholic Church, is a very powerful and secretive organization. There is also little disputing the fact that great power and great secrecy typically help an organization to become corrupt. Has the same occurred with the Vatican? Many believe so and there is quite a bit of evidence through the centuries of corruption at the Vatican which would rival that in any government or corporation.
Sexual Shame: An Urgent Call to Healing, by Karen A. McClintock
Questions about sexuality are fundamental to the health and welfare of Christian communities - the problem is, few Christians seem to realize this. Sexuality has become a proverbial elephant sitting in the room: no one can help but see it, but no one wants to acknowledge it, either. This, however, is part of what leads to scandals, abuse and worse. The more Christians suppress frank talk about sex and sexuality, the more they raise the risk of sexual problems for individuals and the community.