Summary
Title: God's Defenders: What They Believe and Why They Are Wrong
Author: S. T. Joshi
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1591020808
Pro:
• Analyzes the arguments of many popular apologists who are usually ignored
Con:
• Ridicule may prove too much for some readers
Description:
• Acerbic critique of many popular defenders of theism
• Attacks what Joshi regards as especially inane arguments
• Demonstrates that many popular defenses of theism lack substance and coherence
Book Review
There are better and worse defenses of theism out there — what is unfortunate is that most believers seem to rely most heavily on the work of the worst apologists. There are people like William Lane Craig who can construct interesting arguments, but how often do people really cite Craig, recommending him to atheists? No, most of the time believers recommend the writings of people like C.S. Lewis or G.K. Chesterton — authors who are popular, but not at all convincing.
Naturally most responses to theistic apologetics are mostly aimed at the better arguments because if those are found to be faulty, then there isn’t much point in dealing with the weaker ones; yet that methodology may not be entirely justified. It’s reasonable from a purely philosophical standpoint, but in the end it leaves many believers thinking that their favorite apologist is right because, as far as they know, there are no sustained critiques of that apologist’s work.
Thus, there is a space for criticizing popular defenses of theism, and that’s where God’s Defenders by S.T. Joshi comes in. This is not, however, a detached and dispassionate critique — far from it. Joshi makes it clear from the beginning that his goal is to be acerbic and to subject a great many inane arguments to merciless ridicule. And that’s exactly what he does.
Over the course of ten chapters Joshi considers and then demolishes the arguments of William James, G.K. Chesterton, T.S. Eliot, C.S. Lewis, William F. Buckley, Jr., Stephen L. Carter, Rev. Jerry Falwell, Reynolds Price, Annie Dillard, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Neale Donald Walsch, and Guenter Lewy. These are all very different people - poets and preachers, psychologists and writers — but they have all loomed large in popular defenses of theism and they have all been treated with a great deal of deference. Until now, that is.
Unfortunately, the hard-hitting nature of Joshi’s critiques must necessarily limit whatever audience his book will be able to find. Few theists will want to read it, being justifiably put off by the extent and nature of Joshi’s sharp attacks. Even some atheists may only end up being annoyed by it all. Don’t get me wrong, some of the critiques are incredibly funny — the chapter on Walsch stands out as especially good — but even so, it’s likely to get to be too much for some in the end.
Expecting detailed philosophical analyses of these apologists would be a mistake because, after all, these apologists aren’t offering detailed philosophical arguments in the first place. Joshi’s style of critique is not inappropriate and he makes many strong, decisive points against these apologists. It is simply a shame that, with so much of that style collected together, not as many will read the books as should. Atheists who are interested in better countering popular arguments for gods would do well to get this book, regardless of what they think of the style. I predict that, used properly, it could prove very helpful.
