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Tags: agnosticism

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  What's So Great About Christianity

  by Dinesh D'Souza

  Today, more than ever, Christianity is under attack. In his new book, bestselling author Dinesh D'Souza takes on the leading critics of Christianity, from E. O. Wilson to Richard Dawkins. D'Souza shows that, against all expectations, Christianity is the fastest-growing religion in the world and that secularism and atheism are on the decline. This, D'Souza contends, explains the panicky efforts by atheists to... (more)
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  Misquoting Jesus

  The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why

  by Bart D. Ehrman

  When world-class biblical scholar Bart Ehrman first began to study the texts of the Bible in their original languages he was startled to discover the multitude of mistakes and intentional alterations that had been made by earlier translators. In Misquoting Jesus , Ehrman tells the story behind the mistakes and changes that ancient scribes made to the New Testament and shows the great impact they had upon the... (more)
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  The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design

  by Richard Dawkins

  Patiently and lucidly, this Los Angeles Times Book Award and Royal Society of Literature Heinemann Prize winner identifies the aspects of the theory of evolution that people find hard to believe and removes the barriers to credibility one by one. "As readable and vigorous a defense of Darwinism as has been published since 1859."--The Economist.
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  Very Short Introductions: Book 99

  Atheism

  A Very Short Introduction

  by Julian Baggini

  Atheism is often considered to be a negative, dark, and pessimistic belief which is characterised by a rejection of values and purpose and a fierce opposition to religion. Atheism: A Very Short Introduction sets out to dispel the myths that surround atheism and show how a life without religious belief can be positive, meaningful, and moral. It also confronts the failure of officially atheist states in the... (more)
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  Freethinkers

  A History Of American Secularism

  by Susan Jacoby

  At a time when the separation of church and state is under attack as never before, Freethinkers offers a powerful defense of the secularist heritage that gave Americans the first government in the world founded not on the authority of religion but on the bedrock of human reason. In impassioned, elegant prose, celebrated author Susan Jacoby paints a striking portrait of more than two hundred years of secularist... (more)
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  The History of Western Philosophy

  A History of Western Philosophy And Its Connection with Political and Social Circumstances from the Earliest Times to the Present Day

  by Bertrand Russell

  Since its first publication in 1945, Lord Russell's A History of Western Philosophy has been universally acclaimed as the outstanding one-volume work on the subject -- unparalleled in its comprehensiveness, its clarity, its erudition, its grace and wit. In seventy-six chapters he traces philosophy from the rise of Greek civilization to the emergence of logical analysis in the twentieth century. Among the... (more)
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  A Devil's Chaplain

  Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love

  by Richard Dawkins

  The first collection of essays from renowned scientist and best-selling author Richard Dawkins is an enthusiastic declaration, a testament to the power of rigorous scientific examination to reveal the wonders of the world. In these essays Dawkins revisits the meme, the unit of cultural information that he named and wrote about in his groundbreaking work The Selfish Gene. Here also are moving tributes to friends... (more)
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  The Demon-Haunted World

  Science as a Candle in the Dark

  by Carl Sagan

  "A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought."  *Los Angeles Times "POWERFUL . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing."  *The Washington Post Book World How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't... (more)
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  The Portable Atheist

  Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever

  by Christopher Hitchens

  From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of God Is Not Great, a provocative and entertaining guided tour of atheist and agnostic thought through the ages — with never-before-published pieces by Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan and Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for a splendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of the influential voices — past and present — that have... (more)
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  Godless

  How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists

  by Dan Barker

  After 19 years as an evangelical preacher, missionary, and Christian songwriter, Dan Barker 'threw out the bathwater and discovered there is no baby there.' Barker, who is now co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (America's largest organization of atheists and agnostics), describes the intellectual and psychological path he followed in moving from fundamentalism to freethought. The four sections in... (more)
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  Angels and Ages

  Lincoln, Darwin, and the Making of the Modern Age

  by Adam Gopnik

  On a memorable day in human history, February 12, 1809, two babies were born an ocean apart: Abraham Lincoln in a one-room Kentucky log cabin; Charles Darwin on an English country estate. It was a time of backward-seeming notions, when almost everyone still accepted the biblical account of creation as the literal truth and authoritarianism as the most natural and viable social order. But by the time both men died,... (more)
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  EARTH MEDICINE REVEALING HIDDEN TEACHINGS OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN MEDICINE WHEEL

  by Kenneth Meadows

  To Native Americans "medicine" is more than a means for treating illness--medicine is the vitality and power that exists in all of nature. This new edition of Meadows' bestseller draws on the secret teachings of native shamans and provides new techniques for tapping your own personal medicine.
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  In Search of Zarathustra: Across Iran and Central Asia to Find the World's First Prophet

  by Paul Kriwaczek

  Long before the first Hebrew temple, before the birth of Christ or the mission of Muhammad, there lived in Persia a prophet to whom we owe the ideas of a single god, the cosmic struggle between good and evil, and the Apocalypse. His name was Zarathustra, and his teachings eventually held sway from the Indus to the Nile and spread as far as Britain. Following Zarathustra’s elusive trail back through time and... (more)
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  When Atheism Becomes Religion: America's New Fundamentalists

  by Chris Hedges

  From the New York Times bestselling author of American Fascists and the NBCC finalist for War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning comes this timely and compelling work about new atheists: those who attack religion to advance the worst of global capitalism, intolerance and imperial projects. Chris Hedges, who graduated from seminary at Harvard Divinity School, has long been a courageous voice in a world where... (more)
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  Agnosticism: A Very Short Introduction (Check Info and Delete This Occurrence: ]C Vsi ]T Very Short)

  by Robin Le Poidevin

  What is agnosticism? Is it a belief, or merely the absence of belief? Is it the result of too little thought about an issue--or too much? Who were the first to call themselves "agnostics"? Does agnosticism deserve serious consideration today? Can an agnostic live a religious life? What place should agnosticism have in education? These are just some of the questions that Robin Le Poidevin considers in this Very... (more)
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  Spiritual Envy

  by Michael Krasny

  Unlike the recent authors who emphatically say No! or Yes! to God, Michael Krasny joins the millions who know they don't know. As a radio host, college professor, and literary scholar, he has spent decades leading conversations on every imaginable topic. He has discussed life's most important questions with the foremost thinkers in virtually every discipline. And yet answers to some questions — the big,... (more)
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  The Dog Illusion: Pets, Gods and How to be Human

  by Martin Rowson

  In this wise, witty and highly topical book, Martin Rowson argues that both religion and pet-keeping are monumental wastes of time. But both enterprises tell us about who we are, which is perhaps a more important question.
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  50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

  by Guy P. Harrison

  Many books that challenge religious belief from a skeptical point of view take a combative tone that is almost guaranteed to alienate believers, or they present complex philosophical or scientific arguments that fail to reach the average reader. Guy P. Harrison argues that this is an ineffective way of trying to encourage people to develop critical thinking about religion. In this unique approach, Harrison... (more)
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  God's Problem

  The Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question—Why We Suffer

  by Bart D. Ehrman

  In times of questioning and despair, people often quote the Bible to provide answers. Surprisingly, though, the Bible does not have one answer but many "answers" that often contradict one another. Consider these competing explanations for suffering put forth by various biblical writers: The prophets: suffering is a punishment for sin The book of Job, which offers two different answers: suffering is a test,... (more)
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  The Penguin Dictionary of Religions: Second Edition (Dictionary, Penguin)

  by John R. Hinnells

  The Penguin Dictionary of Religions is a fascinating and authoritative guide to every aspect of religion, past and present. It examines ancient doctrines and modern beliefs, small sects and popular movements. Drawing on the expertise of over sixty contributors worldwide, the dictionary is an essential reference source for both academic study and general readers.