Religion and Atheism in Dialogue

Religion and Atheism in Dialogue will interest anyone who is concerned about the clash between the religious and the secular and how to move beyond it, as well as students of ethics, philosophy of religion and religious studies.

The divide in our societies between those who are religious and those who are not is becoming increasingly apparent in many areas of contemporary life. This fascinating book, based on conversations between religious and nonreligious participants, asks if societies divided on such fundamental questions can nonetheless find some common ground.

A rich array of topics is explored, including the linguistic complexities of using the concept of 'God', the relation between science and religion, the ethics of altruistic concern, sexuality and gender roles, and the possibility of shedding light on important positions often taken to be intractable or nonnegotiable. In addition, topics of a more reflective nature, but also prone to polarise, are also examined, such as spiritual experience and practice, mindfulness, the arts, and the nature of human consciousness.

Religion and Atheism in Dialogue will interest anyone who is concerned about the current tensions and even conflicts exhibited between religious and secular positions on a range of key issues, and how it might be possible to move beyond them. It will also be of interest to students of ethics, philosophy of religion, and religious studies and all those who are concerned to explore how better dialogue across differences might be possible.

Autorentext

Anthony J. Carroll is a philosopher, theologian, and parish priest in Andalusia, Spain. His previous books include Protestant Modernity: Weber, Secularisation and Protestantism; Il Giardiniere Invisibile: Credere, Non Credere, Cercare; and most recently A History of Philosophy: The Condensed Copleston. He was co-editor with Richard Norman of Religion and Atheism: Beyond the Divide (Routledge, 2016).

Richard Norman is Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent and a Patron of Humanists UK. His books include On Humanism (Routledge, second edition, 2012), Understanding Humanism (with Andrew Copson and Luke Donnellan; Routledge, 2022), and What Is Humanism For? (2025).

Klappentext

Religion and Atheism in Dialogue will interest anyone who is concerned about the clash between the religious and the secular and how to move beyond it, as well as students of ethics, philosophy of religion and religious studies.

Inhalt

Preface Anthony Carroll and Richard Norman Part 1: The 'God' Debate 1. The Religion and Atheism Project: Some Initial Reflections Brian Pearce 2. Beyond Transcendence Julian Baggini 3. Transcendence Fiona Ellis 4. Transcendence, Immanence and Panentheism Michael Brierley 5. God and Being: Resonance and Analogy Richard Norman 6. Personal presence, analogy and resonance: a dialogue Robin Gill 7. Postscript: Without Naming God Brian Pearce Part 2: Opportunities for Convergence 8. The Kindness of Strangers: Empathy, Altruism, and the Case for Convergence John Saxbee 9. Can Humanists be Spiritual? Jeremy Rodell 10. Understanding Spiritual Experience: Two Approaches or One? David Scott 11. The Spiritual and the Religious: Interlinked or Separable? John Cottingham 12. Moral Failure and Spiritual Practice Michael McGhee 13. Persons and communities transformed by practices George Guiver 14. Ritual for the Non-religious Elizabeth Slade 15. Science, Humanism, and Religion Raymond Tallis 16. Make Up a Story Joanna Kavenna 17. Physics, humanism and openness Andrew Steane Part 3: Religion and Diversity 18. Religion, Non-religion and Values: What has changed and what stays the same? Linda Woodhead and Andrew Copson 19. "The Wonder of Diversity": a Gift to Global Ethics Alan Race 20. Catholicism and Atheism Peter Huff 21. Atheism and Esoterism: A Muslim Perspective Reza Shah-Kazemi 22. Faith, Sexuality and Gender: Navigating Difficult Conversations Christopher Lynch 23. Gender, Islam and Dialogue: a Muslim feminist perspective on navigating 'hard-to-have' conversations Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor Part 4: Conclusion* 24. Doing Difference Differently Anthony Carroll and Richard Norman.Index*