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The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism And The Denial Of The Divine


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The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine

 
 
Average Rating:    out of 75 Reviews
Price: $16.00
Sale: $9.46
 
Manufacturer: IVP Books
EAN (European Article Number): 9780830834464
Number of Items: 1
 
 
Binding: Hardcover
Author: Alister E. McGrath::Joanna Collicutt Mcgrath
Publisher: IVP Books
Dewey Decimal Number: 211.8
Publication Date: 2007-06-08
Reading Level: 118
 
 
Description: World-renowned scientist Richard Dawkins writes in The God Delusion: "If this book works as I intend, religious readers who open it will be atheists when they put it down." The volume has received wide coverage, fueled much passionate debate and caused not a little confusion.

Alister McGrath, along with his wife Joanna, are ideal to evaluate Dawkins's ideas. Once an atheist himself, he gained a doctorate in molecular biophysics before going on to become a leading Christian theologian. He wonders how two people, who have reflected at length on substantially the same world, could possibly have come to such different conclusions about God. McGrath subjects Dawkins's critique of faith to rigorous scrutiny. His exhilarating, meticulously argued response deals with questions such as

Is faith intellectual nonsense? Are science and religion locked in a battle to the death? Can the roots of Christianity be explained away scientifically? Is Christianity simply a force for evil?

This book will be warmly received by those looking for a reliable assessment of The God Delusion and the many questions it raises--including, above all, the relevance of faith and the quest for meaning.

 
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Review Summary: Fantastic read Date: 2008-11-16
 
Details: This is a superbly written critique of Dawkins, and mercifully short. McGrath rightly points out that a lengthy point-by-point rebuttal would be tedious. The book then addresses Dawkins polemical style, use of evidence, and weak presentation of the atheist case against theism. He does it all in a way that is respectful, and even points the reader to atheist writers with more a more convincing approach to the discussion. Also, the book is written in such a way that most people would find it respectful and thoughtful. McGrath does not believe in "Intelligent Design," does not promote scientific creationism, and has a sophisticated grasp of the philosophy of science. If you're interested in this debate, I highly recommend this book.
 
Review Summary: Admirably Short Date: 2008-11-13
 
Details: Enough has probably already been said but I recenlty bought "The Dawkins Delusion" hoping to find something, anything which would give me a reason to believe, because after I have read the "God Delusion" I felt that God complicates things without really explaining anything.

However apart from the fact that the McGraths don't like the way Dawkins presents his case this book was basically empty. They claim things without providing details, they place different emphasis on things and distort what Dawkins wrote, but essentially they say there are limits to what we can know so we believe in God and then proceed to view the world on that basis of their particular Christian outlook.

Quote: "The God Delusion is a wonderful case study of exactly this kind of unconscious bias. Without full awareness that he is doing so, Dawkins foregrounds evidence that fits his own views and discounts or distorts evidence that does not." The Dawkins Delusion p62

From my reading the above criticism of Dawkins also applies to the McGraths, worse because from religious writers I was hoping for some truth.
 
Review Summary: The Dawkins Delusion A:McGraith Date: 2008-10-06
 
Details: As someone rather new to apologetics,I was curious to read The Dawkins Delusion.
Its simply great.Anyone who is an atheist,which I m not,does well to see this short book review of Richard Dawkins book The God Delusion.
It is clearly shown the DrDawkins has his facts,philosophies and attitudes very warped from reality.
Atheists are ashamed to have someone of his ilk trying to promote hatred against religion in such portions as, christians having an actual mental virus ,born with a religious bent.Anyone serious about investigating the claims of whether there is a grand designer and whether that person has any influence greater than that, will do well to read this book.DrDawkins is definietly not a psychologist.
Excellent.DrRobert Funk Honduras
 
Review Summary: A Tract of Thin Arguments, Evasions and Sycophancy Date: 2008-09-23
 
Details: The title of `Darwin's Rottweiler' was not bestowed upon Richard Dawkins for a poor reason. On the contrary, the nickname was adopted to describe Dawkin's merciless criticism of religious belief, and his unbending resolution that supernatural faith is a blight, as opposed to a virtue, on both the individual and society. This, combined with a strong intellectual rigour, firmly established Dawkins as an educated heavy-weight, which few would succeed in challenging. After moving away from evolutionary biology, and into the field of shrill atheist apologetics with his publication of the best-selling `The God Delusion', it seemed apparent that somebody had to rise to the occasion, and put up as strong a fight on behalf of the Almighty. Unfortunately for theists, Alister McGrath decided that it would be him.

Clearly abandoning any concern for scholarly principles, and in a desperate attempt to claim recognition as the official opponent to Dawkins, McGrath has produced a thin attempted rebuttal entitled `The Dawkins Delusion'. At 65 pages long, it was always evident that McGrath would not succeed in countering the majority of issues raised in `The God Delusion', but just how badly he fails is rather astonishing. Instead of refuting Dawkin's arguments against theistic belief, McGrath has decided to opt for the weaselling and `throw us the crumbs' approach. Desperate to distance himself from `hard-line' religious apologists, McGrath continually flatters Dawkins on points of agreement, yet does very little in way of argument on the points of disagreement. Those areas where a challenge is raised are underdeveloped, or are quickly glossed over in a sea of platitudes and condescending smugness. An example that springs to mind is when Dawkins writes regarding the perceived cruelty of the Old Testament God. McGrath answers that Christians, due to the fulfilment of the Law in Christ, no longer must observe such commands. Right-ho... But how does that answer the question on the morality of the original instruction? That is but a taster of the general principles used by McGrath in his unenlightening and sloppy tract.

Granted, McGrath does write in his introduction that he has no intention of slaying each and every point offered by Dawkins. His claimed intention is to merely demonstrate that opposing intellectual view-points exist. But why seek to demonstrate that a view-point exists if little justice will be given to it?

As noted, while McGrath seems frightened to defend the traditional Christian religion, and while his points are often of very little significance, he at least does add something to `God Debate'. For those who failed to grapple with the arguments of `The God Delusion', or who simply didn't read it, McGrath's book may provide some inspiration. For the others, the short time spend reading it will be wasted.
 
Review Summary: Dawkins delusion Date: 2008-08-25
 
Details: Very poor book. She describes Dawkins book at poor but does not back her findings, only her opinion. Terry McKeown
 
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