The Cambridge Companion to Atheism

In this 2007 volume, eighteen of the world's leading scholars present original essays on various aspects of atheism.

Michael Martin (Edited by)

9780521603676, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 October 2006

354 pages
22.6 x 15 x 2.3 cm, 0.48 kg

'If we want to understand atheism, The Cambridge Companion to Atheism - a collection of essays to guide students of philosophy and theology - is a good place to start.' Church Times

In this 2007 volume, eighteen of the world's leading scholars present original essays on various aspects of atheism: its history, both ancient and modern, defense and implications. The topic is examined in terms of its implications for a wide range of disciplines including philosophy, religion, feminism, postmodernism, sociology and psychology. In its defense, both classical and contemporary theistic arguments are criticized, and, the argument from evil, and impossibility arguments, along with a non religious basis for morality are defended. These essays give a broad understanding of atheism and a lucid introduction to this controversial topic.

Part I. Background: 1. Atheism in antiquity Jan Bremmer
2. Atheism in modern history Gavin Hyman
3. Atheism: contemporary rates and contemporary patterns Phil Zuckerman
Part II. The Case Against Theism: 4. Theistic critiques of atheism William Lane Craig
5. The failure of classical theistic arguments Richard Gale
6. Some contemporary theistic arguments Keith Parsons
7. Naturalism and physicalism Evans Fales
8. Atheism and evolution Daniel Dennett
9. The autonomy of ethics David Brink
10. The argument from evil Andrea Weisberger
11. Kalam Cosmological argument for atheism Quentin Smith
12. Impossibility arguments Patrick Grim
III. Implications: 13. Atheism and religion Michael Martin
14. Feminism and atheism Christine Overall
15. Atheism and the freedom of religion Steven Gey
16. Atheism, a theology and the postmodern condition John Caputo
17. Anthropological theories of religion Stewart Guthrie
18. Atheists: a psychological profile Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of religion [HRAB], Religion: general [HRA], Analytical philosophy & Logical Positivism [HPCF5]