Religion for Atheists: A non-believer's guide to the uses of religion [Hardcover]

 

 

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I don't usually write reviews but felt compelled to now as I absolutely loved this book. It's erudite, witty, imaginative and packed with great ideas. I'm an atheist who has often been drawn to aspects of religion, but couldn't really articulate why. In clear, illuminating prose, this wonderful book has explained what the attractions of religion might be for the likes of me and also given me loads of food for thought. It's also a very human book and ultimately very consoling.

The good thing about Kiljoy's review is that no one is going to take it seriously. The bad news is that it immediately tars with a one-star average rating a book that deserves four or five. Unlike Kiljoy, I have actually read the book in question and am happy to report it does all the things we have come to know and love in de Botton's work: the way he makes complex ideas friendly and accessible, the way he enables you to see things you've always taken for granted in a completely new, exciting and enlightening way. You may disagree with his views on religion - I don't think I'm in any rush to sign up to his new one - but with de Botton it's not the destination that matters, so much as the delightfully meandering journey in such matchlessly charming company.

I really liked the way that Alain de Botton fleshed out ideas of how the atheist 'community' can learn from how religions do things. However, the fact that it's hard to make a community out of a non-belief is a genuine problem. People usually need a positive belief system to feel that they make a community. I guess they could celebrate being Materialists.

My main criticism of the book is how de Botton cosied up to religious believers. Firstly, the very people he rails against (Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris et al for being so narrow-minded in their attacks on religion) would probably agree with 99% of what de Botton has written. For example, Richard Dawkins has said many times that he loves singing carols, he loves old cathedrals, he loves the St. Matthew's Passion by Bach and he loves the language of the St. James Bible and it's imagery. I'm sure that that short list isn't exhaustive. Christopher Hitchens enjoyed many of the same.

Sam Harris has stressed that many atheists are missing out on the spiritual aspect of what has traditionally been catered for by religions. All of the so-called New Atheists feel that reflecting on our place in deep space and deep time gives us a sense of proportion and humility. These are precisely the things that de Botton is advocating in this book yet he suggests that his position is somehow at odds with that of the New Atheists and that they have somehow missed the point of religions.

Where de Botton and the New Atheists really diverge is that de Botton only stresses the positive aspects of religion and feels he can simply ignore the doctrinal nonsense. He seems to be writing purely for people who don't care about the doctrinal bit in the first place. He has in mind your kindly Church of England gentleman or lady who don't really give much thought to matters of dogma. If the world was filled with such religious believers then Richard Dawkins himself would stick purely to writing about biology.

The problem with de Botton's approach is that there are billions of people in the world who actually do care about the doctrinal bit and some of them are willing to kill because it these beliefs. De Botton is only able to take Richard Dawkins et al to task for confronting this religious madness because he himself has chosen to concentrate purely on the positive aspects of religion. Only in this way is he able to depict the New Atheists as narrow-minded, arrogant zealots.

When I read the blurb for this book and watched de Botton's talk on TED I found this all rather cowardly. Dawkins and Harris etc. are people who put their heads above the parapet to confront religious dogma and for their troubles they are shot down, not only by the looney religionists themselves, but also by condescending people who should know better. Of course, if de Botton were to grapple with the negative aspects of religious belief he would endanger his perceived position of sensible, tolerant bridge between two fundamentalist extremes. He got a standing ovation at TED Talks, simply for adopting this position.

One thing that is never really made clear is how a person can continue to take advantage of the nice cultural bits of religion while no longer believing in the beliefs that gave rise to them. It's like continuing to go to seances even when you have stopped believing in spirits. Okay, you can still attend for the sumptuous chairs, the great company and the spooky atmosphere but on the negative side it involves an awful lot of pretending.

Oh, one final criticism. I agree with Alain that most of us, at some point, have a desire to be soothed and to lay our heads in the laps of a mother figure. This was in his discussion of the role of 'Madonna and Child' paintings. However, the alternative to this, namely developing a backbone and facing reality, wasn't really given much of a hearing.

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5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant book
I really enjoyed this book. It is easy to understand and entertaining to read but really sets you thinking. Read more

Published 8 days ago by jenk

1.0 out of 5 stars stealing is good ?
a book that encourages stealing religious values?, the author seems to still be sub consciously christian because he is picking and mixing as christians have been doing for... Read more

Published 10 days ago by M K

3.0 out of 5 stars Very poorly illustrated
Others have dealt at length with the words in this book. I would just like to add say something about the pictures. The book costs £18. Read more

Published 13 days ago by Jean

3.0 out of 5 stars Salve for modernity's neglected soul?
Alain de Botton gives us a charming picture book of essays in which he bewails and derides the soulless nature of modernity in education, art, architecture, and human society. Read more

Published 14 days ago by Geoff Crocker

5.0 out of 5 stars "Religion for Atheists" for believers
As a Christian I found this book a very interesting read. It highlighted what for me is missing in current day society. Read more

Published 14 days ago by B. Magorrian

4.0 out of 5 stars Theisma
As an atheist, thought provoking and highly readable. Would love to have made it to one of the recent live talks in Oz.

Published 15 days ago by rjwman

1.0 out of 5 stars The alarm bell started early on
From the descriptions and reviews I had read I was looking forward to this book. I was hoping that de Botton wouldn't fall victim to that dreadful malady that one sees so often -... Read more

Published 16 days ago by Scott Hannigan

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute joy to read
This really is a wonderful, engaging book that was an absolute joy to read. I had a religious upbringing but have been an atheist since my teens. Read more

Published 16 days ago by CN

1.0 out of 5 stars Unconvincing. Unnecessary.
When I first took this from the shelves and had a read through the opening pages, I was intrigued enough to take it home and read it through. Read more

Published 16 days ago by Kate Bradley

1.0 out of 5 stars Separating the "best bits"
The problem with trying to take the "best bits" from religion is that the religious cannot separate out the best bits. Read more

Published 17 days ago by William Grogan

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