Does God Believe in Atheists? : How Past Atheist and Agnostic Thinking Shapes People's Thinking Today

This book was first published in fourteen years ago, but its content is timeless. It is John Blanchard s major work, and was voted 'Best Christian Book' in the 2001 UK Christian Book Awards, and immediately became a best-seller, described as 'a brilliant defense of belief in God'. In the introduction, Sinclair Ferguson says that 'Does God Believe in Atheists?' may well be unique and certainly is remarkable. It is very probable that you have never read anything quite like it before. Does God Believe in Atheists? belongs to no ordinary book category because it seems to belong to so many different categories. One does not need to be a prophet to predict that it will be frequently consulted and its material widely used. Here is a book on religion and theology. It is bulging with facts and fascinating information. The notes alone, which display John Blanchard's wide interests and reading, run into somewhere over 2,300. Yet nobody need be afraid of these pages for that reason. For John Blanchard takes great care not only to make everything clear, but also to make it enjoyable, by sharing with us all kinds of interesting information about the great thinkers and scholars in world history. Big ideas, complex thoughts, recondite philosophies and scientific theories are all explained in a way that even a modestly educated reader can understand. When all this comes packaged with a sense of humour and a love for golf (the latter without the former would surely be a grave philosophical aberration), you know that you have a book worth reading! Most of all, however, this is a book that will challenge you to think and help you to do so. This new edition has been revised and now includes the ESV as the main source of Scripture quotations. General Foreword to the John Blanchard Classic Series Foreword Preface to the second edition Introduction 1 The Greeks had words for it 2 Movers and shakers 3 Conflict and confusion 4 Impossible things before breakfast 5 The legacy 6 Every man for himself 7 Five steps to nowhere 8 Protagoras rides again 9 The dogmatists 10 The impossible option 11 Masks 12 Deviations 13 Matter matters 14 Such is life 15 Glory and rubbish? 16 Pointers 17 Status and standards 18 The book that speaks for itself 19 A God-free zone? 20 Nothing but the truth—I 21 Nothing but the truth—II 22 The case against God 23 The case against the case against God 24 The last word Appendix: Dealing with Dawkins 1 The man and the mission 2 Science: the answer to everything? 3 Morality: rights and wrongs 4 Religion: the root of all evil? 5 God: necessary or non-existent? 6 The Bible: the book that speaks for itself 7 Christianity: evidence and effects 8 Jesus: the man for all reasons 9 Faith: beyond the facts For further reading Notes Scripture Index Subject Index Index of Persons Foreword / Sinclair Ferguson Preface to the second edition Introduction The Greeks had words for it Movers and shakers Conflict and confusion Impossible things before breakfast The legacy Every man for himself Five steps to nowhere Protagoras rides again The dogmatists The impossible option Masks Deviations Matter matters Such is life Glory and rubbish? Pointers Status and standards The book that speaks for itself A God-free zone? Nothing but the truth - 1 Nothing but the truth - 2 The case against God The case against the case against God The last word Appendix: dealing with Dawkins. The man and the mission Science : the answer to everything? Morality : rights and wrongs? Religion : the root of all evil? God : necessary or non-existent? The Bible : the book that speaks for itself Christianity : evidence and effects Jesus : the man for all reasons Faith : beyond the facts Further reading "Traces the development of atheistic and agnostic thinking from the 'Golden Age' of Greek philosophy to the present day. Pinpoints the influence of thinkers such as Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and Bertrand Russell, and shows how their teaching has helped to shape modern atheistic and agnostic ideas. traces the rise of Darwinian evolutionism and uncovers the weaknesses in claims made by its contemporary exponents such as Richard Dawkins and Peter Atkins. Exposes the errors of secular humanism, materialism, relativism, determinism and existentialism. Highlights the fundamental flaws in nine world religions and fourteen major cults. Shows why true science and true religion are not enemies, but friends. Examines the critical issue of how an all-powerful God of love can allow evil and suffering in the world"--Page 4 of cover Traces the development of atheistic and agnostic thinking from the 'Golden Age' of Greek philosophy to the present day. Pinpoints the influence of thinkers such as Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and Bertrand Russell, and shows how their teaching has shaped recent atheistic and agnostic ideas. Traces the rise of Darwinian evolutionism and uncovers the weaknesses in claims made by its modern supporters such as Richard Dawkins and Peter Atkins. Exposes the errors of secular humanism, materialism, relativism, determinism and existentialism. Highlights the fundamental flaws in nine world religions and fourteen major cults. Shows why science and true religion are not opposed to each other. Examines the critical issue of how an all-powerful God of love can allow evil and suffering in the world This award-winning title traces the development of atheistic and agnostic thinking ove the past 2,500 years and shows how thinkers like Immnuel Kant, Friedrich Neitzsche, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Bertrand Ruddell and others have shaped many people's thinking today. It also pinpooints the flaws in Darwinian evolutionism and in claims made for it by Richard Sawkins, Christipher Hitchens and others, explains why secualr humanism self-destructs, reveals why there is no conflict between science and belief in God, exposes fatal errors in nine world religions and fourteen major cults and shows why the existence of evil and suffering is no reason to deny God's existence. Newly updated with an Appendix -'Dealing with Dawkins' Now Including An Appendix - 'dealing With Dawkins' This Award-winning Title Traces The Development Of Atheistic And Agnostic Thinking Over The Past 2,500 Years And Shows How Thinkers Like Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Neitzsche, Albert Camus, Jean-paul Sartre, Bertrand Russell And Others Have Shaped Many People's Thinking Today. It Also Pinpoints The Flaws In Darwinian Evolutionism And In Claims Made For It By Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens And Others, Explains Why Secular Humanism Self-destructs, Reveals Why Here Is No Conflict Between Science And Belief In God, Exposes Fatal Errors In Nine World Religions And Fourteen Major Cults And Shows Why The Existence Of Evil And Suffering Is No Reason To Deny God's Existence. This award-winning title traces the development of atheistic and agnostic thinking over the past 2,500 years and shows how thinkers like Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Neitzsche, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Bertrand Russell and others have shaped many people's thinking today. It also pinpoints the flaws in Darwinian evolutionism and in claims made for it by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and others, explains why secular humanism self-destructs, reveals why here is no conflict between science and belief in God, exposes fatal errors in nine world religions and fourteen major cults and shows why the existence of evil and suffering is no reason to deny God's existence. - Publisher.