The Politics of New Atheism (Routledge Studies in Religion and Politics)

New Atheism Is Best Known As A Literary And Media Phenomenon Which Has Resulted In The Widespread Discussion Of The Anti-religious Arguments Of Authors Such As Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris And Christopher Hitchens, Yet It Also Has Strongly Political Dimensions. This Book Analyses The Political Aspects Of New Atheism And Offers An Analysis That Is Informed By Insights From Political Science And Political Theory. The Authors Locate New Atheism Within A Diverse History Of Politically-oriented Atheisms. It Is Argued The New Atheist Movement Itself Contains A Considerable Variety Of Political Viewpoints, Despite Coalescing Around Forms Of Secularist Campaigning And Identity Politics. New Atheist Views On Monotheism, Public Life, Morality And Religious Violence Are Examined To Highlight Both Limitations And Strengths In Such Perspectives. Conservative, Feminist And Marxist Responses To New Atheism Are Also Evaluated Within This Critical Analysis. The Book Rejects Claims That New Atheism Is Itself A Form Of Fundamentalism And Argues That The Issues It Grapples With Often Reflect Wider Dilemmas In Liberal-left Thought Which Have Ongoing Relevance In The Era Of Trump And Brexit. It Will Be Of Great Interest To Researchers And Scholars In The Fields Of New Atheism, Political Atheism, Secularism, Non-religion, And Secular-religious Tensions. Atheism And Politics -- What's Really New About New Atheism? -- The Politics Of New Atheism In The United States -- Political Responses To New Atheism -- New Atheism And Morality -- New Atheism And Religious Violence -- Conclusion: New Atheism And Political Ruptures. Stuart Mcanulla, Steven Kettell And Marcus Schulzke. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Table of Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 8 A hostile literature......Page 9 What is atheism?......Page 13 Exploring the politics of new atheism......Page 15 Bibliography......Page 19 Introduction......Page 22 i Esoteric political atheism......Page 23 ii Secularist atheism......Page 25 iii Individualistic atheism......Page 30 iv Substitutionist atheism......Page 34 Conclusion......Page 38 Bibliography......Page 39 The problem of ‘new’ atheism......Page 41 The origins of atheism......Page 42 The return of rationalism......Page 45 The rise of new atheism......Page 48 The core features of new atheism......Page 51 The novelty of new atheism......Page 56 Conclusion......Page 60 Bibliography......Page 61 Organisational structure......Page 64 Religion in the public sphere......Page 67 Promoting atheism......Page 68 Legal and civic equality......Page 69 Atheist identity......Page 71 Labels and branding......Page 72 Terms of engagement......Page 74 The challenge of diversity......Page 75 Atheism Plus......Page 78 Conclusion......Page 79 Notes......Page 80 Bibliography......Page 81 Introduction......Page 85 Political traditions and the new atheism......Page 86 Conservatism and new atheism......Page 87 Marxism, new atheism and the Left......Page 95 Feminism and new atheism......Page 101 Atheism – a boy’s club?......Page 103 Conclusion......Page 110 Bibliography......Page 111 5. New atheism and morality......Page 115 The critique of religious moral doctrines......Page 116 Objections to new atheists’ critiques of religious morality......Page 122 New atheism and prescriptive moral theorising......Page 126 Evaluating new atheists’ contributions to moral theory......Page 130 Conclusion......Page 134 References......Page 135 Introduction......Page 137 The rise of religious terrorism?......Page 138 Connections between religion and terrorism......Page 140 New atheism and the motives for violence......Page 144 First-hand experiences with religiously motivated violence......Page 147 Rethinking religious violence......Page 149 Religion and the intensification of violence......Page 150 Bringing empirical research into new atheism......Page 153 Conclusion......Page 156 Bibliography......Page 157 Conclusion: new atheism and political ruptures......Page 160 New atheism in the Trump Era......Page 162 New atheists and Brexit......Page 165 Conclusion......Page 167 Bibliography......Page 168 Index......Page 170 "New atheism is best known as a literary and media phenomenon which has resulted in the widespread discussion of the anti-religious arguments of authors such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, yet it also has strongly political dimensions. This book analyses the political aspects of new atheism and offers an analysis that is informed by insights from political science and political theory. The authors locate new atheism within a diverse history of politically-oriented atheisms. It is argued the new atheist movement itself contains a considerable variety of political viewpoints, despite coalescing around forms of secularist campaigning and identity politics. New atheist views on monotheism, public life, morality and religious violence are examined to highlight both limitations and strengths in such perspectives. Conservative, feminist and Marxist responses to new atheism are also evaluated within this critical analysis. The book rejects claims that new atheism is itself a form of fundamentalism and argues that the issues it grapples with often reflect wider dilemmas in liberal-left thought which have ongoing relevance in the era of Trump and Brexit. It will be of great interest to researchers and scholars in the fields of new atheism, political atheism, secularism, non-religion, and secular-religious tensions."--Provided by publisher