Knowledge (XXG)

The Dawkins Delusion?

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508:. Not four, not two, but three. Christian doctrine is remarkably specific: not only with cut-and-dried answers to the deep problems of the universe and life, but about the divinity of Jesus, about sin and redemption, heaven and hell, prayer and absolute morality. And yet McGrath has the almighty gall to accuse me of a "glossy", "quick fix", naive faith that science has all the answers. 338:
that there be an external criterion for interpreting texts; but argues that Dawkins appears unaware that religions and their texts possess internal means of reform and renewal, and that Dawkins seems unaware of the symbolism of several of the Bible passages which he quotes. McGrath cites the works of numerous authors, including
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remains the finest critique of William Paley's naturalistic arguments for deism available ... he can no longer say that Tertullian praised Christian belief because of its absurdity or that religion necessarily makes one violent. The McGraths are frustrated, then, that Dawkins continues to write
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set out to tell Dawkins how wrong he is. Now enter Alister McGrath ... extended essay covers some similar ground to the others, notably in analysing the extent of Dawkins's ignorance of theology. Of course, the point about that attack, from Dawkins's perspective at any rate, is that it is no
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Other theologies contradict his Christian creed while matching it for brash over-confidence, based on zero evidence. McGrath presumably rejects the polytheism of the Hindus, Olympians and Vikings. He does not subscribe to voodoo, or to any of thousands of mutually contradictory tribal beliefs. Is
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commanded an ethic of 'out-group affirmation' and Christians may certainly be accused of failing to live up to this command. But it is there, right at the heart of the Christian ethic". He believes that Dawkins is right when he argues that it is necessary to critique religion, and right to demand
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that Dawkins is often more accurate than McGrath on historical theology. He gives an assessment of the debate between Dawkins and McGrath while arguing that both men fail to make the crucial distinction between belief in God and faith. He finds it hard to disagree with McGrath's conclusion that
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McGrath an "ideological fanatic" because he doesn't believe in Thor's hammer? Of course not. Why, then, does he suggest I am exactly that because I see no reason to believe in the particular God whose existence he, lacking both evidence and humility, positively asserts?
406: ... and make many justified criticisms." He adds that "Dawkins asserts that God is so improbable that he cannot exist, and that, if he did, he would need explaining ..." But Craddock believes that Dawkins contradicted himself by asserting that the 468:
is more harmful to science than to religion because "most people have a greater intellectual and emotional investment in religion than in science." If forced to choose between them, as Dawkins insists they must, "it will be science that they will renounce".
212:, to which Dawkins devotes considerable attention, McGrath interprets the theologian's arguments as an affirmation of a set of internally consistent beliefs rather than as an attempt to formulate a set of irrefutable proofs. 858: 384:
on the a priori, nonscientific assumption that religious believers are either deluded or meretricious, never pausing to consider the evidence not in his favor or the complex beliefs and practices of actual Christians.
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God as "a petty, unjust ... capriciously malevolent bully", McGrath counters that he does not believe in such a god and knows no one personally who does. Setting aside Dawkins' remarks, McGrath instead points to
1021: 267:, but where both can occasionally intertwine. McGrath confirms his position by noting that some prominent scientists are also theists (or at least sympathetic to theism, in Davies' case), pointing specifically to 414:, upon which the universe as we know it depends) needs no such explanation. Craddock concludes, "I am sad that Dawkins, once my hero, has descended to unscientific nonsense. McGrath makes much more sense." 332:
as superior examples of the true nature of Christianity. "Jesus", McGrath argues, "... was the object, not the agent, of violence". McGrath suggests that "far from endorsing 'out-group hostility',
483:, Dawkins writes that McGrath "has now published two books with my name in the title" and wonders whether the professor intended to build a career by "riding on back". McGrath also published 199:, remarking that the capacity of science to explain itself requires its own explanation – and that the most economical and reliable account of this explanatory capacity lies in the notion of 312:
as an authority on anthropology, as he considers the work to be more of "a highly impressionistic early work" than a serious text. McGrath also points to Dawkins' lack of training in
520:, which first aired in January 2006 but did not include the interview in the final cut. The interview was included in a DVD set offered for sale on Dawkins's website at one point. 485: 682: 712: 1121: 492:
Responding to the charge that he is "dogmatic", Dawkins writes that scientists "...are humble enough to say we don't know". Of McGrath himself, Dawkins remarks,
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Appleyard goes on to commend the book as "a fine, dense, yet very clear account, from particular Christian perspective, of the full case against Dawkins."
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and the psychologist Joanna Collicutt McGrath. It is written from a Christian perspective as a response to arguments put forth in
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concludes with the suggestions that belief in God has "rebounded", that Dawkins' work is more theatre than scholarship, and that
283: 1290: 720: 247:, and others, McGrath advocates a modified version of NOMA which he terms "partially-overlapping magisteria". He posits that 831: 1280: 1053: 272: 551: 259:
explanations for two partially overlapping spheres of existence, where the former concerns itself primarily with the
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that the McGraths "attend rationally to evidence, and present their findings unemotionally to answer
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may have achieved, it has inspired very grand refutations. Impressive essays by ...
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He objects to Dawkins' assertion that faith is a juvenile delusion, arguing that
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as indicative of an inability to address the most important questions of faith.
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The Dawkins Delusion? Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine
70: 410:(the seemingly arbitrary values for such constants as the masses of the 976: 248: 236: 153:. The work was published in the United Kingdom in February 2007 by the 232: 817: 823: 393: 334: 325: 166: 874:
Article from Sheffield Humanist Society, compiling criticisms of
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which refuses to allow its ideas to be examined or challenged."
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denotes little more than "panic" on the part of non-believers.
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McGrath criticizes Dawkins' portrayal of religion as both an
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Dawkins interviewed McGrath for his television documentary,
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as specious. To express his true feelings on the subject of
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McGrath criticizes Dawkins for what he perceives to be "a
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by Nigel Bovey. Two-part Alister McGrath interview about
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as two specific examples. Like Dawkins, McGrath rejects
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Alister McGrath interview. 904: 890: 882: 38: 31: 594:Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge 530:Relationship between religion and science 155:Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge 81:Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge 541: 157:and in the United States in July 2007. 820:, 20 Oct 2017, retrieved 20 July 2020 7: 319:Quoting Dawkins' description of the 215:McGrath proceeds to address whether 201:the monotheistic God of Christianity 195:, McGrath instead cites the work of 859:"In the beginning... there was God" 290:. McGrath examines Dawkins' use of 1030:Manifesto of Evolutionary Humanism 719:. Times Newspapers. Archived from 657:Craddock, Jeremy (16 March 2007). 203:. When considering the subject of 27:Book by theologian Alister McGrath 25: 868:3 Dec 2006; retrieved 23 Feb 2007 855:6 Feb 2007; retrieved 20 Feb 2007 680:Appleyard, Bryan (3 March 2007). 472: 842:summarising his criticisms of 1: 713:"The Irrevocability of Faith" 504:intelligence who is actually 1054:Letter to a Christian Nation 549:SPCK publication information 139:is a book by the theologian 816:" A critical bookreview by 408:fine tuning of the universe 178:numerous reasonable persons 1307: 1078:God: The Failed Hypothesis 872:"Deluding Who About What?" 473:Dawkins' personal response 388:Jeremy Craddock, a former 225:non-overlapping magisteria 717:Times Literary Supplement 460:Times Literary Supplement 37: 1286:Books by Alister McGrath 1271:Criticism of New Atheism 1230:Flying Spaghetti Monster 1202:The Evolution of Atheism 834:14 February 2007 at the 824:Alister McGrath homepage 756:. London. Archived from 227:(NOMA) as evidence that 171:religious fundamentalism 54:Joanna Collicutt McGrath 997:Michael Schmidt-Salomon 878:. Retrieved 7 May 2007. 430:Whatever else ... 284:evolutionary by-product 1291:2007 non-fiction books 1162:The Irrational Atheist 849:"Religious persuasion" 829:"The Dawkins Delusion" 784:old.richarddawkins.net 659:"Personal incredulity" 514: 496:He's signed up to the 449: 386: 231:is as compatible with 193:irreducible complexity 33:The Dawkins Delusion? 1154:The Dawkins Delusion? 1117:Pitchstone Publishing 1062:The Root of All Evil? 876:The Dawkins Delusion? 863:The Dawkins Delusion? 814:The Dawkins Delusion? 630:The Dawkins Delusion? 612:The Dawkins Delusion? 590:The Dawkins Delusion? 572:The Dawkins Delusion? 494: 354:The Dawkins Delusion? 1194:The Rage Against God 1186:Unscientific America 1086:The Portable Atheist 972:Christopher Hitchens 748:(12 February 2007). 554:3 March 2007 at the 412:elementary particles 380:The Blind Watchmaker 18:The Dawkins Delusion 1281:Books about atheism 711:(27 October 2007). 377:... Dawkins's 34: 1112:The Clergy Project 1038:Breaking the Spell 790:on 29 October 2013 436:Marilynne Robinson 390:forensic biologist 364:Critical reception 223:'s supposition of 189:watchmaker analogy 169:conviction" to "a 1258: 1257: 1170:Atheist Delusions 1022:Atheist Manifesto 992:Victor J. Stenger 957:Rebecca Goldstein 853:Belfast Telegraph 643:Publishers Weekly 596:. pp. 21–26. 518:Root of All Evil? 370:Publishers Weekly 340:Kenneth Pargament 221:Stephen Jay Gould 197:Richard Swinburne 132: 131: 127:978-0-281-05927-0 97:Publication place 16:(Redirected from 1298: 1178:The Case for God 1070:God Is Not Great 1046:The God Delusion 1014:The End of Faith 932:Peter Boghossian 906: 899: 892: 883: 844:The God Delusion 818:Alex J. O'Connor 800: 799: 797: 795: 786:. Archived from 776: 770: 769: 767: 765: 746:Dawkins, Richard 742: 733: 732: 730: 728: 705: 699: 698: 696: 694: 685: 677: 671: 670: 668: 666: 654: 648: 640: 634: 633: 626:McGrath, Alister 622: 616: 615: 608:McGrath, Alister 604: 598: 597: 586:McGrath, Alister 582: 576: 575: 568:McGrath, Alister 564: 558: 546: 466:The God Delusion 432:The God Delusion 404:The God Delusion 396:, writes in the 358:The God Delusion 344:Harold G. Koenig 309:The Golden Bough 304:Sir James Frazer 292:Bertrand Russell 146:The God Delusion 92:15 February 2007 88:Publication date 42: 35: 21: 1306: 1305: 1301: 1300: 1299: 1297: 1296: 1295: 1276:Richard Dawkins 1261: 1260: 1259: 1254: 1250:Regressive left 1208: 1126: 1100: 1001: 967:Ayaan Hirsi Ali 947:Richard Dawkins 937:Greta Christina 915: 910: 840:Alister McGrath 836:Wayback Machine 809: 804: 803: 793: 791: 778: 777: 773: 763: 761: 744: 743: 736: 726: 724: 723:on 16 June 2011 707: 706: 702: 692: 690: 679: 678: 674: 664: 662: 656: 655: 651: 641: 637: 624: 623: 619: 606: 605: 601: 584: 583: 579: 566: 565: 561: 556:Wayback Machine 547: 543: 538: 526: 477:In a letter to 475: 418:Bryan Appleyard 366: 273:Francis Collins 241:Sir Martin Rees 219:. He points to 186:William Paley's 163: 151:Richard Dawkins 141:Alister McGrath 105:Media type 89: 53: 51:Alister McGrath 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1304: 1302: 1294: 1293: 1288: 1283: 1278: 1273: 1263: 1262: 1256: 1255: 1253: 1252: 1247: 1242: 1237: 1232: 1227: 1222: 1216: 1214: 1210: 1209: 1207: 1206: 1198: 1190: 1182: 1174: 1166: 1158: 1150: 1146:Darwin's Angel 1142: 1134: 1132: 1128: 1127: 1125: 1124: 1119: 1114: 1108: 1106: 1102: 1101: 1099: 1098: 1090: 1082: 1074: 1066: 1058: 1050: 1042: 1034: 1026: 1018: 1009: 1007: 1003: 1002: 1000: 999: 994: 989: 984: 979: 974: 969: 964: 959: 954: 952:Daniel Dennett 949: 944: 939: 934: 929: 923: 921: 917: 916: 911: 909: 908: 901: 894: 886: 880: 879: 869: 856: 846: 826: 821: 808: 807:External links 805: 802: 801: 771: 760:on 6 July 2008 734: 709:Kenny, Anthony 700: 672: 661:. 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Index

The Dawkins Delusion

Alister McGrath
Religion
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
ISBN
978-0-281-05927-0
Alister McGrath
The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
dogmatic
religious fundamentalism
numerous reasonable persons
Antony Flew
William Paley's
watchmaker analogy
irreducible complexity
Richard Swinburne
the monotheistic God of Christianity
Aquinas'
Quinque viae
religion specifically conflicts with science
Stephen Jay Gould
non-overlapping magisteria
Darwinism
theism
atheism
Sir Martin Rees
Denis Noble

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