John Ager’s Blog!

The following reviews were published in the Baptist Times, but I came across them on a Christian forum. I post them with the permission of the reviewer (John Goddard).

The God Delusion has proved to be a publishing phenomenon. Richard Dawkins already had a string of successful books to his name, but even he could hardly have imagined that a book about religion would be bought by so many people. Months after publication, this substantial hardback is still on the best-sellers lists, and will soon be joined by the first paperback edition (scheduled for late May).

Of course, being popular is not always a guide to quality in publishing. Some books flourish in a triumph of style over substance, and that might well be a valid criticism of The God Delusion. The carefully crafted scientific explorations of Dawkins’ earlier works have a tendency to be replaced by atheistic ‘argument by rant’. The implicit dislike of all things religious in early writings, here becomes as explicit as the drunken vulgarity of a stag weekend in Blackpool… Dawkins doesn’t do God. He really doesn’t.

In case you might think that I have overstated my case, consider the following quote from page 31 (indexed as Yahweh (God of the Old Testament): deplorable character of), “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” Richard Dawkins really doesn’t do God.

Perhaps his own upbringing leaves him particularly disillusioned with the God of Christianity, but he is critical of all religions in reasonably equal measure. Much of his argument focuses on the excesses of fundamentalists, but he doesn’t let moderates off the hook. Even moderate, mainstream, respectable religion gives rise to (and in a sense legitimates) violent extremists, for “Faith is an evil precisely because it requires no justification and brooks no argument.”

The main atheistic thrust of The God Delusion has been welcomed by many, but has also, of course, received a huge amount of criticism. Amazon.co.uk (which incidentally continues to offer both these featured books at around half price, at time of writing) has well over 300 reviews available, highlighting in their variety the polarising effect of this book. And now we have a steady flow of Christian ‘responses’ to Dawkins being published, including what is probably the pick of the crop, The Dawkins Delusion? by Alister McGrath and Joanna Collicutt McGrath.

Subtitled Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, the McGraths’ book is brief and lucid, not attempting to challenge Dawkins’ every argument, but rather highlighting his uncharacteristically subjective and selective use of the data. It really does appear that the scientist has let his emotions run away with him, and they do a good job of helping us to see certain flaws in his arguments. They demonstrate admirably why they are theologians and he is not.

So which book should you buy and read? There is little point to reading The Dawkins Delusion? except in conjunction with The God Delusion. But if you’ve read Dawkins and want to reflect critically on what you encountered then this is a good place to begin. If you are looking for a more detailed critique of Dawkins’ scientific atheism then you should probably also seek out Alister McGrath’s earlier work, Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life.

And should you read The God Delusion? I would say yes, for a number of reasons. This is a readable, accessible engagement with religious belief from one of the world’s foremost thinkers. His arguments will become common currency for atheists in dispute with believers for years to come. We have much to learn from this book, and much to repent of. I would almost go so far as to say that it should be essential reading for churches as we seek to understand ourselves and our world. We will not agree with everything, but we might find more wisdom and challenge here than we expect.

For me, the irony of this book is in contrast to my experience of his earlier work. The Blind Watchmaker was no less certain of the sufficiency of natural selection as an explanation for our world’s wondrous diversity, but left me amazed at God’s incredible work in creation. I remember having a similar reaction to Dawkins’ great friend’s atheistic novels, The Northern Lights trilogy by Philip Pullman. They set out to make me an atheist, but God just seemed bigger and brighter as a result. The God Delusion in contrast left me painfully aware of the poverty of humanity. We are able to take something as remarkable as a relationship with our creator and turn it into an excuse for hatred, prejudice, violence, manipulation, and delusion. If it wasn’t for God, the generous God amazingly revealed in Jesus the Christ, I might think about being an atheist too.

Originally posted elsewhere on 23 May 2007.