Tackling a host of myths and prejudices commonly leveled at atheism, this captivating volume bursts with sparkling, eloquent arguments on every page. The authors rebut claims that range from atheism being just another religion to the alleged atrocities committed in its name.

• An accessible yet scholarly commentary on hot-button issues in the debate over religious belief
• Teaches critical thinking skills through detailed, rational argument
• Objectively considers each myth on its merits
• Includes a history of atheism and its advocates, an appendix detailing atheist organizations, and an extensive bibliography
• Explains the differences between atheism and related concepts such as agnosticism and naturalism

About the Author

Russell Blackford is Conjoint Lecturer in the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Newcastle, Australia. A renowned philosopher, literary critic, author and commentator on a range of topics including legal and political philosophy, philosophy of religion, meta-ethics, and philosophical bioethics, he is a prolific essayist and author whose works include Freedom of Religion and the Secular State (Wiley-Blackwell, 2012). Dr Blackford is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Evolution and Technology.

Udo Schuklenk is Professor of Philosophy at Queen's University, Canada, where he holds the Ontario Research Chair in Bioethics. A renowned bioethicist, he is joint editor-in-chief of the international journals Bioethics and Developing World Bioethics. A prolific author and editor, he has produced 7 books and published more than 130 articles in international journals and anthologies, mostly on public health ethics, research ethics and end-of-life issues. He recently chaired an international expert panel drafting a landmark report on end-of-life care on behalf of the Royal Society of Canada.

Reviews

"Overall, Blackford and Schu klenk's work is a valuable contribution to the debate between believers and non-believers." (Journal of Contemporary Religion, 1 August 2014)

Review appeared in Times Higher Education - 2 January 2014

"I recommend it as useful reading both to those who are freethinkers (whatever they call themselves, be it atheists, agnostics or secularists) and to "believers", particularly the hard-core religious ones, though it might prove "heavy-going" for them at times, and they are unlikely to be able to suspend belief and permit scepticism to intrude into their "blind faith"." (New Nurturing Potential, 1 September 2013)

"I am happy to report that Blackford and Schuklenk's collaboration has given us an intellectually rigorous yet compositionally relaxed book. It is clearly written, clear-headed, and amusing on occasion (especially with the inclusion of comics from the Jesus & Mo website). It is simply organized, as the title indicates, with the authors taking on the 50 Myths one by one." (Neworld Review, Vol 6. No. 46)

Book Information
ISBN 9780470674055
Author Russell Blackford
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Wiley-Blackwell
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 454g
Dimensions(mm) 248mm * 173mm * 15mm