Unapologetic
Unapologetic
“Unapologetic offers the philosophy of religion the swift, ugly end it has long deserved. This single book will cause the death of a discipline.”
—Peter Boghossian, author of A Manual for Creating Atheists
About the Book
Just as intelligent design is not a legitimate branch of biology in public educational institutions, nor should the philosophy of religion be a legitimate branch of philosophy. So argues leading atheist thinker and writer John Loftus in this forceful takedown of the very discipline in which he was trained. In his call for ending the philosophy of religion, he argues that as it is presently being practiced, the main reason the discipline exists is to serve the faith claims of Christianity. Most of philosophy of religion has become little more than an effort to defend and rationalize preexisting Christian beliefs. If subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, and geology are all taught without reference to faith-based supernatural forces as explanations, it should not be acceptable in this discipline either. While the book offers a fascinating study of the fallacies and flaws on which one whole field of study rests, it speaks to something much larger in the ongoing culture wars. By highlighting the stark differences between faith-based reasoning and evidence-based reasoning, Loftus presents vital arguments and lessons about the importance of critical thinking in all aspects of life and living. His conclusions and recommendations thus resonate far beyond the ivory towers and ivy-covered walls of academic institutions.
About the Author(s)
John W. Loftus is a leading atheist writer and thinker. A former evangelical minister and Christian apologist, he had ministries in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana, and taught at several Christian and secular colleges. He is the author of Why I Became an Atheist, The Outsider Test for Faith, and How to Defend the Christian Faith, and editor of The Christian Delusion and Christianity Is Not Great. His popular blog can be found at debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com. He lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana. David Eller (foreword by) is a cultural anthropologist.
Details
ISBN: 9781634310987
Format: paperback
SRP: $16.95
Page count: 272 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: November 2016
More Praise
"I thoroughly enjoyed Unapologetic. Suffice it to say that I am in wholehearted agreement with John W. Loftus. I actually find it very sad to see a discipline (the philosophy of religion) I have cherished for many years being debased and distorted by so-called Christian philosophers."
—Nick Trakakis, author, The End of Philosophy of Religion"John Loftus is philosophy of religion’s—or what we would both probably prefer to call 'Christian philosophy’s'—worst nightmare. . . . This new book, in honor of the recent decision of British voters to secede from the European Union, we might dub his Apologexit. What parades as philosophy of religion today is a dismal and embarrassing abdication of intellectual discipline. No other scholarly field falls as short of its calling, and no one is more qualified than that turncoat Loftus to induce philosophers of religion to snap out of their dogmatic slumber or else shut the whole business down.”
—David Eller, author, Anthropology of Religion: Culture to the Ultimate (from the foreword to Unapologetic)"Unapologetic is probably my favorite monograph by John Loftus. It deserves a gold medal for undertaking the Olympian task of explaining in clear and accessible prose why the area known as Philosophy of Religion should be ejected from modern academia and our intellectual life. Pretending that we have good arguments for God is about as useless as pretending we have good arguments for Zeus.”
—Hector Avalos, Professor, Religious Studies, Iowa State University and author, The End of Biblical Studies“In Unapologetic, Loftus explains thoroughly and lucidly why it is time both atheists and secular philosophy departments step away from the discipline forever, exposing it for the religious evangelism it merely pretends not to be. Recommended for anyone who still believes in the value of the philosophy of religion, so that they can see their error.”
—James A. Lindsay, author, Everybody Is Wrong About God“In this powerful book, former preacher and veteran scholar John Loftus demands to know why so much time and energy is still being wasted analyzing and debating fringe details of a thing no one has yet shown to be real. This passionate, hard-hitting, and important book will enlighten and inspire readers to think in new ways about an old battleground of thought. It’s clear that Loftus is running out of patience when it comes to the faithful but he certainly has not run out of steam.”
—Guy Harrison, author, 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian“As an introduction to the ever-growing frustration with so-called Christian philosophy among many secular ex-Christian authors, Unapologetic is invaluable reading material for any reader interested in the wide variety of polemical issues it deals with.”
—Jaco Gericke, Associate Research Professor, Depart of Theology and Philosophy, North-West University"Unapologetic is a wonderfully entertaining read. With masterful erudition, John Loftus presents a compelling case for why the philosophy of religion contains nothing but sophistry and illusion and should, therefore, be committed to the flames. It has no more right to exist than the philosophy of fairies, or the study of Superman. One might be skeptical of this claim—as I was before starting the book—but the arguments are so well-crafted and persuasive that I bet you’ll walk away nodding your head in agreement. Of Loftus’s many critiques of Christianity, this is the best yet. I highly recommend it to anyone with a fondness for great writing and the truth!"
—Phil Torres, author, The End: What Science and Religion Tell Us about the Apocalypse
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