TGC Reviews

Phillip E. Johnson & John Mark Reynolds. Against All Gods: What’s Right and Wrong about the New Atheism. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2010. 119 pages.

In recent years there has been a rise in “New Atheism.” The term first appeared November 2006 in Wired magazine, referring to a new breed of proselytizing scientific atheists who not only oppose God, but make it their mission to preach the “good news” of the kingdom of no god to the world. Led by such figures as Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Sam Harris, Victor J. Stenger, and Christopher Hitchens, their goal is to convert the whole society to atheism–to see not only the God of Christianity dethroned, but the death and dismantlement of all gods.

In response to the upsurge of this new breed of evangelizing atheists, respected spokesman for intelligent design and author of Darwin on Trial, Phillip E. Johnson, along with Dr. John Mark Reynolds, founder and director of the Torrey Honors Institute and professor of philosophy at Biola University, argues that this could actually be a good thing for Christianity. Johnson says, “What I like about atheists is that although they tend to give the wrong answers, they also tend to raise the right questions” (8). The offensive of New Atheism forces Christians to clarify their thinking. Rather than lamenting the increase in publications of these New Atheists, Johnson and Reynolds suggest that Christians should embrace the opportunity to give thoughtful answers to the right questions that atheists have been asking.

They assert that the surge of New Atheism is also a good thing because it is forcing discussion of religion back into university life. These attacks are happening largely in the academy, pushing the sacred back into the secular. Therefore Johnson and Reynolds are pleased because it demands that schools no longer treat religion as an unworthy subject for the academy, relegated only to the private lives of students, but instead it draws clear lines in the sand, forcing everyone–even the liberal secularist university professors–to take a side and allow the debate into classrooms. Their belief is that in thoughtful, uninhibited discussion of the issues, the truth can and will emerge as it forces New Atheism to move from offense to defense. As Christians are able to press their worldview with the truth, New Atheism ideology will crumble. Therefore Johnson and Reynolds are hopeful that the rise in New Atheism will lead to a removal of the bifurcation of faith and reason both inside and outside the university classroom.

Johnson and Reynolds seek to explore a number of the issues raised by this new wave of scientific atheism in order to discern how they can and should be addressed in higher education and scholarship. Their goal is not to thoroughly refute all the New Atheists’ claims, but to inform the reader of some of the major areas of attack and the significance they have, not just in academia, but for the life of anyone who would subscribe to their worldview. The issues covered in Against All Gods are diverse. Scientific topics discussed include intelligent design, the faith of scientific naturalism, the uniqueness of Earth as a life-sustaining planet, Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, and the God Hypothesis in physics. Educational issues include the challenge of debate with atheists due to their inability to value and properly interpret Scripture, and the benefit of wonder and beauty in a holistic education which includes faith, moving it away from being purely functional to seeking the meaning and significance of true knowledge that only an educational pursuit which includes faith can provide. According to Johnson and Reynolds, the arguments of the New Atheists allow for clarity and inclusion of the Christian faith into public debate once again. Christians, therefore, should be encouraged to join in the discussion.

As a church planter in a college town, I have on numerous occasions entered into dialogue with young men and women who have been influenced by New Atheism. Personally, I found Against All Gods to provide a lucid and informative explanation of New Atheism’s arguments, its implications for the educational system, and the opportunity it allows Christians to join in the discussion. Rather than approaching the rise of evangelistic atheists as reason for panic, Johnson and Reynolds encourage their readers to study and confidently, yet humbly, enter the debate. It challenges us to think deeply about what we believe and why we believe it so that we can clearly and intelligently give reason for the hope that we have in Christ.  For a long time, academia has slammed the door in the face of faith, but now the rise of New Atheism is forcing it open once again, removing the distinction between sacred and secular, giving us an opportunity to discuss the reasonableness of our faith. I can only hope their prediction is right and that Christians will rise to the occasion so that through intelligent, uninhibited discussion, the truth might come to light and be put back on the table in universities throughout the world. Against All Gods is a short, worthwhile read for anyone considering the possible effects of New Atheism on academia or society at large.