Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett discuss the rise and fall of New Atheism, questioning its direction and impact. They explore the aggressive nature of the movement and its use of mockery and ridicule. The podcast also highlights the negative effects of this approach, leading to a resurgence in belief in God and a reconsideration of Christianity by secular thinkers. The flaws in the New Atheist argument and the disappointment with Richard Dawkins are also discussed.
New Atheism gained momentum by capitalizing on a cultural skepticism of religion after the 9/11 attacks.
The New Atheism movement faced criticisms for its lack of engagement with the strongest arguments put forth by religious thinkers.
Christian apologists engaged with New Atheism, showcasing the intellectual depth and evidence-based reasoning of religious thinkers.
Deep dives
The Rise of New Atheism
The podcast episode discusses the emergence and impact of the New Atheism movement. It highlights how the movement gained momentum after the 9/11 attacks, capitalizing on a cultural skepticism of religion. The movement's key figures, also known as the four horsemen of the New Atheism, including Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Sam Harris, promoted atheism as the only rational worldview while critiquing religion as irrational and harmful. They published best-selling books, engaged in debates, and used platforms like YouTube to spread their views. The episode explores the aggressive and mocking tone of New Atheism, as well as its influence on public opinion and popular culture.
Challenges and Controversies
The podcast delves into the challenges and controversies faced by the New Atheism movement. It examines the movement's focus on ridiculing religion and its lack of engagement with the strongest arguments put forth by religious thinkers, leading to criticisms of intellectual shallowness. The podcast also explores the increasing recognition that New Atheism took on a quasi-religious character, with its own leaders, texts, and worship of science. Some atheists and agnostics distanced themselves from the movement, calling for more intellectual rigor and respectful dialogue.
Response and Critique
The episode covers the responses and critiques directed towards New Atheism. It highlights how Christian apologists, such as John Lennox and William Lane Craig, engaged with the movement and presented arguments for the existence of God. These debates showcased the intellectual depth and evidence-based reasoning of religious thinkers. The podcast also examines the debates that were sparked by invitations for Richard Dawkins to engage in dialogues with prominent Christian defenders, revealing his refusal to engage with certain opponents and his selective criteria for debate.
The Decline of New Atheism
The podcast discusses the decline of the New Atheism movement and the factors that contributed to its waning influence. It explores how the movement overplayed its claims of intellectual superiority, failed to engage with the strongest arguments from religious thinkers, and relied heavily on emotional appeals rather than logical reasoning. The episode also highlights how the movement's aggressive tone and derogatory attitude towards religion alienated some atheists and agnostics who preferred more respectful and nuanced conversations. Additionally, the podcast touches upon the emergence of new conversations on the value of faith and the surprising reconsideration of Christianity among secular thinkers.
Looking Ahead
The final section of the podcast introduces the upcoming episodes of the series and provides a preview of the themes that will be explored. It hints at the stories of individuals who have moved from atheism to Christianity and the reasons behind their surprising journeys. The episode concludes by inviting listeners to join upcoming public events and engage in further discussions about the topics raised in the series.
New Atheism was an aggressive and very popular form of atheism that emerged in the mid-2000s led by the '4 horsemen' - Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennett. Speaking to a range of experts and commentators Justin Brierley charts the rise of New Atheism and hears from those who began to question the direction of the movement.