Product Description

Until the 19th century, atheism and agnosticism were viewed as bizarre aberrations. But atheism emerged as a viable alternative to other ideologies. How and why it became possible is the subject of this cultural revolution.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #865546 in Books
• Published on: 1986-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review

"Turner's treatment of the nineteenth century is excellent and often brilliantly perceptive." -- Robert Nisbet, The New York Times Book Review

"A crafted, intelligent book. The prose is remarkably clear, as is the argument. Turner offers us intellectual history in something like the grand manner." -- David D. Hall, Reviews in American History

Customer Reviews

A must-read for understanding the state of (un)belief
This book is excellently written and very illuminating on the subject of how it came to be possible that a person could say 'I don't believe in God.' Turner takes the reader through history from the Rennaissance to the mid-19th century to show the progress of unbelief. Interestingly, his thesis, which is very well argued, is that it was the Church herself who let in the demons of unbelief, which usually came in the form of scientific discovery. In brief, the Church shot herself in the foot.

This is not a tract against the Church, though. It is very clearly written to show how those events and beliefs which undermined the legitimacy of the Church were not necessarily bad; it was the Church who made them so. For example, scientific discovery in itself was not bad, but the Church before the scientific revolution had based its legitimacy so strongly on the literal account of Creation, for example, that when there was doubt thrown on that theory, everything began to crumble.

Turner is pretty much done with his story by the mid 1800s, before Darwin's _Origin of Species_ was published. Contrary to popular imagination, Darwin's theory was not particularly groundbreaking in the case for atheism; the groundwork had already been set.

This book is not difficult to read at all, yet it tackles some tough subject material. Highly recommended for readers of all scientific and religious backgrounds.

Exceptional intellectual history
A lot of history is presented in this book. There's 269 pages of text with 34 pages of footnotes. I learned a lot just from the historical materials presented. Turner's inferences seemed compelling, although my own ignorance in this area prevents me from being certain he's on the mark. However, nothing he said contradicted what I expected. I remain open to other sources including reviewers of Turner, but this work appears to be sharp and enriching.

I've heard many different ideas about God and, until I read this book, I was largely unaware of their historicity. I viewed arguments about God as being believers versus unbelievers: it hadn't occurred to me that, in attempting to adjust to modern developments, Christian leaders had themselves reduced the need for God as an explanation. Although Turner seems impartial, his research has done unbelief a great service. Not that unbelievers should be complacent, but it does seem reassuring that modern historical developments have undermined, and should continue to undermine, the need for religious belief and allow for more constructive responses to the human predicament. Historical determinism? Or just humanity growing up?