Is Atheism Dead?

Excellent book! Great insight and fascinating how science is pointing to the existence of God and how archaeology is uncovering hidden treasures verifying that the Bible stories occurred. The science section especially made me look at and appreciate the world around me, especially the explanation of how complex water is- we are living in a fine-tuned universe. The stories of Albert Camu and Jean-Paul Sartre were engaging and heart-warming to see at the end they embraced Truth. Eric Metaxas’ writing style is engaging and very easy to read, he explains complex scientific theories and topics in an understandable manner. A really compelling read for any person whether believer, agnostic or atheist something for everyone whether it is to strengthen your faith, make you think or simply to appreciate the world around us and its ‘perfect calibration’. Really enjoyed the book and going to read it again!

A couple of family members and friends have recently shared that they no longer have faith and claim to be atheists, so when I saw that Eric Metaxas had written a book on the topic I was immediately interested. What causes people to believe or not believe? Eric, in his popular style that even ordinary people can understand, outlined his position that atheism has failed when we look more closely at the recently published facts of science, archeology findings, the lives of historical atheists and even the current arguments atheists proclaim. Why this book is impactful at this time is that only now has more evidence come to light to answer the question, ‘does atheism hold up as valid?’ As Eric says, “we have had the time to observe the lives of various atheists, such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Antony Flew, to see whether any of them were able to live out their philosophies in a way that was inspiring or even nearly logical…” For those that are searching for truth you will find this to be a well-documented resource to encourage healthy conversations about God (and you’ll even learn some new vocabulary words he loves to throw in).

I have been a voracious reader since childhood; thousands of books. Lots of military, political, economic history; science; aviation; and construction. It is astounding to me that much of what Eric has written about is not common knowledge, and is not taught in our public schools. Then again, there's a lot that isn't taught in our public schools that's astounding. I would recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely religious. I would recommend this book to people who are agnostic; the scientific and historic episodes are worth reading regardless of your religious foundation. They fall into the category of subjects that modern educated people should know, or at least be aware of. It's one of those books that is wonderful to read slowly, out loud, with friends or family members. It's guaranteed to illicit many, meaningful thoughts and conversations. I recommend reading many other of Eric's books, especially Luther, Bonhoeffer, Amazing Grace (Wilberforce), Miracles, and others; I've enjoyed them all. Thank you, Eric! *Excluding the Bible.

This book by Eric Metaxas is so expansive in its reach it is hard to give a brief description of all that it reveals. So much is being discovered by physicists, cosmologists and other scientists that suggests that some sort of higher intelligence had to be the source of the universe in which we live. The odds of intelligent life as we know it emerging by chance are absolutely nil as Eric documents over and over again sharing the odds in many compelling examples. But Metaxas also goes beyond science to the archeological discoveries that are continuing to be made in me middle east which keep confirming the trustworthiness of the Biblical narrative. "Is Atheism Dead?" also looks into the lives of the leading atheists of the twentieth century Sartre, Camus and Flew, telling of how they, in their last days found God. He also deals with the current group of God mockers: Dawkins, Dennett, Harris and Hitchens and then talks about atheism in general. The case of an intelligent creator is so compelling, Metaxas suggests, that it seems to be only a matter of time before the whole scientific and philosophical world will need to come to the conclusion that God is not dead; but that maybe science, as the explanation for everything is dead. "Is Atheism Dead?" is laid out in chapters of clearly defined topics. When the reader gets enough of the subject of Universal Fine Tuning they can flip over a few dozen pages and go to Israel and to the latest discovery in Biblical archeology. This makes it an easy and enjoyable read and also a handy reference to which one can return again and again.

This latest work from Eric Metaxas occupies a prime place in the realm of useful enterprises. It is both fascinating and faith-affirming, reminding us again of the powerful symbiosis between living faith and honest science. In 1966, the world's intelligentsia believed they had definitively proven God couldn't possibly exist. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for them, science and Truth marched on, clearly and inevitably revealing that God was never in any danger of being "eclipsed" by science; He was just patiently waiting for science (as recognized by mortals) to catch up a bit with his wondrous mastery of the laws of the universe. I'm better off for having read this book, and I sincerely hope many others will embrace the opportunity to enhance their understanding of who we are in relation to each other, the planet on which we live, and the God who created us.