Religion and Atheism in Dialogue: Doing Difference Differently

by Anthony Carroll (Editor), Richard Norman (Editor)

Overview

The divide in our societies between those who are religious and those who are not is becoming increasingly apparent in many areas of contemporary life. This fascinating book, based on conversations between religious and nonreligious participants, asks if societies divided on such fundamental questions can nonetheless find some common ground.

A rich array of topics is explored, including the linguistic complexities of using the concept of ‘God’, the relation between science and religion, the ethics of altruistic concern, sexuality and gender roles, and the possibility of shedding light on important positions often taken to be intractable or nonnegotiable. In addition, topics of a more reflective nature, but also prone to polarise, are also examined, such as spiritual experience and practice, mindfulness, the arts, and the nature of human consciousness.

Religion and Atheism in Dialogue will interest anyone who is concerned about the current tensions and even conflicts exhibited between religious and secular positions on a range of key issues, and how it might be possible to move beyond them. It will also be of interest to students of ethics, philosophy of religion, and religious studies and all those who are concerned to explore how better dialogue across differences might be possible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032881027
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/23/2025
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Anthony J. Carroll is a philosopher, theologian, and parish priest in Andalusia, Spain. His previous books include Protestant Modernity: Weber, Secularisation and Protestantism; Il Giardiniere Invisibile: Credere, Non Credere, Cercare; and most recently A History of Philosophy: The Condensed Copleston. He was co-editor with Richard Norman of Religion and Atheism: Beyond the Divide (Routledge, 2016).

Richard Norman is Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent and a Patron of Humanists UK. His books include On Humanism (Routledge, second edition, 2012), Understanding Humanism (with Andrew Copson and Luke Donnellan; Routledge, 2022), and What Is Humanism For? (2025).

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors  Preface Anthony Carroll and Richard Norman  Part 1: The ‘God’ Debate  1. The Religion and Atheism Project: Some Initial Reflections Brian Pearce  2. Beyond Transcendence Julian Baggini  3. Transcendence Fiona Ellis  4. Transcendence, Immanence and Panentheism Michael Brierley  5. God and Being: Resonance and Analogy Richard Norman  6. Personal presence, analogy and resonance: a dialogue Robin Gill  7. Postscript: Without Naming God Brian Pearce  Part 2: Opportunities for Convergence  8. The Kindness of Strangers: Empathy, Altruism, and the Case for Convergence John Saxbee  9. Can Humanists be Spiritual? Jeremy Rodell  10. Understanding Spiritual Experience: Two Approaches or One? David Scott  11. The Spiritual and the Religious: Interlinked or Separable? John Cottingham  12. Moral Failure and Spiritual Practice Michael McGhee  13. Persons and communities transformed by practices George Guiver  14. Ritual for the Non-religious Elizabeth Slade  15. Science, Humanism, and Religion Raymond Tallis  16. Make Up a Story Joanna Kavenna  17. Physics, humanism and openness Andrew Steane  Part 3: Religion and Diversity  18. Religion, Non-religion and Values: What has changed and what stays the same? Linda Woodhead and Andrew Copson  19. “The Wonder of Diversity”: a Gift to Global Ethics Alan Race  20. Catholicism and Atheism Peter Huff  21. Atheism and Esoterism: A Muslim Perspective Reza Shah-Kazemi  22. Faith, Sexuality and Gender: Navigating Difficult Conversations Christopher Lynch  23. Gender, Islam and Dialogue: a Muslim feminist perspective on navigating ‘hard-to-have’ conversations Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor  Part 4: Conclusion  24. Doing Difference Differently Anthony Carroll and Richard Norman.  Index