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The Joy of Secularism: 11 Essays for How We Live Now

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Joy of Secularism: 11 Essays for How We Live Now
Authors and Contributors      Edited by George Levine
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:272
Dimensions(mm): Height 235,Width 152
Category/GenreHumanist and secular alternatives to religion
ISBN/Barcode 9780691156026
ClassificationsDewey:211.6
Audience
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations 3 halftones.

Publishing Details

Publisher Princeton University Press
Imprint Princeton University Press
Publication Date 25 November 2012
Publication Country United States

Description

Can secularism offer us moral, aesthetic, and spiritual satisfaction? Or does the secular view simply affirm a dog-eat-dog universe? At a time when the issues of religion, evolution, atheism, fundamentalism, Darwin, and science fill headlines and invoke controversy, The Joy of Secularism provides a balanced and thoughtful approach for understanding

Author Biography

George Levine is professor emeritus of English at Rutgers University and the founder and former director of the Rutgers Center for Cultural Analysis. His many books include "Darwin and the Novelists" and "Darwin Loves You", and "Darwin the Writer".

Reviews

One of The New Yorker's Reviewer's Favorites of 2011 "[T]he book valuably works over middle ground, the space vacated by both dogmatic religionists and dogmatic atheists. It is tolerant of, and even interested in, the varieties of religious practice, and maintains an engaged and equitable tone of voice. We might call this the New Secularism... Essays ... by Adam Phillips (on helplessness) and Rebecca Stott (on Darwinian wonderment), make for a nicely prismatic collection, in which the contributors happily pursue their own interests, and are often at their most secular when they're not trying especially hard to be. The book naturally radiates outward from its editorial theme as an ideal medieval town might spread outward--from a relaxed and unpoliced center."--James Wood, New Yorker "George Levine has put together a diverse collection on what it means to be a secularist, with thoughtful essays from philosophers, historians, literary critics, and evolutionary theorists... The essays are literate and sophisticated."--Simon Blackburn, Prospect "In his upbeat Introduction, Levine's own joy in his religionless world is amply manifest. He is rapt in nature, especially birds, so expressions of aesthetic awe and wonder predominate. Secularism is not a fall, he affirms. Or rather, it is a fall, but upward (in Amy Clampitt's words) into the dazzling sun. Is life worth living in a (religiously) disenchanted world? 'You bet!' Levine answers emphatically."--Tamas Pataki, Australian Book Review "This volume ... is a valuable first contribution to an important topic, and will no doubt inspire much more work in this area."--Whitley Kaufman, Philosophy in Review "While avoiding triumphalism, these essays make a powerful case for a secularism that is both intellectually rigorous and heartfelt."--Peter D Smith, Guardian