Does Religion do More Harm than Good? - Softcover

Shortt, Rupert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0281078718 ISBN 13: 9780281078714

Publisher: SPCK Publishing, 2019

Synopsis

History is littered with wars and atrocities apparently inspired by religion, and today there seems no end to reports of cruelty and violence carried out in the name of God. But is it belief in God that motivates these evils? Or do they spring from other motives? At the same time, history testifies to numerous benefits to humanity brought about by religious individuals and movements. But despite these positive outcomes might it be true, as some atheists believe, that religion in general does more harm than good? Is religion itself inherently toxic? Or could it simply be that there is good religion and there is bad religion, and we just need to learn to tell the difference? The author's investigation of these questions will encourage both believers and unbelievers to discard the lazy thinking and easy assumptions that so often disfigure the arguments on either side of this debate.

About this title

About the Author:

Rupert Shortt is religion editor of the Times Literary Supplement and a former Visiting Fellow at Oxford University. His recent books include Christianophobia: A Faith under Attack (2012), Rowan's Rule: The Biography of the Archbishop (2014) and God is No Thing: Coherent Christianity (2015).

About this edition

• Publisher: SPCK Publishing
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0281078718
• ISBN 13: 9780281078714
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 80