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The Dawkins Delusion? Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine

Alister E. McGrath,

Joanna Collicutt Mcgrath

3.36 · Rating details · 1,470 ratings · 191 reviews

The McGraths present a reliable assessment of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, famed atheist and scientist, and the many questions this book raises--including, above all, the relevance of faith and the quest for meaning.

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Hardcover, 118 pages

Published July 6th 2007 by IVP Books (first published January 2007)

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Apr 20, 2009 Luke rated it really liked it

When I picked up this book, I thought to myself that the authors were going to have a hard time disputing 400 pages of atheist vitriol with less than 100 pages. I was wrong. The McGraths (husband and wife), both fellow Oxfordians with Dawkins, cleanly and effectively eviscerate many of Dawkins' most egregrious arguments in The God Delusion. I did my best to approach this book with an open mind (as I did with Dawkins' book) and to weigh the arguments on their own merit. This task was much easier When I picked up this book, I thought to myself that the authors were going to have a hard time disputing 400 pages of atheist vitriol with less than 100 pages. I was wrong. The McGraths (husband and wife), both fellow Oxfordians with Dawkins, cleanly and effectively eviscerate many of Dawkins' most egregrious arguments in The God Delusion. I did my best to approach this book with an open mind (as I did with Dawkins' book) and to weigh the arguments on their own merit. This task was much easier to do, reading The Dawkins Delusion? than it was reading Dawkins himself. While Dawkins goes out of his way (and indeed out of the confines of scientific inquiry) to castigate and villify believers, the McGraths don't attempt to alienate atheists for their beliefs. They simply ask that Dawkins drop his pretensions of objectivity and uncorrupted rationality and examine the highly subjective and irrational book that he has penned. The Dawkins Delusion is not an apologetic for Christianity (although it is discussed and the McGraths are both Christian) but instead seeks to engage Dawkins on a handful of his arguments. They state from the beginning that the book will not be a point-by-point refutation, but will instead examine key points and let the reader contemplate the fidelity of the rest of Dawkins' book.

I felt that this book was an even-handed and honest counter-point to The God Delusion. The authors highlight the points that they believe Dawkins gets right and challenge the points where he fails. It is a small book, but a fairly dense read. I read it twice to make sure I understood everything and I'm glad I did. While I don't agree with the McGraths across the board, theologically, I admire their deft and competent refutation of The God Delusion, which I found to be a highly flawed and hypocritical book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has read The God Delusion. It is important to read Dawkins' book first, so that the references in The Dawkins Delusion? make sense. Thanks for taking the time to read my review! ...more

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Jun 23, 2009 Jason rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: Nobody

Recommended to Jason by: Brian Clarke

Shelves: theology, non-fiction

The best thing that can be said for "The Dawkins Delusion?" is that at under 100 pages, it didn't waste too much of my time. To save you from wasting any of yours, let me summarize (and paraphrase): "Dawkins makes hateful baseless claims and ignores evidence that cuts against his position." If you're hoping for this book to say more, you'll be sorely disappointed (though perhaps appreciative of the irony).

I think perhaps I just need a break from this genre, for it has gotten to feel like a horri ...more

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Oct 17, 2017 Alex J. O'Connor added it

I'm not a 'Dawkinsian' in any sense of the word; I feel the author of this book's target is flawed in many ways in his approach to religion. However, this book is frankly appalling. It is littered with misrepresentations and misunderstandings, and also is at times exactly wrong.

For just one example, on page 58 McGrath claims that Leviticus 25 prohibits slavery. A minute's skim reading of this chapter reveals instead that it explicitly *endorses* slavery:

"Your male and female slaves are to come f ...more

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Nov 15, 2008 Andy rated it really liked it

I read this concurrently with The God Delusion, and must say I really appreciated McGrath's tone of patience and reasonableness, even when it was clear he strongly disagreed with Dawkins' arguements. As someone who is examining his beliefs and is fairly open to good arguments, no matter what they are, I found this slim volume helpful as a reminder, while reading Dawkins, that the passion and certainty of the author should not be substitutes for logic and evidence. For what it is intended to be, ...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Marvin rated it liked it

A friend of mine told me a story about the first book club he went to in our little desert town. The book to be discussed was The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. It was a big meeting but only a few were there to discuss the book. The bulk of the attendees were from churches in the area and their sole purpose for attending was to shut down the discussion, an objective which they achieved. The meeting soon degenerated into chaos.

This is typical of my many years of studying various religions and philoso ...more

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Jan 15, 2008 jeff rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: anyone that read The God Delusion.

Recommended to jeff by: Tony Abruscetto

I read The Dawkins Delusion not long after reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and I have to say, he "eviscerates" (Dawkins' cheesy word) Dawkins' arguments.

I had problems with The God Delusion as I noted in my review of the book and I don't hide the fact that I am a Christian. Maybe because of this I was more critical while reading Dawkins than I was with McGrath. I certainly did not make a conscious decision to do so.

McGrath completely tears down virtually all of Dawkins' arguments. I ...more

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Feb 07, 2008 Cheri rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, read-in-2008

The McGraths engage in a much more civil debate than Dawkins; I'll give them that. And that IS important. However, they deliberately miss many of the points that Dawkins makes in his book. Their arguments turn into more of a defense of their particular religion (Christianity) than a rebuttal to Dawkins assertions that support a theory that there is no god. Given the brevity of the book, which amounts to little more than a rap on the knuckles for being disrespectful, the McGraths would probably h ...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Steve Cann rated it did not like it

Oh dear me. I approached this book with an open mind, having recently read the excellent God Delusion, to see if the authors could provide me with a solid argument in defence of religion - and perhaps even give me a hint of proof of the existence of the supernatural deity they cling to.
No chance! This book appears to be the literary equivalent of the proverbial child who has thrown his or her toys out of the pram.

It begins (mistakenly) with repeatedly classing atheist belief as 'dogmatic' (fooli Oh dear me. I approached this book with an open mind, having recently read the excellent God Delusion, to see if the authors could provide me with a solid argument in defence of religion - and perhaps even give me a hint of proof of the existence of the supernatural deity they cling to.
No chance! This book appears to be the literary equivalent of the proverbial child who has thrown his or her toys out of the pram.

It begins (mistakenly) with repeatedly classing atheist belief as 'dogmatic' (foolishly firing back the very same accusation most thinking people would level at fundamental religion) and never really lets up from there. Atheism isn't dogmatic or fundamental - it's simply a case of 'opting-in' to reality and accepting what is as IS.
Why the need to add anything else, when reality itself is so beautiful and awe-inspiring.

The authors seem to have read a completely different book to me - I found The God Delusion gentle, intelligent, passionate, well-constructed, and a thorough investigation into what it is that is so seductive about religion. Richard also examines why it's endured for so long, in the face of such overwhelming evidence that supernatural deities don't exist.
It's crystal-clear to me that these deities are simply the product of over-active human imaginations, stemming (often) from childhood indoctrination.

The authors also clearly seem to have desperately searched The God Delusion for any tiny facet that they think they can seize upon to discredit Richard and his book, and all of their arguments are extremely weak indeed and poorly thought out. I'm sorry to say, but the level of writing and intellect on display here is no higher than that of a 12-year-old.
This (tellingly brief) book most certainly would not 'convert' any atheist - I imagine it would have the opposite effect! And yes - you simply just can't argue 'god' into existence.

I don't even class myself as an 'atheist' - why do I need to label myself with a word to describe the lack of belief in something for which I am 99.9999999% certain doesn't exist anyway? 'God' simply doesn't exist outside of language - it's an entirely made-up human construct. Humans created 'god' in their own image - NOT the other way around.

It seems to me from this reactionary book that Richard has certainly made some big waves in religious waters, and has certain 'believers' running scared. What a pity then that they still can't think out of their religious box. They'd be far better off waking up to reality, breaking free of their chains, and living life without the religious blinkers on - knowing it's the ONLY life they'll ever have.
This is the 21st century after all - NOT the Bronze Age. ...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Drew Smith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great book! While reading it, be sure to remember that it is merely a response essay rather than a book presenting an argument. McGrath does a fantastic job explaining his purpose in the introduction, so be sure to read that and not just jump in chapter 1. There are only 4 chapters for a total of 100 pages, but it is very rich in context and does a brilliant job pointing out the flaws in Dawkins's argument in "The God Delusion". Even though McGrath disagrees with Dawkins, even showing where he t ...more

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Dec 31, 2014 Karl rated it it was amazing

A succinct and fair-minded critique of Richard Dawkins' misrepresentation of religion, religious people and belief in God. ...more

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Apr 30, 2009 James rated it liked it

McGrath is a real smart guy and his criticisms made me think more deeply about what I read in The God Delusion.

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Feb 28, 2008 Tim rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Christians who want to argue with atheists

Shelves: science, unfinishable

Hmm.. I only got about 1/3 of the way through this very short book which was a present to me by someone who disagrees with Dawkins' 'God Delusion'...even though they haven't read that book.

Essentially, Dawkins who writes in a fundamental atheist manner in his book 'The God Delusion' and is responded to here in this book by McGrath, a fundamental Christian. There was great potential to hear reasoned debate and response to the Dawkins.

Sadly i could not not appreciate his arguments because he was ...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Alec rated it it was amazing

Shelves: theology

Reading this alongside the God Delusion is perhaps one of the most interesting and engaging discursive experiences I have had with two books. Regardless of your preconceptions, you should read both of these books, if only to inform yourself of the debate and to show you that neither side can conclusively "win" in these ostensibly rational/logical back-and-forths. What you will learn is that the perspective of both writers/camps is largely informed by their presuppositions (which is not a bad thi ...more

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Feb 12, 2015 Charbel rated it did not like it

Shelves: disliked

The Dawkins Delusion? promises counter-arguments to those presented by Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion, but unfortunately fails. Instead of a comeback volume designed to dispute Dawkins' massively popular book, we get just-over-a-100 pages of rants that strangely read like a negative review of the God Delusion.

I picked up this book for two reasons: 1) I liked the idea that someone wanted to add something to the debate, and 2) the authors seemed credible to do that, with Alister McGrath havin The Dawkins Delusion? promises counter-arguments to those presented by Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion, but unfortunately fails. Instead of a comeback volume designed to dispute Dawkins' massively popular book, we get just-over-a-100 pages of rants that strangely read like a negative review of the God Delusion.

I picked up this book for two reasons: 1) I liked the idea that someone wanted to add something to the debate, and 2) the authors seemed credible to do that, with Alister McGrath having a strong background in science and theology. However, I was thoroughly disappointed.

One of the things that ticked me off was the constant depiction of atheists in the book as nothing more than "Dawkins followers", as if all atheists belong to the church of Richard Dawkins. The fact that atheism is fundamentally unorganized in any way seemed to have escaped the authors, as did the idea that atheists openly criticize Dawkins and specifically view him positivly only for his outspokenness on the subject and his wonderful scientific contributions.

Beyond that the rest of the book is merely a collection of pseudo-arguments that constitute nothing more than a waste of time. For example, on the subject of faith Dawkins is very clear that accepting things without questioning them is ludicrous, but McGrath (which McGrath is not clear) goes on to say that that is not the definition of the 'Chrisitan faith', as opposed to the Muslim faith, or the Hindu faith or the Buddhist faith. Hence we see that McGrath is biased in his (or her) "arguments" defending not religion in general, but specifically the Christian religion. In fact, most of his arguments are Christio-centric and seem to forget all other religions. Well then what is the definition of the Chrisitan faith according to McGrath? None apparently is given.
Another "argument" presented goes like this (I'm paraphrasing): if God does not exist, then how come so many people turn to religion late in life?
This argument seems to indicate that there is, not just a correlation, but a direct causation between the existence of God and late in life conversions. McGrath seems to forget one of the fundamental themes of psychology, the question of whether human beings are consistent in their believes, their tastes, their personalities, all their lives, or are they prone to change. Never mind that personal experience is largely the main force behind these conversions, and that personal experience is subjective and is very much up for interpretation; and hence can't be used in an objective debate. But to McGrath all of that is irrelevant.

In conclusion, this book seems to be an attack on Dawkins for having written The God Delsuion in the first place. Obviously McGrath, who was once an atheist, felt offended by Dawkins' book and decided to declare out loud (though in a very well written manner) that he regrets nothing, which on its own is fine, but after having put the term "atheist fundementalism" in the title, as if atheists form some sort of militia led by Dawkins, is highly inadequate for such a measly piece of "objective reasoning". ...more

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Jan 11, 2008 Paul rated it liked it

Shelves: apologetics, the-new-atheism

[The] McGrath(es) do(es) a nice job at showing how The Dawkins constantly overreaches in his criticisms of God (Christianity, religion, &c.). How Dawkins continually substitutes rhetoric, vitriol, and ignorance in lieu of sustained and cogent argumentation. How Dawkins is selective in his appeal to history to indict the faithful (e.g., Pape's analysis of the motives of suicide bombers, the claims of some who died under the French revolution, the phenomena attending the problems in Northern Irela ...more

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Nov 21, 2013 Kris rated it it was amazing

Shelves: religion-christianity, books-owned

Clear, pointed, and effective. As usual, McGrath cuts right to the heart of the matter, elucidating and unraveling Dawkin's flawed ideas. My only complaint is that it's not a longer work, though I know there are more thorough rebuttals in McGrath's other works, like Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life.

Here are some good quotes from McGrath describing Dawkin's writing:

"The book is often little more than an aggregation of convenient factoids suitably overstated to achieve maximum i ...more

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Sep 23, 2009 Jeff rated it did not like it

I picked this book up with the Dawkin's God Delusion because it was right next to it. I'm sorry to say as short as it is I couldn't get through two chapters. Every other paragrah seemed to reference an earlier book or argument either by McGrath or Dawkins. When he wasn't self-promoting he was nitpicking on Dawkin's choice of examples or quotes. I won't say that its not informative as to different interpretations of the situations Dawkin raises in his book but it does little else. I found it a bi ...more

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Jul 30, 2013 Ryan rated it really liked it

On the whole, I enjoyed the book.

As for its strengths, I think that the authors provide reasonable critique of The God Delusion. Yes, the writers are Christians, but their only reliance upon Christian doctrine for rebuttal is found in chapter four. This provides a broader basis for their critique, highlighting both theists and atheists who disagree with Dawkins on evidential and philosophical grounds. Two things stood out as particularly insightful and devastating. What I find most devastating i On the whole, I enjoyed the book.

As for its strengths, I think that the authors provide reasonable critique of The God Delusion. Yes, the writers are Christians, but their only reliance upon Christian doctrine for rebuttal is found in chapter four. This provides a broader basis for their critique, highlighting both theists and atheists who disagree with Dawkins on evidential and philosophical grounds. Two things stood out as particularly insightful and devastating. What I find most devastating is the way in which they portray Dawkins as an atheist fundamentalist, a label that he would eschew, I'm sure. But their portrait of Dawkins as such does not seem far off the mark; it is the impression I had when I read Dawkins. The second point I also found on the mark was the consistent refrain that Dawkins doesn't so much provide sound logical arguments as he provides catchy sound bites that sound like they might be an argument. But a long litany of bald assertions does not an argument make. Now, Dawkins is perfectly capable of making good arguments, as the authors point out in his critique of Paley's watchmaker analogy. But as many others have pointed out (theist and atheist alike), Dawkins move from science to philosophy takes him out of his area of expertise and into a foreign land where his native tongue does not translate as well as he would like to think. Over and over again the McGraths point to places where Dawkins claims to have proved a point, yet his points are assumed rather than proven.

There are, however, weaknesses to be found. For those reading from a more conservative Christian perspective, some of the assumptions made by the authors might not sit well. If you are looking for a robust critique of evolutionary theory, do not expect it here. The McGraths are fine with theistic evolution, and while this serves the purposes of their argument well, some Christian readers might have biblical or theological reasons to reject this view. Another weakness is the sometimes polemical tone which can come across in their writing. The introduction begins with a congenial tone, but the farther in you read, the more polemical the writing becomes. Dawkins himself is no stranger to this style of writing, but it would have perhaps served the authors' purposes better if they would have avoided some of their direct verbal jabs at Dawkins and stuck to arguing against his points. Finally, there are some places where it seems that some more work could have been done to perhaps offer a stronger critique. For example, in answering the accusation that religion is evil, the authors neglect to ask how it is that Dawkins is even able to use the category of evil. Perhaps this is an unfair criticism, as the intent of the book is to offer a intellectually honest rebuttal to the points surrounding the God Delusion, not to come up with every possible defense. Still, readers might want to give further depth to their critique by consulting the likes of Alvin Plantinga or William Lane Craig.

In conclusion, I recommend this book to anyone who has had some interaction with The God Delusion. While you might not be able to agree with every jot and tittle, it is still a good response given its length and intended audience. If you have not had any interaction with The God Delusion, it might serve you better to read it first or to just go talk with your friendly neighborhood atheist and ask him what it is all about before jumping into this response.

Happy Reading! ...more

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Aug 14, 2007 Carl rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Anyone who has read Dawkins or is interested in the relationship of religion and science

Shelves: philosophy, christianity

So, for some reason this book is coming up pretty high on my Goodreads list, even though it's been a while since I've read it. My review seems a bit like trash talk to me now, esp. seeing as I still haven't actually read Dawkins' book. To be honest, I saw an uncut debate between these two on youtube a while back, and have to admit Dawkins came out on top. Well, it's been a while-- and I just don't trust debates anyway, I think written, relatively sympathetic communication is the best way to work So, for some reason this book is coming up pretty high on my Goodreads list, even though it's been a while since I've read it. My review seems a bit like trash talk to me now, esp. seeing as I still haven't actually read Dawkins' book. To be honest, I saw an uncut debate between these two on youtube a while back, and have to admit Dawkins came out on top. Well, it's been a while-- and I just don't trust debates anyway, I think written, relatively sympathetic communication is the best way to work through things. Well, there is a lot more I'd like to dig into re: the thought of both of these thinkers, so I think I will just say that I'm not so sure I stand wholeheartedly behind my review anymore, though I will need to return to this later to be sure. Gosh, I need to not get onto this stuff past midnight when I can't sleep...

Finally finished! A great book. Short, sure, but the last two chapters in particular really dug into the meat of the issues, and the final chapter even got into binary oppositions, deconstruction, and all that other epistemologically and ontologically savvy goodness that Dawkins lacks. Also check out Terry Eagleton's review here:
[http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n20/eagl01_....]
My original review before finishing the book is below.

Here is another link I came across recently, though I haven't had a chance to read it yet-- Willard's critique of Dawkin's The Blind Watchmaker: [http://www.dwillard.org/articles/artv...]

Looks good so far, though definitely feels as though written for a popular audience (meaning, it feels at times as though there could be more meat-- though every time I think that I come across something that really satisfies). I really need to actually get around to reading Dawkins' book. I also really liked Terry Eagleton's review of The God Delusion (which can be found online somewhere-- I'll try to find the link and paste it here). From what I understand, Dawkins jumps into several different fields he is inadequately prepared to discuss, let alone criticize (Christian theology and worldview, philosophy, epistemology, etc), and McGrath and Eagleton are well suited to take him to task for those particular failings. Eagleton, of course, is not a scientist (actually, I don't even know if he is a Christian, but that is beside the point-- I'm more interested in the fact that his background in criticism and philosophy give him the epistemological sophistication and humility which Dawkins lacks), but McGrath is a very appropriate choice for a response, as he not only has degrees in both a science (I believe it was one of the biological sciences) and in theology (at least I think he had a degree-- he may have just studied on his own), but also converted to Christianity from Atheism after pursuing both fields of knowledge.
Again, I really need to read Dawkins' book-- I suspect, from these reviews, that my post-modern-academic heart will scream with outrage at every other word of Dawkins' clumsy logical-positivism, but if I'm going to be outraged anyway, I may as well make sure that I'm outraged at the real thing, and not just some idea. ...more

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Feb 19, 2010 Philip rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, christian

First off I'll admit to not having read The God Delusion itself. So until then, my 4/5 rating is provisional; 3.5/5 would probably be more accurate, and giving 4/5 instead of 3/5 shifts the average rating in that direction.

The absolutely fundamental point for anybody thinking of reading this book to consider is that it is NOT a plug for Christianity. The book is very short (my edition is 78 pages - 12 of those pages are notes, references and further reading) and focuses on refuting the points Da First off I'll admit to not having read The God Delusion itself. So until then, my 4/5 rating is provisional; 3.5/5 would probably be more accurate, and giving 4/5 instead of 3/5 shifts the average rating in that direction.

The absolutely fundamental point for anybody thinking of reading this book to consider is that it is NOT a plug for Christianity. The book is very short (my edition is 78 pages - 12 of those pages are notes, references and further reading) and focuses on refuting the points Dawkins makes in The God Delusion. The fact that the McGraths are Christian is almost incidental: they occasionally draw upon examples from Christianity. From the offset it is evident that the purpose of the book is to discredit The God Delusion.

The book is very focused: there is little of the rhetoric and nastiness which I understand plagues The God Delusion. Most of the points made are very well-written, although the McGraths occasionally ignore what I feel to be the more obvious responses to Dawkins' ramblings. The most prominent example is the section attempting to refute Dawkins' idea that Christian faith is irrational. The McGraths put across a slightly convulated argument; I was expecting them to point out that the Greek word used in the New Testament for "faith" is "pistis", which is best translated to "trust based on prior evidence". The Biblical definition of faith is completely rational and certainly not "blind", and I am surprised Alister McGrath (of all people) did not make that point.

While the McGraths correctly criticise Dawkins for tarring all Christians with the same brush, they occasionally slip and describe Dawkins as, among other things, atheism's "leading contemporary defender". I am sure that any reasonably well-educated atheist would be offended by being put in the same corner as Dawkins.

All that said, the vast majority of the arguments are very fluid and to the point. For someone looking for a response to the claims made in The God Delusion and only in The God Delusion, this is a good candidate for reading. ...more

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Nov 09, 2008 ♥ Ibrahim ♥ added it

Shelves: books-i-loathe

Alister McGrath acted like a Christian fundamentalist when he responded to the book of Richard Dawkins with an attack on his personality in the form of a book "The Dawkins Delusion". Richard Dawkins has every right to look at me as a believer in God and say that the idea of God is a delusion, since it is all in the mind and in the heart, etc. But does that give me the right to attack his person and publish a book about it attacking his mental powers by calling my book "The Dawkins Delusion"? Ali ...more

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Jun 19, 2009 Virgiliana rated it liked it

McGrath does a nice job of exposing Dawkins' The God Delusion for the unscholarly jumble of half-arguments that it is. McGrath's clarity of thought and calm, even tone provide a soothing contrast after one has endured Dawkins' venomous ramblings. But other than that, McGrath's response seems superfluous to anyone familiar with the history of serious debate between Christians and atheists. I suppose his effortless refutation of Dawkins' accusations would be helpful to someone who has only been in ...more

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Mar 02, 2009 Mike rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: anyone that has read the The God Delusion

A VERY fair and forthright dealing with a few of the quotes from Dawkins' book, The God Delusion.

Otherwise, he is obviuosly ignorant of the science involved. ...more

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Nov 04, 2008 Tattered Cover Book Store added it

Shelves: staff-recommends, chris-c-recommends

Whether you loved The God Delusion or hated it (few people felt anything in between), you really ought to read this book. (If you didn't read The God Delusion, then there's not much point in reading this one either.) In 97 pages, the McGraths lay out clearly and concisely the many points in
Dawkins's book that are exaggerated, misguided, or just plain false. Though we keep the book in Theology, it does not in fact propose any religious stance or system, but rather defends the legitimacy (rather t ...more

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Jun 21, 2009 Jess rated it really liked it

Recommended by Chad, and largely appreciated -- not just for the facts, but also for the dispassionate and reasoned tone in which the McGraths go about this task. Not a line-by-line or premise-by-premise refutation of Dawkins' God Delusion, but it does not set out to be. Rather, it addresses a number of issues raised in Dawkins' work and attempts to approach those who hold them "with complete intellectual respect rather than dismissing them as liars, knaves and charlatans" -- an approach he repe ...more

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Aug 28, 2013 Dave rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: actual-factual

This book is accurate, incisive, persuasive, well-researched and, above all, fair. Because it has all those qualities - particularly that last one - it brilliantly shows how and where Dawkins' book "The God Delusion", and some of his other work, lacks them.

A compelling read, "The Dawkins Delusion" does not set out to slate Dawkins' work but instead to respond fairly and intelligently to the arguments he raises. In parts it is equally critical of some of the poor arguments put forward by Christia ...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Clare rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, belief

This book is concise and well-reasoned, and serves its purpose as a contrast and alternative to The God Delusion by means of those very characteristics.

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Jan 19, 2020 Cashmere rated it really liked it

An interesting and worthwhile read.

A unique set of circumstances came together for me to read this book. Let me start out by saying that I was raised a Christian, and still consider myself to be spiritual if not entirely religious. I am certainly a theist.

An intelligent public figure whose work I like, respect and have enjoyed for decades recently passed away. While his death was a shock and sad as it would be under any circumstances, his atheism made it even sadder for me.

It prompted me to thin ...more

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Dec 11, 2018 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: seminary, theology, read-in-2018, philosophy

I wish this book were a little longer and meatier, but I suppose the nature of Dawkins book didn't really leave room for that kind of engagement. As McGrath said, Dawkins' book "is often little more than an aggregation of convenient factoids suitably overstated to achieve maximum impact and loosely arranged to suggest that they constitute an argument" (13). Therefore, trying to rebut every inaccuracy would be tedious and dull. So instead, McGrath chose key points to challenge him on. ...more

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Apr 25, 2019 Ross Ripamonti rated it really liked it

McGrath is everything that Dawkins is not: level-headed, balanced and winsome. He demonstrates how (ironically) unscientific, dogmatic and angry Dawkins has become in many respects - unfortunately a trend which has continued since his publication of 'The God Delusion' in 2006. ...more

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About Alister E. McGrath

Alister E. McGrath

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Alister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College L ...more