Progressive Atheism: How Moral Evolution Changes the God Debate

Description

Progressive Atheism: How Moral Evolution Changes the God Debate introduces a new way of thinking about the existence of God, offering such a positive portrayal that you may sometimes wonder whether youre reading the thoughts of a believer. Starting with the simple idea that what it takes to be a good person changes all the time, J.L. Schellenberg looks at the qualities we pride ourselves on now and compares them to attitudes in the past. He considers how sensitivity, kindness, and nonviolence are more valued now than at any other point in history. As Schellenberg explains how our standards of goodness change, he shows how our idea of God's goodness changes too: the masculine images of God as haughty King or distant Father have been replaced by God as a paragon of nonviolence and moral goodness. But by allowing us to see how admirable God has now become, Schellenberg is able to give us compelling new reasons why God does not exist. Dedication Contents Preface 1 Getting Oriented 2 An (A)Theological Dead End 3 Naturalism’s Shortcut 4 Unexplored Territory: Moral Evolution 5 Updating God 6 A Relationally Responsive God 7 A Kinder God 8 A Nonviolent God 9 Challenging the New Theism 10 Atheism’s Brave New World Notes Glossary Acknowledgments Index