Religion and the Critical Mind: A Journey for Seekers, Doubters, and the Curious

Religion and the Critical Mind provides an overview of the Western heritage of the criticism of religion. Anton Jacobs surveys criticisms from within and without religion from the time of the Hebrew prophets and classical Greek thinkers until the Enlightenment and shows how developments during the Renaissance, Reformation, and the scientific revolution laid foundations for later, modern critiques. While sympathetic to religion, Jacobs listens carefully to its best critics and dedicates a chapter to each of the modern critics of religion: Voltaire, Marx, Nietzsche, Durkheim, Freud, and Russell. He supplies context for their criticism and gauges their impact on religion. While effectively arguing that there are only three real stances a modern person can take on religion and offering an apologia for all religions, Jacobs makes a persuasive case in favor of religious participation.