Not Seeing God

Atheism is an evolving worldview - not the single proposition that God does not exist, but everything else that might or might not go with it. With only a single sentence about the existence of single entity, there is huge scope - necessity, even - for having to reasonably work everything else out. It’s a lot more difficult to figure out the world when it’s not handed to you in an old, outdated book. The world is sometimes a complicated place. With this in mind, Not Seeing God looks at the challenges of leaving religion, arguing for atheism, the role and position of atheism in society and where we go from here. This anthology of chapters from the writers of Patheos Nonreligious is a cornucopia of skeptical delights and is a necessary addition to any nonbeliever's bookshelf, as well as that of the questioning believer. From philosophy to psychology, politics to cinema, the military to folklore, it's all here in glorious variety, at the crossroad of atheism and society.

“...this collection has something for everyone to enjoy and ponder... [and] should be considered required reading for the well-informed non-theist.” - Caleb Lack, author and Director of the Seular Therapy Project  

“Anyone who has even a passing interest in religion or atheism has much—interesting things, important things, fun things—to learn from the writers included in this book.” - Ed Buckner, Former President of American Atheists 

"In Not Seeing God, Jonathan MS Pearce has done a wonderful job of providing a very wide range of thoughtful and personal perspectives that give the reader every reason to doubt belief in God. This volume provides a unique contribution to the canon of contemporary god-skeptical literature and is recommended to every curious reader interested in such discussions." – James A. Lindsay, author of Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly and Everybody Is Wrong About God

"A varied and interesting collection of work from a great variety of contributors, all weaving together a compelling theme of places and cultures where no god is found." – Ed Suominen, co-author of Evolving out of Eden; editor, Tellectual Press.

"Not Seeing God is an excellent collection of some of the best skeptical writers working today. As one would expect from the writers at Patheos Nonreligious, each piece is well crafted, often humorous, occasionally moving, and always deeply insightful. The quality and diversity of writers and their approaches to not seeing god(s) makes this text a handy reference tool... this book has so much to offer that I suspect it’ll spend a lot more time sitting on my desk than it will on a shelf." – David Fletcher, author of Myth Education: A Guide to Gods, Goddesses, and Other Supernatural Beings

"An original collection of essays ranging from positive arguments for atheism to godlessness in different parts of the world, from the raising of children to meaning and purpose without God. The real surprise here is the number of new ideas presented." – Franz Kiekeben, philosopher and author of The Truth about God and of Atheism: Q&A

In Not Seeing God, philosopher and author Jonathan MS Pearce has collected the top writers on Patheos Nonreligious and set them to work deconstructing god and reconstructing our view of what it means to be godless, both today and in the future. From showing how god as a construct is a side effect of our natural psychology to how the stories in the Bible are folklore rather than truth, from musings on being non-religious across areas of the globe as diverse as Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, to thoughts on how life holds purpose without the supernatural, this collection has something for everyone to enjoy and ponder. This book should be considered required reading for the well-informed non-theist.

–Dr. Caleb Lack, author of Critical Thinking, Science, and Pseudoscience: Why You Can't Trust Your Brain and Psychology Gone Astray: A Selection of Racist & Sexist Literature from Early Psychological Research, blogger at Great Plains Skeptic

Anyone who has even a passing interest in religion or atheism has much—interesting things, important things, fun things—to learn from the writers included in this book.... [A] fascinating, interesting, useful book.

–Ed Buckner, author (with Michael E. Buckner) of In Freedom We Trust: An Atheist Guide to Religious Liberty, Former President of American Atheists

An original collection of essays ranging from positive arguments for atheism to godlessness in different parts of the world, from the raising of children to meaning and purpose without God. The real surprise here is the number of new ideas presented.

–Franz Kiekeben, philosopher and author of The Truth about God and of Atheism: Q&A

In Not Seeing God, Jonathan MS Pearce has done a wonderful job of providing a very wide range of thoughtful and personal perspectives that give the reader every reason to doubt belief in God. This volume provides a unique contribution to the canon of contemporary god-skeptical literature and is recommended to every curious reader interested in such discussions.

–James A. Lindsay, author of Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly and Everybody Is Wrong About God

A varied and interesting collection of work from a great variety of contributors, all weaving together a compelling theme of places and cultures where no god is found.

–Ed Suominen, co-author of Evolving out of Eden; editor, Tellectual Press.

Not Seeing God is the perfect sequel and antidote to Catholic philosopher Michael Novak’s No One Sees God in which he confessed: “The atheist does not see God—but neither does the believer.... Believers in God well know, in the night, that what the atheist holds may be true.”

–David Warden, Chairman of Dorset Humanists (the UK’s largest humanist group) and Honorary Member of Humanists UK

Not Seeing God is a concentrated blend of the classical and contemporary arguments against religious dogma from some of today's most popular philosophical thinkers comprising rapid fire rationality sprinkled with clarity, wisdom and cutting wit. A thoroughly entertaining read that will undoubtedly rattle the cages of dogmatic certainty.

–Paul Thompson, The Skepticule Podcast