Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Atheism
- The Cambridge History of Atheism
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Part I Preliminaries
- Part II Atheisms in History
- Part III Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment
- Part IV Classical Modernity: Philosophical and Scientific Currents
- Part V Classical Modernity: Social and Political Currents
- Part VI Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Intellectual and Artistic Currents
- Part VII Lived Atheism in the Twentieth- and Twenty-First Centuries: Case-Studies
- Part VIII Emerging Atheisms in the Twenty-First Century
- 54 New Atheism
- 55 The Internet and the Social Media Revolution
- 56 The Atheist Spring? Emerging Non-belief in the Islamic World
- 57 Intersectional Atheisms: Race, Gender, and Sexuality
- 58 Religion for Atheists? Transhumanism, Mindfulness, and Atheist Churches
- 59 Atheism Throughout the World
- Part IX Conclusion
- Index
- References
58 - Religion for Atheists? Transhumanism, Mindfulness, and Atheist Churches
from Part VIII - Emerging Atheisms in the Twenty-First Century
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 September 2021
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of Atheism
- The Cambridge History of Atheism
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Part I Preliminaries
- Part II Atheisms in History
- Part III Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment
- Part IV Classical Modernity: Philosophical and Scientific Currents
- Part V Classical Modernity: Social and Political Currents
- Part VI Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries: Intellectual and Artistic Currents
- Part VII Lived Atheism in the Twentieth- and Twenty-First Centuries: Case-Studies
- Part VIII Emerging Atheisms in the Twenty-First Century
- 54 New Atheism
- 55 The Internet and the Social Media Revolution
- 56 The Atheist Spring? Emerging Non-belief in the Islamic World
- 57 Intersectional Atheisms: Race, Gender, and Sexuality
- 58 Religion for Atheists? Transhumanism, Mindfulness, and Atheist Churches
- 59 Atheism Throughout the World
- Part IX Conclusion
- Index
- References
Summary
The concept of “religion for atheists” or an “atheist church” might at first glance seem paradoxical. Indeed, the common understanding of atheism is that it means to be without theism or religion. However, there are an increasing number of atheists who engage in what might be seen as “religion-like” practices. There are atheists who gather together on Sundays to sing songs together, listen to engaging presentations, and build community with like-minded people. There are atheists that seek out experiences of “secular spirituality” and “horizontal transcendence” through practices like mindfulness meditation and sensory deprivation. And there are atheists who have dogmatic beliefs about existential and moral questions that they attempt to “evangelize” to others.
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- The Cambridge History of Atheism , pp. 1080 - 1094Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
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