How to Be an Atheist
Inaugural Lecture Delivered at the University of Cambridge, 12 October 2001

Denys Turner is a philosopher who holds a chair in Cambridge's Faculty of Divinity. In this erudite and entertaining lecture he explores the conditions for the belief that God does not exist. According to Turner, the first challenge lies in acknowledging the question 'Does God exist?' to be a valid one. Once the question is established, various things follow, each one making it harder to maintain 'atheism' as a credible or interesting position. Turner boxes atheists into a philosophical corner, showing how the belief that something has come of nothing is itself an acknowledgement of God's existence. Enlisting the help of thinkers as diverse as Aquinas, Kant, Wittgenstein, Nicholas Lash and John Milbank, Turner's witty and provocative piece will be of interest to anyone engaged in religious enquiry who has wondered about the nature and status of atheism as a defendable intellectual position in our age.

Customer reviews

Product details

• Date Published: July 2002
• format: Paperback
• isbn: 9780521526326
• length: 44 pages

• dimensions: 187 x 124 x 5 mm
• weight: 0.053kg
• availability: Unavailable - out of print September 2003