2008-05-26 Feeble minded unoriginal drivel

The old saying `never judge a book by its covers' applies here. Any merit stops with the Edward Pentin's brilliant front cover caricature of an atheist love-fest ( in the form of `The Last Supper' by Leonardo da Vinci) involving the writers who Beattie feebly tries to demonise.

If you are an atheist looking for an insightful critique of the new atheist literature from the other point of view you will not find it here. As a committed catholic it is amazing that the woman has almost nothing to say to directly counter the informed arguments of those featured on the front cover. It is neither historically rich, philosophically deep nor stimulatingly original.

In a section entitled `celestial teapots and other nonsense' one might for example imagine that she is going to be brave enough to tackle the now famous argument of Bertrand Russell. Perhaps one might reasonably look forward to a well reasoned theological critique. With typical empty-headedness all she does is refer to recent comments on that argument by Dawkins and says absolutely nothing of any substance. If this book were at all typical of today's theological establishment, theology would be in a truly sad state.

The educational basis on which she is qualified to pronounce does not seem to stretch as far as modern science for she refers to Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud as `men of science' in the same sentence as Charles Darwin. Scientists on reading this must be laughing into their lab coats. Indeed this statement is typical the level of academic excellence that this `Reader in Religious Studies' at Roehampton University seems capable of in this ill-considered little book.

Apparently writing books is now to be considered dangerous, if you are not of Beattie's persuasion even although no violence or illegally is advocated by her opponents. The so called `war' on religion that she portrays appears to have nothing in the form of witch drownings, burnings at the stake or plain old killing that used to be the practice of her fellow religionists.

This book is almost completely vacuous from start to finish and appears to be a totally cynical money making exercise by Darton, Longman and Todd. At least they gave us the front cover.

Amazon has many other books written from a non-atheist perspective. Spend your money on a book by someone who at least knows a scientist when she sees one.