Recommended books from a theist's perspective?

MagicMarker · 10-08-2010 2:33pm #1

Can anyone recommend a book in defense of religion that they may have read?

MrPudding · 10-08-2010 2:58pm

Have you tried the book recommendation stickie on the other forum?

MrP

robindch · 10-08-2010 3:03pm

Last two I read were perhaps 8 years ago, Salt of the Earth (from a long interview with Ratzinger before he was pope), and perhaps five years ago, Grant Jeffrey's Creation: Remarkable Evidence of God's Design. Both, I hasten to add, were read at the behest of friends and both were execrable beyond my wildest imaginings, though at least Seewald was aware of English grammar.

I wouldn't recommend either of them.

MagicMarker · 10-08-2010 3:07pm

I tend not to go in there too often, and usually only when I open up a thread from the main page. Didn't realise they had a book sticky tbh.

Although, I'm not entirely sure I'm going to find what I'm looking for in there, I'll have a look later though.

I'm mainly looking for books that make a case for God, possibly in response to Dawkins/Hitchens/Harris etc...

magicbastarder · 10-08-2010 3:08pm

a friend of mine recommended a book called (i think) to put away childish things written by an ex-nun (still a practicing catholic) which as my friend described, was a call to catholics to face up to the obvious contradictions in their faith; but it was still a book written from the perspective of someone with faith.

edit:
http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Away-Childish-Things-Believe/dp/0060668601/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281449445&sr=8-4

mixed reviews.

antiskeptic · 10-08-2010 3:09pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a book in defense of religion that they may have read?

Does God believe in Atheists by John Blanchard is a pretty good (if flawed) read if you want something that covers the full breath of the ways in which a belief in God is rationalised. His approach is two-fold: he examines the various godless philosophies (starting way back at the start) and decontructs to reveal the problems within. Then he talks a look at the positive reasons for belief. Although a Christian, he deliberately steers clear of Christianity until the latter stages in the book

Pro's:

- encylopedic coverage of the various arguments
- entertaining and readable
- full of fascinating facts and figures
- a great intro to the subject

Con's

- is clearly anti-evolutionary but the creationist case is weak - even quotemining out of context at times.
- because he starts from the start - with the foundational philosophies on which modern philosophy is built - the book is slow to get going. Indeed, he warns of this and permits folk to skip the opening chapters if they like.

Dades · 10-08-2010 3:13pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

I'm mainly looking for books that make a case for God, possibly in response to Dawkins/Hitchens/Harris etc...

Haven't read it - but The Case for God might be one to look at:
(Cover familiar?)

Though you could just try reading the phone book if you want to irritate yourself to the point of distraction..

johnfás · 10-08-2010 3:40pm

I haven't read either of these books but I have heard both being recommended, particularly the second book . The first book is written by an Irish chap who used to be a molecular biophysicist - I have heard it criticised for not fleshing out its arguments in enough detail. The latter is a series of correspondence between a theologian and his atheist father - I have heard it highly recommended.

1. Alistair McGrath, The Dawkins Delusion
You can pick it up for 36 pence second hand on Amazon (£4.79 new)

2. Gregory Boyd and Edward Boyd, Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father's Questions about Christianity
You can pick it up for about £5 second hand on Amazon (£7.74 new)
I think there is an older edition which may be cheaper and more available second hand.

robindch · 10-08-2010 3:55pm

johnfás wrote: »

Alistair McGrath, The Dawkins Delusion
You can pick it up for 36 pence second hand on Amazon (£4.79 new)

I've read parts of this in Waterstones and it's really not very good at all -- specifically, since he doesn't really respond to any of the arguments in the terms in which they are stated.

magicbastarder · 10-08-2010 4:13pm

i once read a book which used probability theory to calculate the probability of god's existence. an interesting read from the point of view of seeing how the process worked, but not something i'd recommend heartily.

hiorta · 10-08-2010 6:37pm

There's someone who actually knows who/ what 'god' is? Amazing!

Or, is it just another one who puts 'god' into a container appropriate to their own brainwashing experieces?

MagicMarker · 10-08-2010 7:03pm

Thanks for the suggestions guys...

robindch wrote: »

Last two I read were perhaps 8 years ago, Salt of the Earth (from a long interview with Ratzinger before he was pope), and perhaps five years ago, Grant Jeffrey's Creation: Remarkable Evidence of God's Design. Both, I hasten to add, were read at the behest of friends and both were execrable beyond my wildest imaginings, though at least Seewald was aware of English grammar.

I wouldn't recommend either of them.

Yeah, I may give them a miss alright! :pac:

magicbastarder wrote: »

a friend of mine recommended a book called (i think) to put away childish things written by an ex-nun (still a practicing catholic) which as my friend described, was a call to catholics to face up to the obvious contradictions in their faith; but it was still a book written from the perspective of someone with faith.

edit:
http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Away-Childish-Things-Believe/dp/0060668601/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281449445&sr=8-4

mixed reviews.

This sounds quite interesting actually, I'll have to keep it in mind.

antiskeptic wrote: »

Does God believe in Atheists by John Blanchard is a pretty good (if flawed) read if you want something that covers the full breath of the ways in which a belief in God is rationalised. His approach is two-fold: he examines the various godless philosophies (starting way back at the start) and decontructs to reveal the problems within. Then he talks a look at the positive reasons for belief. Although a Christian, he deliberately steers clear of Christianity until the latter stages in the book

Pro's:

- encylopedic coverage of the various arguments
- entertaining and readable
- full of fascinating facts and figures
- a great intro to the subject

Con's

- is clearly anti-evolutionary but the creationist case is weak - even quotemining out of context at times.
- because he starts from the start - with the foundational philosophies on which modern philosophy is built - the book is slow to get going. Indeed, he warns of this and permits folk to skip the opening chapters if they like.

This is like 800 pages long! It would take me about a year to finish.

Dades wrote: »

Haven't read it - but The Case for God might be one to look at:
(Cover familiar?)

Though you could just try reading the phone book if you want to irritate yourself to the point of distraction..

This one sounds quite good, although I checked out the author on youtube and she bored me to tears! Hopefully, the book isn't as boring!

johnfás wrote: »

I haven't read either of these books but I have heard both being recommended, particularly the second book . The first book is written by an Irish chap who used to be a molecular biophysicist - I have heard it criticised for not fleshing out its arguments in enough detail. The latter is a series of correspondence between a theologian and his atheist father - I have heard it highly recommended.

1. Alistair McGrath, The Dawkins Delusion
You can pick it up for 36 pence second hand on Amazon (£4.79 new)

2. Gregory Boyd and Edward Boyd, Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father's Questions about Christianity
You can pick it up for about £5 second hand on Amazon (£7.74 new)
I think there is an older edition which may be cheaper and more available second hand.

I probably wouldn't go near the first one but the seconds sounds really good! Thanks!

Recommended books from a theist's perspective?

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