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Rage Against God
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Item Description...
Overview
Hitchens describes his tumultuous journey from atheist to Christian and the moral reasoning that caused his conversion.
Publishers Description
"On this my brother and I agree: that independence of mind is immensely precious, and that we should try to tell the truth in clear English even if we are disliked for doing so."---Author Peter Hitchens on finding common ground with his brother, celebrated atheist Christopher Hitchens
Here, for the first time, Peter Hitchens, brother of prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens, chronicles his personal journey through disbelief into a committed Christian faith. With unflinching openness and intellectual honesty, Hitchens describes the personal loss and philosophical curiosity that led him to burn his Bible at prep school and embrace atheism in its place. From there, he traces his experience as a journalist in Soviet Moscow, and the critical observations that left him with more questions than answers, and more despair than hope for how to live a meaningful life.
With first-hand insight into the blurring of the line between politics and the Church, Hitchens reveals the reasons why an honest assessment of Atheism cannot sustain disbelief in God. In the process, he provides hope for all believers who, in the words of T.S. Eliot, may discover "the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." |
Item Specifications...
Pages 224
Dimensions: Length: 0.75" Width: 6" Height: 9"
Weight: 0.95 lbs.
Binding Hardcover
Release Date May 1, 2010
Publisher Zondervan Publishing
ISBN 0310320313
EAN 9780310320319
UPC 025986320317
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Availability 39 units.
Availability accurate as of May 30, 2012 03:52.
Usually ships within one to two business days from New Kensington, PA.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Defecting from the League of the Militant Godless Jun 7, 2010 |
The Hitchens brothers are a study in contrasts. Christopher, the eldest, is an atheist, man of the Left, and resolute supporter of the War on Terror. Peter, the youngest, is a Christian, man of the Right, and opponent of the same war. The former wrote God Is Not Great. With The Rage Against God, the latter has now published his rebuttal.
The rebuttal unfolds in three parts. Part 1, "A Personal Journey through Atheism," is autobiographical, and for my money, the best part of the book. Born in 1951 on Malta, the son of a British naval officer, Peter was educated in a naval boarding school, steeped in his country's intertwined patriotic traditions and state church. After two world wars, however, that patriotism and religion lost credibility. "As the old regimes, one by one, crumbled and sagged, the churches crumbled and sagged with them." Peter came of age in the dissolution of Empire. Its dissolution was the cultural milieu in which Peter's patriotism and childhood religion dissolved too. At 12, he announced his disbelief. At 15, he burned his Bible. Until he returned to church in 1985, he considered himself a man of the Trotskyist Left, which is what Christopher continues to be.
Why did he return to church? A number of reasons: On a tour of France, he viewed Rogier van der Weyden's 15th-Century polyptych, The Last Judgment, which 500 years after its painting caused Peter to "tremble for the things of which my conscience was afraid." Marriage and fatherhood played a role too. But two years of reporting on the Soviet Union as that empire unwound, as well as journalistic experiences in Mogadishu, convinced him that civilization is a fragile thing and that belief in God helps to contrain humanity's violent tendencies.
Part 2, "Addressing the Three Failed Arguments of Atheism," asks and answers three questions: "Are conflicts fought in the name of religion conflicts about religion?" No. They can be, but they aren't necessarily. Where they are, Peter is critical, writing, "The Christian church has been powerfully damaged by letting itself be confused with love of country and the making of great wars." Second, "Is it possible to determine what is right and what is wrong with God?" No. Atheism admits of no moral absolutes. Indeed, it cannot, for there is no natural explanation of human moral behavior. And finally, "Are atheist states not actually atheist?" Christopher argued that the Soviet Union under Stalin, with its cult of personality and whatnot, was functionally religious. It's a clever argument that is betrayed by a simple fact: "Atheist states have a consistent tendency to commit mass murders in the name of the greater good." Knowing this, Peter concludes: "This suggests that terror and slaughter are inherent in utopian materialist revolutionary movements."
Perhaps feeling that he has not decisively laid this third atheist argument to rest, Peter returns to the question in Part 3, "The League of the Militant Godless" (the name of an actual group in the early years of the Russian Revolution). This part focuses on the campaign against the Christian religion the Soviet Union waged throughout its revolutionary history. If the Soviet state were not militantly godless, why did it engage in such a long-last war against belief from its inception under Lenin? Given that the "Living Church" was willing to make its peace with the Soviets, why did the Soviets persecute the faithful, even consuming "Living Church" priests and bishops once they had served their purpose? Because the Soviets desired absolute control, and as Peter writes in an earlier section of the book: "in an age of power-worship, the Christian religion has become the principal obstacle to the desire of earthly utopians for absolute power." The final chapter of the book, "The Great Debate," notes that the rhetoric of the so-called "New Atheists"--including brother Christopher's rhetoric--is eerily similar to the Soviets', which is obviously worrisome.
In an Epilogue to the book, Peter recounts a debate with Christopher in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The brothers have been at odds since childhood and are more or less estranged now. But other than the occasional barb, they refused to make their debate personal. Indeed, in a touching incident that Peter recounts, Christopher even cooked his brother dinner during a visit at Christopher's Washington D.C. apartment. The scene is bittersweet to read. But no doubt the debate continues. | | | | Rage Based on Preferences Exposed Jun 4, 2010 |
Peter Hitchens knows that theism is rational as well as the only immutable source for moral absolutes. Additionally he understands that the rational proofs for theism have not "persuaded anyone who didn't want to be convinced in the first place." Men have rational presuppositions and ethical preferences and these are what compel men to affirm or deny theism. Hitchens adds: "What I'm interested in is the motives people have for belief -- and unbelief. Hence the title: The Rage Against God."
Rational pre-commitments guide the theist and the non-theist to their worldview forasmuch as Hitchens explains "the modish Rage against God (and the snobbish contempt for believers which generally accompanies it) among people who think highly of themselves, and often scornfully of others" is in fact irrational and destructive. Theism is morally and rationally necessary for a thriving individual and culture as it is the bulwark for stability.
In "The Rage Against God," Peter Hitchens, brother of well-known pugnacious atheist Christopher Hitchens, discusses:
- His individual trials and rational inquisitiveness that brought him to the point where he burned his Bible at school as he turned to atheism in his youth
- His personal passage from non-theism to Christian theism
- His interesting and eye-opening experience as a journalist in the atheistic USSR
- The loss of the membership and vitality within church in the UK and much of Europe.
Herein is a fascinating page-turner that offers autobiographical accounts of Hitchens' own experience with communism, Atheism, and modern European life. Hitchens provides a potent and alluring account of a life of unbelief that turned to Christianity a discovered rational consistency and moral truths in God.
The Necessary Existence of God: The Proof of Christianity Through Presuppositional Apologetics | | |  | An educational read May 27, 2010 |
The first half of this book is brief history of post WWII England's Christian de-evolution. The auther sets up his metaphysical discussion (the last half the book) By explaining what he feels are the reasons Christianity and faith suffered a cultural rebellion in the years following the second world war. Being that the author is himself British, this story focuses mainly on the culture of Britain. The actual writing is very proper and detailed, meaning it is not what most people would consider to be "light reading."
For the second half of the book, Hitchens takes care to point out exactly how and why the Christian faith, while practiced by flawed humans; remains the only source for a decent and civilized world. The author directs his book to comparing Christian worldview to that of "Anti-theism." Using specific historic examples as well as logic, Hitchens brilliantly guides the reader through the fatal flaws of the modern anti-theistic worldview. He explains why in his view, anti-theists are threatened and have such an animosity towards Christianity.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
Toward the end of the book the author frequetly thrusts his brother's thoughts and comments into his argument. Appearently the brother is an avouwed athiest who has written numerous books. I couldnt help but feel that this sounded a little of family fuedish after awhile. What I think is also a positive point.. the last few chapters take time drawing a parallel between the atrocities and failures of communist Russia and the logical conclusion of modern anti-theism. This is a facinating point that had not fully occured to me before. I do think a reader will be enlightened by this point.
I did find the title to be somewhat misleading. Hitchens actually spends comparably little time discussing his personal journey from athiest to Christian. The four star is not a knock against the book itself. Earlier I mentioned that this is written with a focus on English History. Thus I do feel this might have a bit more meaning for an English reader an American. However this book is filled with important knowledge and gems that will only enhance your brain. | | |  | The other side of the trend May 21, 2010 |
| I appreciate this book if only because it was about time that someone come up with a balance for all the much-hyped "new atheist" books out there right now. It's funny if a bit too perfect that it just so happens this guy's brothers is one of the new atheist kings. However, I found the book to be a disappointingly dry read. | | | | It Wasn't What I Expected May 21, 2010 |
I have Hitchens' brother's memoir and I have read Christopher Hitchen's famous book against God, so it was with great interest that I picked up Peter's book. I must confess that even now I am not sure what I expected from this book. I did expect a memoir, which this book is. I did not expect a theological discourse on religion and its affairs in England nor did I expect a political discourse on communism, which I must say is rather confusing because it seems to be disjointed and unrelated to the rest of the book. I love the storytelling and the adventures Hitchens went on as a journalist and personal tidbits he shared about his faith. But his political views are rather confusing. Maybe because it jumps from subject to subject and without a lot of details to back it up.
This is definitely a memoir that I am glad that I picked up to read. I just wish it was better edited as it jumped all over the place. I love the historical tidbits, the personal tidbits, the insightful commentary on the state of the church in England, the job tidbits and all the antedotes he shared. However, the way this book was written makes me confused as to what he is really trying to say. Like I mentioned earlier, it jumped from subject to subject without introduction and it is rather bewildering to read about the lack of Christianity in England to different politics in different parts of the world.
Hitchens does write a convincing book on why atheism really led him to faith. It provided food for thought for this reader.
5/20/10
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