Today I signed a contract with Prometheus Books, the preeminent secular/atheist/humanist publisher in the world. Tentatively titled The Biggest Question, the book is being co-authored by atheist Justin Schieber. Justin needs no introduction to (most) readers of this blog. He currently runs the Real Atheology YouTube Channel which provides top notch short and engaging introductions to various topics in philosophy of religion. Previously Justin was cohost of the beloved radio show and podcast Reasonable Doubts. He is also a well known atheist debater. (Last year I debated Justin at the University of Alberta. You can watch that debate here.)
I am really excited about this book for three reasons.
First, Justin is a great interlocutor, informed on the issues, and keen to spread more light than heat. And that’s certainly where I am these days. I used to invest (aka waste) way too much time engaging people who were keen to insult and condescend. Those conversations tend to amount to little more than feeding the troll.
By contrast, Justin takes theism seriously and understands the complexities of the issues. (I am especially heartened that Prometheus shares our vision for the kind of irenic and mutually respectful exchange that Justin and I are having in this book.)
Second, Justin and I have chosen a conversational format that very much echoes a real world conversation not unlike what you might overhear in a coffee shop or a pub. As such, the book forges a user-friendly middle ground between readability and rigorous content.
Finally, in The Biggest Question Justin and I take on some topics that are under-represented in the literature. This is not yet another exchange of cosmological arguments, intelligent design, and the evidential problem of evil.
Currently, we have completed approximately 1/3 of the book and hope to submit the completed manuscript in a few months.
So stay tuned!
