Here’s a puzzle: what would make a better Christmas gift than one copy of Randal Rauser and Justin Schieber’s new book An Atheist and a Christian Walk into a Bar?
Easy, ten copies!
It’s now merely a couple weeks until the official shipping date of December 6th. (And note, by the way, that December 6th is the Feast of Saint Nicholas. How appropriate!)
The book aims to move beyond the Fairyology vs. Goo debates I lamented in my previous article with a combination of good arguments and bad jokes. As you can probably guess, it is not an academic book, but neither is it an introduction to the god debates for the complete novice. It is perfectly suited for those who already have read a few books, articles, or blogs in the philosophy of religion. And that, of course, fits the profile of the reader for this blog.
So you can start your Christmas shopping now by clicking on that handy Amazon widget to the right of this article.
And for those of you who haven’t yet seen the early endorsements (I originally posted them in August), here they are:
* * *
“Imagine sitting at a table in your local bar or coffee shop and overhearing two smart, energetic, and creative thinkers go at it over the existence of the Jewish/Christian/Islamic god. Thanks to Rauser and Schieber, we don’t have to imagine: this book is that debate. Anyone who enjoys a hard-hitting but classy philosophical dustup will love this fun and informative book.”
—Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian and 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
“Fun, thoughtful, and surprising. Rauser and Schieber engage in passionate, thoughtful, and—this is key—civil conversation on the enduring question of whether or not God exists and why that matters. Grab a cup of coffee or a favorite pint and buckle up. You’ll find yourself reexamining what you thought you believed—or didn’t believe—about God.”
—Bryan Berghoef, author of Pub Theology: Beer, Conversation, and God
“Schieber and Rauser offer something sadly too rare: a civil, respectful, and reasonable dialogue over the question of the existence of god. At a time when theists and atheists usually just lob rhetorical bombs at each other over a figurative DMZ, that’s a rather refreshing thing, regardless of which side you come down on.”
—Ed Brayton, writer at Dispatches from the Culture Wars and 2009 recipient of the Friend of Darwin Award from the National Center for Science Education
“A refreshing book with perfect sparring partners! Schieber and Rauser insightfully refute bad arguments related to atheism and also highlight issues that need more attention within the popular debate over God’s existence.”
—Trent Horn, author of Answering Atheism
“A book that balances accessibility, rigor, and probing creativity, it has the potential to bring into the mainstream the sophistication and constructive insight of academic philosophy of religion—something often sorely missing from the preachers and polemicists who hog most of the attention in the theism/atheism debate.”
—Daniel Fincke, founder and primary writer of philosophy blog Camels with Hammers
