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Godless: How An Evangelical Preacher Became One Of America's Leading Atheists (2008)

by Dan Barker(Favorite Author)

3.96 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1569756775 (ISBN13: 9781569756775)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Ulysses Press

review 1: It's hard to imagine a more fervent believer than Dan Barker, a born-again Evangelical preacher and missionary from the age of 17. You might expect he'd be the least likely to lose his faith, but lose it he did -- from coming out as an atheist on Oprah in 1984 to becoming co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation. The initial autobiographical portion of the book eventually gives way to both philosophical arguments (e.g., how a being cannot be simultaneously both infinitely merciful and infinitely just), appeals to logic, and detailed descriptions of biblical inaccuracies and contradictions that refute the idea that it is the word of an omniscient, divine being.I listen occasionally to the FFRF's weekly podcasts, but I'm not a particular fan of Barker as a host. ... moreI find his smug personality and flat humor rather off-putting and, while he's admittedly a gifted musician, I find most of his compositions almost unbearably corny. If it weren't for the show's fascinating guest interviews I wouldn't be listening at all. That said, Barker is much more likable and convincing on paper, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book. I enjoyed the philosophical reasoning, and I was also particularly fond of the chapter titled 'Dear Theologian,' a monologue of existential questioning directed from God to his human creation.
review 2: 7.5 out of 10This is really two books in one.The first part is a narration of Barker's personal journey from Christian fundamentalist preacher to atheist. I found it to be a very enjoyable read. I've read many deconversion stories and I'm constantly fascinated at how different they all are. I too am an ex-Christian and I was able to relate to many of Barker's experiences both in his Christian life and in his deconversion. He tells the story well.The second part of the book is Barker's debunking of Christianity/God (along with other topics like the promotion of reason, atheist life, etc.). I mostly agree with him of course, but I didn't find his reasoning to be of consistent calibre. Some of the points he makes are simply great, put into words with impressive elegance and big impact. But some of the other points are quite weak and perhaps even pedantic, letting down the rest of the book.Overall, I would recommend. less

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