C S Lewis Vs The New Atheists

How might C.S. Lewis, the greatest Christian apologist of the twentieth century, respond to the twenty-first century 'new atheism' of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and company? Might Lewis' own journey from atheism to Christian belief illuminate and undercut the objections of the new atheists? Christian philosopher Peter S. Williams takes us on an intellectual journey through Lewis' conversion in conversation with today's anti-theists. 'This book shows the breadth, depth, and durability of Lewis's Christian apologetics.' Michael Ward, chaplain at St Peter's College, Oxford 'Peter Williams is a bright, young British philosopher and a skilful debater with whom I had the privilege of partnering in our Cambridge Union Society debate in 2011. I recommend his work enthusiastically.' William Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California

Commonly identified by the individuals such as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens New Atheism is the name given to arguments supposedly based on scientific reasoning that "religion should not simply be tolerated but should be countered, criticized, and exposed by rational argument wherever its influence arises." Nowhere, they argue, is it necessary to introduce God or the supernatural to understand reality.

Many religious or supernatural claims, such as the virgin birth of Jesus are scientific claims, say the New Atheists, with insistence that "absence of evidence is evidence of absence" when evidence can be expected. Cardinal William Levada among others reply that New Atheism has misrepresented the doctrines of the church, describing its followers as "aggressive" the primary source of discrimination against Christians. The theologians Jeffrey Robbins and Christopher Rodkey concluded that, with Evangelical Christianity, New Atheism "encourages endless conflict without progress" between the two. Sociologist William Stahl observed that, "What is striking about the current debate is the frequency with which the New Atheists are portrayed as mirror images of religious fundamentalists."

When the New Atheist, Chrsitopher Hitchens, wrote in support of the philosphy, he included C S Lewis as the only spokesman for God since 1800, revealing the respect for the man’s intellectual honesty and courageous thinking, even among his opponents. In particular, the difficult arguments that Lewis forces himself face shows a serious consideration and response to the challenges of atheism. This new assessment of the debate, by Peter S Williams, takes you on an intellectual journey through Lewis' conversion and into serious conversation with today's generation of anti-theists.

English philosopher and apologist Peter S. Williams works with the UK based Damaris Trust (www.damaris.org), a Christian charity dedicated to relating Christianity and contemporary culture. Williams is also Assistant Professor in Communication and Worldviews at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication in Norway.

Williams studied Philosophy at Cardiff University (BA), Sheffield University (MA) and the University of East Anglia (MPhil), where he completed his thesis on objective definitions of truth, knowledge, goodness and beauty in relation to the nature of God. Before joining Damaris, Williams spent three years as a student pastor for a church in Leicester.

Williams is author of: A Sceptic’s Guide to Atheism (Paternoster, 2009); I Wish I Could Believe in Meaning: A Response to Nihilism (Damaris, 2004); The Case for Angels (Paternoster, 2002) & The Case for God (Monarch, 1999). He is co-author of Back in Time: A Thinking Fan's Guide to Doctor Who (Damaris, 2005) & the Connect Bible Study on ‘Computer Animated Films’. He has contributed chapters to: The Matrix Revelations: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to the Matrix Trilogy (Damaris, 2003); Truth Wars: Talking About Tolerance (Damaris, 2005) & Sex and the Cynics: Talking About Love (Damairs, 2005).