Antinoff, Steve

Steve Antinoff is an American writer and independent scholar whose work explores the intersection of spirituality and atheism. His book "Spiritual Atheism" (2009) presents a provocative synthesis that challenges conventional dichotomies between religious belief and secular skepticism. Antinoff argues that authentic spiritual experience and practice can exist independently of theistic belief systems, drawing on Eastern philosophical traditions, particularly Buddhism and Taoism, as well as Western mystical thought. His approach seeks to reclaim spiritual language and concepts for non-theists, proposing that atheism need not entail the rejection of transcendent experience or contemplative practice. Through his writings, Antinoff contributes to contemporary discussions about post-religious spirituality and the possibility of meaning-making beyond traditional theistic frameworks, offering a middle path between dogmatic religiosity and reductive materialism.