Doing Away with God?

This volume presents a sustained examination of contemporary challenges to religious belief, exploring whether scientific advancement necessitates abandoning theistic commitments. Stannard approaches the question through systematic engagement with major objections raised against belief in God, particularly those emerging from modern physics, cosmology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology. The work distinguishes itself by offering responses from within the scientific community rather than from philosophical or theological quarters alone.

The author structures his analysis around key areas of conflict between science and religion. He addresses cosmological arguments about the universe's origins, examining whether Big Bang theory eliminates the need for divine causation. Stannard considers the fine-tuning argument and anthropic principle, evaluating both theistic interpretations and naturalistic alternatives such as multiverse theories. The text engages substantially with neuroscientific challenges to religious experience and consciousness, particularly addressing whether brain-state correlations with spiritual experiences undermine their validity or truth claims.

Methodologically, Stannard employs a dialogical approach that presents objections in their strongest forms before offering counterarguments. He draws on his background in physics to clarify scientific concepts while maintaining accessibility for non-specialist readers. The work engages with prominent critics of religion including Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, and Victor Stenger, responding to their specific arguments rather than constructing strawman positions. Stannard examines the epistemological assumptions underlying both scientific materialism and religious belief, questioning whether science possesses the conceptual tools to adjudicate metaphysical claims definitively.

The monograph contributes to God-debate literature by demonstrating how scientific literacy need not entail atheistic conclusions. Stannard argues that many conflicts between science and religion rest on category errors or overextensions of scientific methodology beyond its proper domain. He maintains that scientific discoveries, rather than eliminating space for divine action, often raise profound questions that science itself cannot answer. The work proves particularly valuable for its nuanced treatment of quantum mechanics and its implications for divine action, avoiding both god-of-the-gaps reasoning and simplistic rejections of religious belief. By engaging seriously with scientific objections while defending the coherence of theistic belief, Stannard provides resources for those seeking intellectually responsible ways to maintain religious commitments within a scientifically informed worldview.