God and the New Atheism revisited / The New Cosmic Story: Inside Our Awakening Universe

Haught develops a comprehensive theological response to the New Atheist movement while simultaneously articulating a vision of cosmic purpose grounded in evolutionary science. This dual project represents his mature synthesis of process theology, evolutionary thought, and Christian eschatology. The work engages directly with the scientific materialism championed by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens, arguing that their reductionist worldview fails to account for the universe's observable tendency toward increasing complexity and consciousness.

Central to Haught's argument is his concept of "anticipation" as a fundamental cosmic principle. Drawing on Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Alfred North Whitehead, and contemporary cosmology, he proposes that the universe exhibits an inherent orientation toward future fulfillment. This teleological reading of evolution challenges both scientific materialism and classical theism's static conception of divine perfection. Haught contends that consciousness, morality, and religious aspiration emerge not as evolutionary accidents but as expressions of the cosmos "awakening" to its own depths and destiny.

The monograph critiques New Atheist arguments on multiple fronts. Haught demonstrates how their commitment to philosophical naturalism undermines the very rationality they champion, creating what he terms a "self-referential contradiction." He argues that if consciousness reduces entirely to neural activity, then the truth claims of science itself become suspect. Against the New Atheist portrayal of faith as irrational, Haught presents religion as humanity's response to the universe's self-disclosure through evolution.

Methodologically, Haught employs a synthetic approach that weaves together scientific cosmology, process philosophy, and biblical theology. He introduces the concept of "cosmic patience" to explain how divine action operates through evolutionary time rather than miraculous intervention. This framework allows him to affirm both scientific autonomy and theological meaning without conflating distinct explanatory levels.

The work's significance lies in its sophisticated integration of evolutionary science with religious vision. Unlike creationists who reject evolution or materialists who deny transcendence, Haught demonstrates how contemporary cosmology can enrich rather than eliminate theological reflection. His "awakening universe" paradigm offers religious thinkers a scientifically informed alternative to both fundamentalism and reductionism. By grounding hope in cosmic directionality rather than supernatural intervention, Haught provides a theological framework that engages seriously with scientific discovery while maintaining robust religious commitment.