God Is Great, God Is Good: Why Believing in God Is Reasonable and Responsible

This volume presents a systematic defense of theistic belief against contemporary atheistic challenges, particularly those associated with the New Atheism movement. Edited by Chad Meister, the collection assembles prominent Christian philosophers and theologians to address what the contributors view as inadequate critiques of religious faith popularized by figures such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris.

The work's central thesis maintains that belief in God remains both intellectually credible and morally beneficial in the modern world. Contributors develop this argument along two primary lines. First, they contend that recent atheistic arguments fail to engage seriously with sophisticated philosophical theology, often attacking caricatures rather than actual theistic positions. Second, they present positive cases for theism grounded in contemporary philosophy, science, and moral theory.

The volume's structure reflects its dual apologetic strategy. Initial chapters directly engage New Atheist claims, with contributors examining alleged conflicts between science and religion, addressing the problem of evil, and critiquing naturalistic explanations of religious belief. Subsequent sections advance constructive arguments, including cosmological and design arguments updated with recent scientific findings, moral arguments linking objective values to divine grounding, and epistemological defenses of religious experience as a legitimate source of knowledge.

Methodologically, contributors employ analytic philosophy's tools while remaining accessible to educated general readers. This approach serves the volume's explicit aim of equipping believers to respond to popular-level attacks on faith while demonstrating theism's continued viability within academic discourse. The work particularly emphasizes how theistic belief coheres with scientific findings, contrary to New Atheist claims of inevitable conflict.

The volume's significance lies in its comprehensive response to a cultural moment when atheistic critiques gained unprecedented popular influence. By assembling diverse scholarly voices united in defending theism's rationality, the collection represents a coordinated effort by Christian intellectuals to reclaim cultural space for religious belief. While critics might question whether the work adequately addresses the strongest versions of atheistic arguments, it succeeds in demonstrating that theistic belief continues to attract serious philosophical defense. The volume thus contributes to ongoing debates about religion's intellectual status in secular societies, arguing that dismissals of theistic belief as inherently irrational or harmful fail to reckon with the tradition's philosophical sophistication.