Why God Won't Go Away: Engaging with the New Atheism

McGrath's monograph presents a systematic theological response to the New Atheism movement, particularly engaging with the arguments of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. The work examines why religious belief persists despite secularization predictions and aggressive atheist critiques, offering a defense of theism that combines scientific, philosophical, and sociological perspectives.

The author structures his argument around three central claims. First, he contends that New Atheist characterizations of religion rely on caricatures rather than sophisticated theological positions. McGrath draws on his background in molecular biophysics to demonstrate that scientific materialism does not necessitate atheism, arguing instead for the compatibility of rigorous scientific inquiry with religious belief. Second, he challenges the New Atheist narrative that religion inherently promotes violence and irrationality. Through historical analysis, McGrath argues that secular ideologies have proven equally capable of generating conflict, while religious traditions have often fostered scientific advancement and social progress. Third, he proposes that the persistence of religious belief reflects deep human needs for meaning, purpose, and transcendence that purely materialist worldviews cannot adequately address.

Methodologically, McGrath employs a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating insights from cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and sociology of religion. He engages particularly with recent research on the cognitive science of religion, which suggests humans possess natural tendencies toward religious belief. Rather than viewing this as evidence for religion's falsity, as some New Atheists do, McGrath interprets these findings as pointing to the fundamental compatibility between human nature and theistic belief.

The work's significance lies in its attempt to move beyond polarized debates between fundamentalist atheism and fundamentalist religion. McGrath advocates for a more nuanced dialogue that acknowledges the intellectual respectability of both atheist and theist positions while maintaining that theism offers more comprehensive explanatory power for human experience. His critique targets not atheism per se but the reductionist and polemical approach of the New Atheism movement.

McGrath's contribution advances the God debate by demonstrating that simplistic narratives about religion's inevitable decline fail to account for its continued vitality and intellectual sophistication. The monograph serves as a substantial Protestant response to contemporary atheist challenges, offering believers intellectual resources for engaging with skeptical arguments while encouraging more productive dialogue between religious and secular perspectives.