God is No Thing

‘God is no thing, but not nothing.’ These words from the renowned thinker Herbert McCabe point to a fallacy at the heart of New Atheist polemics against religion: the deity rejected by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and their followers is not God as taught in classical tradition, but merely a blown-up thing. From this basic error flow many more misunderstandings about Christianity and other creeds. As a result, debate on life’s biggest questions has grown vitriolic as well as confused. Although parts of the Western world now appear almost totally secularised, Christianity remains the most potent worldview on earth alongside Islam. In this compelling book, Rupert Shortt gracefully argues that Christianity is a much more coherent, progressive body of belief – philosophically, scientifically and culturally – than often supposed by its critics. Alert to the menace posed by religious fundamentalism, as well as to secularist blind spots, he shows how a self-critical faith is of huge consequence to wider human flourishing, including through promoting peace and environmental sustainability.

‘Powerful...an excellent book, spirited, lucid and plainspoken without losing generosity.’ – Rowan Williams, The Guardian

‘Offers a conception of nature which grants us the right to say that it brims over with intimations of the divine.’ – The Times Literary Supplement

‘A meditative exploration of what Christian commitment means in the contemporary world.’ –Anglican Theological Review

‘A case for Faith which will trouble the doubting with reason’s light.’ – A. N. Wilson

‘In a line stretching back to C. S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, and G. K. Chesterton ... packs a punch.’ – Church Times

‘Deft and timely.’ – Francis Spufford

‘Unflinchingly tackles the philosophically naive parodies of Christian belief.’ – The Tablet

‘An intellectually robust case for Christianity...deserves to be reflected upon and debated by believers and unbelievers alike.’ – The Catholic Herald