News Article

            Within the past three years, there have been several books written in defense of atheism by well-known, highly respected intellectuals, including Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens and Victor Stenger. This trend, known as “New Atheism,” is not only nontheistic, but explicitly anti-theistic. In the view of these thinkers, religion is an outmoded, false view of the world that is dangerous for both individuals and society at large.

            In the Socratic Club’s February meeting, Brown will present an overview of New Atheism and highlight some of the central arguments against religion offered by New Atheist thinkers. Following Brown’s lecture, Diebel will offer a response and members of the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and join the discussion.

The Gonzaga Socratic Club’s mission is to promote open intellectual discussion of the Christian worldview. The club, which takes inspiration from the renowned Oxford Socratic Club, recently began recording and archiving its meetings, and audio of recent discussions can be found at the organization’s Web site.

For more information about the Gonzaga Socratic Club, contact David Calhoun, Gonzaga associate professor of philosophy, at (509) 323-6743, via e-mail or visit the club’s Web site.