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The Drama of Atheist Humanism

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De Lubac's anlaysis of Feuerbach, Nietzsche, Comte and Marx illusrates that "where there is no God, there is no Man either" and that postitivism, marxism and variant philosophies, in seeking to model a new man, agressively independent of God, result in a nihilistic tyranny of man over man. Its De Lubac's sympathetic handling of these lunatic ideas and their exponents, Nietzsche,in particular (who de Lubac sees as haunted by Christ), which gives the book balance. If you wish to understand why we are living in an age where atheism has become more militant and aggressve, then De Lubac's book make you realise that what we are experiencing now is the culmination of many centuries of alienation of western thought from the Logos, who unites all things in himself. His treatment of Dostoevsky (a counterbalance to the other thinkers) is particularly illuminating.

Very long read, but well worth it. de Lubac is a brilliant scholar, and he has a plethora of knowledge and piercing insights on those men on the cover of the book and their thinking. It is not so much a refutation of atheism as it is a refutation and critique of the ideas that some very prominent atheists held (Comte's positivism, etc). Believe it or not, I have actually never read a non-fiction book, but de Lubac has piqued my curiosity to consider reading The Brothers Karamazov because of his discussion of Dostoevsky as a prophet and precursor to Nietzsche. A very good read, and has made me want to read more de Lubac.

This book is very well written as well as very well documented. Those who read this book should be somewhat read in the works of Kierkegaard, Marx, Comte, and most importantly Nietsche and Dostoyevsky.

I was given this book several Christmases ago back in my apologetics craze. I guess I started reading it with the wrong expectations. Once I dropped apologetics things began to make more sense. The book divides into three or four sections. First, Henri de Lubac gives a thorough (if at times dense) analysis of the major atheist leaders: Marx, Feurbach, and Comte, Comte providing a foil for a brief Christian response. He thoroughly outlines and deconstructs Comte.

The next section is on Dostoevsky the prophet. Compares and contrasts Nietszche. Sheds a lot of light on some of Dostoevsky's lesser-known works.

The final section is "Search for a New Man." The first part of this is rather good. He gives several brief, short critiques of "progressivism" and ends with a plea for a new Christian Humanism. His criticism of Marxism's historicism is perfect (and too long to post here. His discussion of "the supernatural" was sublime.

The supernatural is not a higher, more beautiful, or more fruitful nature...it is the irruption of a wholly different principle. The sudden opening of a kind of fourth dimension, without proportion of any kind to all the progress provided in the natural dimension (466).

The final part of the book is about Nietszche's mystical experiences. Aside from a few good quotes here and there, I found it to be rambling.

Maybe not the best intro to Henri de Lubac, and certainly not the easiest book to follow, but one that is definitely worth reading and will certainly repay multiple readings.

This is the book that first got me interested in religion. It is an outstanding discussion of Comte, Marx & Nietzsche. After reading this, the reader may want to read Kung's Does God Exist? and Baum's Doctors of Modernity: Darwin, Marx & Freud.