The Encyclopedia of Unbelief, Volumes I and II [Hardcover]

Gordon Stein (Editor), Paul Edwards (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0879753072 | ISBN-13: 978-0879753078 | Publication Date: October 1985 | Edition: First Edition

This is a reference work unlike any that exists today. It provides a complete and detailed survey of the varieties of agnosticism, atheism, free-thought, humanism, skepticism, and unbelief, as they have appeared historically and on the contemporary scene. Editor Gordon Stein has collected comprehensive biographies of the many prominent men and women associated with free-thought including Charles Bradlaugh and Annie Besant in England, Voltaire and Diderot in France, V I Lenin in the Soviet Union, Thomas Paine, Clarence Darrow, and Robert Ingersoll here in the United States. The "Encyclopedia" brings together 203 articles from all the influential philosophers and psychologists whose thoughts and writings contributed to the growth of religious skepticism and unbelief like Giordano Bruno, Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Kant, Comte, Spencer, Haeckel, Feuerbach, Dewey, Santayana, Freud, Reich, Russell, Sartre, Ayer, Hook, and many others. Stein also contributes a history of organized free-thought, fully discussing political movements and theories that have had a direct bearing on unbelief. He has added perceptive essays on unbelief within the world's important religions: Buddhism; Christianity; Hinduism; Islam; Judaism; and, Taoism. This invaluable reference work is cross-referenced and indexed and contains five comprehensive appendices for meetings, organizations, publishers, periodicals and a bibliography of unbelief. The many contributors include Isaac Asimov, Hazel Barnes, Germaine Bree, Paul Edwards, Antony Flew, Paul Kurtz, Richard Martin, Martin Marty, Kai Neilsen, James Randi and many others.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This comprehensive work covers the philosophy, history, and biography of the various branches of unbelief from skepticism to atheism. Stein, who edits the American Rationalist, has compiled an excellent series of articles by more than 100 authorities. All articles are well written, signed, and include short bibliographies. The cross-referencing is quite good. Along with thorough coverage of such expected subjects as ``Existentialism and Unbelief,'' there are some novel additions such as one on ``Conjuring and Unbelief in the Supernatural.'' The five appendixes include one on ``Periodicals of Unbelief,'' which lists nearly 500 periodicals and newspapers on the subject. There is no comparable work, so academic and public libraries will wish to consider this for their reference collections. Recommended. C. Robert Nixon, M.L.S., West Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 819 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books; First Edition edition (October 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879753072
• ISBN-13: 978-0879753078
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,276,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well rounded, provides insight into world-wide disbelief, January 9, 2001

By 

"freethoughtmecca" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Unbelief, Volumes I and II (Hardcover)

Stein is the editor of numerous anthologies and encyclopedias of skeptical nature, but this is by far his best. There are so many topics available to the reader, making for a smorgasbord of Atheist material. The book includes sections on Atheism in the history of many of the world's great nations, such as Russia, China, India, et cetera. There is copious amounts of information on those who chose to utter blasphemy against the faith they were raised in (such as apostates from Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, et cetera).

The contributing authors include some big names, such as George A Wells on the topic of Jesus historicity, James Randi on the topic of hoaxes and frauds, and numerous other highly regarded experts in their respective fields. All in all, this is an impressive compilation of essays by the finest skeptics in the world today.

5 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Encyclopedia of Unbelief, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Unbelief, Volumes I and II (Hardcover)

The Encyclopedia of Unbelief is a great book for atheist and religious people. It is loaded with huge amounts of interesting text and is very easy to read. Great Christmas gift for any teenager.