A Rebel to His Last Breath: Joseph McCabe and Rationalism [Hardcover]

Bill Cooke (Author), John R. Burr (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 24, 2001

This is the first biography of Joseph McCabe (1867-1955), a former Catholic priest who became one of the best-known champions and a prolific populariser of free-thought and rationalism in the first half of the 20th century. McCabe's encyclopaedic curiosity, rigorous scholarship, and above all his unswerving intellectual honesty led him through a tumultuous career of public lecturing and debating, and an incredible output of over 200 books. He tackled the most controversial issues of the modern era: evolution, biblical errancy, belief in God, immorality, spiritualism, capitalism vs. socialism, women's rights, and many other topics. Much of his writing was published in the form of the "Little Blue Books" by E Haldeman-Julius, who declared McCabe to be 'the world's greatest scholar'. Today in our post-modern period, where Enlightenment values are being questioned and irrationalism in many guises has become fashionable, McCabe's gift for rational inquiry, respect for scientific evidence, and lucid, no-nonsense prose are both relevant and welcome.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Englishman Joseph McCabe (1867-1955) was a Franciscan priest who left the priesthood, a Catholic who apostatized from the Christian faith, a self-proclaimed atheist and materialist, and one of the most prolific rationalist writers and speakers of the early 20th century. McCabe was also a crank and a minor figure in the English rationalist conversation. Although he is scarcely remembered today, he is significant because of his ability to enunciate an uncompromising rationalist position in discussion and debate not only with believers in God but also with fellow nonbelievers. Cooke, a lecturer at New Zealand's Manukau Institute of Technology and himself a rationalist, has written a meticulous account of the life and work of McCabe. One of the book's best features is its placing McCabe's story in the context of the intellectual and cultural history of England from the last decade of the 19th century through World War II. For this reason, the book may be of value to academic libraries. David I. Fulton, Coll. of St Elizabeth, Morristown, NJ
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...valuable even to those who don't concern themselves with McCabe himself." -- About.com

"our heartiest congratulations [for] bring[ing] to the attention of the thinking public the life and work of a genius." -- Thomas Paine Bulletin & Journal of Radical History

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 332 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (August 24, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157392878X
• ISBN-13: 978-1573928786
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some of the most controversial issues of spirituality, January 9, 2002

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Rebel to His Last Breath: Joseph McCabe and Rationalism (Hardcover)

A Rebel To His Last Breath provides the first biography of one Joseph McCabe, a former Catholic priest who became a champion of free thought and rationalism in the first half of the 20th century. Why chart the life of a man largely forgotten today? Because he tackled some of the most controversial issues of spirituality and social issues of modern times, and his efforts and writings continue to influence.