Without God, Without Creed: The Origins of Unbelief in America (New Studies in American Intellectual and Cultural History) [Paperback]

James C. Turner (Author)

Book Description

Series: New Studies in American Intellectual and Cultural History | Publication Date: August 1, 1986

Until the 19th century, atheism and agnosticism were viewed as bizarre aberrations. But atheism emerged as a viable alternative to other ideologies. How and why it became possible is the subject of this cultural revolution.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Turner's treatment of the nineteenth century is excellent and often brilliantly perceptive.

(Robert Nisbet The New York Times Book Review )

A crafted, intelligent book. The prose is remarkably clear, as is the argument. Turner offers us intellectual history in something like the grand manner.

(David D. Hall Reviews in American History )

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (August 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801834074
• ISBN-13: 978-0801834073
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #567,096 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for understanding the state of (un)belief, December 8, 1999

By 

Ian Drummond "Ian Drummond" (Beverly, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Without God, Without Creed: The Origins of Unbelief in America (New Studies in American Intellectual and Cultural History) (Paperback)

This book is excellently written and very illuminating on the subject of how it came to be possible that a person could say 'I don't believe in God.' Turner takes the reader through history from the Rennaissance to the mid-19th century to show the progress of unbelief. Interestingly, his thesis, which is very well argued, is that it was the Church herself who let in the demons of unbelief, which usually came in the form of scientific discovery. In brief, the Church shot herself in the foot.

This is not a tract against the Church, though. It is very clearly written to show how those events and beliefs which undermined the legitimacy of the Church were not necessarily bad; it was the Church who made them so. For example, scientific discovery in itself was not bad, but the Church before the scientific revolution had based its legitimacy so strongly on the literal account of Creation, for example, that when there was doubt thrown on that theory, everything began to crumble.

Turner is pretty much done with his story by the mid 1800s, before Darwin's _Origin of Species_ was published. Contrary to popular imagination, Darwin's theory was not particularly groundbreaking in the case for atheism; the groundwork had already been set.

This book is not difficult to read at all, yet it tackles some tough subject material. Highly recommended for readers of all scientific and religious backgrounds.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best and the only (so far as I know), June 11, 2011

By 

David Withun (FORT GORDON, GA, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without God, Without Creed: The Origins of Unbelief in America (New Studies in American Intellectual and Cultural History) (Paperback)

It's unfortunate that the history of modern atheism and naturalism and its developments over time have been so understudied by historians. This book, however, is a great start to what I hope is a bright future for that area of historical study. Turner masterfully discusses the cultural, religious, philosophical, and economic factors that developed in America after (and often as a result of) the Enlightenment and which led directly to the "coming of age" of unbelief as a viable option in modern America. He also, importantly, reports on the reactions of Christians to these changing socioeconomic factors and how these reactions often led to further unbelief. Very importantly, for a topic like this, which is still developing historically even as historians begin to examine its roots, I put down this book unable, in spite of my best attempts, to decipher whether the author was a "believer" or an "unbeliever" -- a true testimony to good, impartial, unbiased, and thorough historical research.

17 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional intellectual history, August 7, 2005

By 

calmly - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without God, Without Creed: The Origins of Unbelief in America (New Studies in American Intellectual and Cultural History) (Paperback)

A lot of history is presented in this book. There's 269 pages of text with 34 pages of footnotes. I learned a lot just from the historical materials presented. Turner's inferences seemed compelling, although my own ignorance in this area prevents me from being certain he's on the mark. However, nothing he said contradicted what I expected. I remain open to other sources including reviewers of Turner, but this work appears to be sharp and enriching.

I've heard many different ideas about God and, until I read this book, I was largely unaware of their historicity. I viewed arguments about God as being believers versus unbelievers: it hadn't occurred to me that, in attempting to adjust to modern developments, Christian leaders had themselves reduced the need for God as an explanation. Although Turner seems impartial, his research has done unbelief a great service. Not that unbelievers should be complacent, but it does seem reassuring that modern historical developments have undermined, and should continue to undermine, the need for religious belief and allow for more constructive responses to the human predicament. Historical determinism? Or just humanity growing up?