The Religious Case Against Belief

by James P. Carse (Author)

31 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1594201691

ISBN-10: 1594201692

Why is ISBN important?

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Share <Embed>

Condition: Used - Good

In Stock. Sold by Hawthorne Academic, Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

57 Used from $1.42

FREE Shipping

Deliver to France

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

Ships from and sold by Books'r us (We ship worldwide!).

This item ships to France.

List Price: $24.95
Save: $10.79 (43%)

15 New from $12.40

Deliver to France

$14.16 + $59.99 shipping

More Buying Choices

15 New from $12.40 57 Used from $1.42 1 Collectible from $8.99

73 used & new from $1.42

See All Buying Options

Free Two-Day Shipping for College Students with Amazon Student

Presents a provocative argument stating that inappropriate beliefs, rather than organized religion, are responsible for ignorance-based conflicts in today's world, in a report that argues that belief systems that perpetuate discrimination, hostility, and thought restriction are not supported by core religions. 40,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While it seems paradoxical to oppose religion to belief—religions, after all, are systems of beliefs; and belief in deities, ritual practices and scriptures combine to form religions—Carse convincingly demonstrates that belief and religion are too often falsely linked. Belief, he suggests, is a response to ignorance. Carse examines three kinds of ignorance: ordinary ignorance is simply lack of knowledge of some kind, such as the weather in Africa. Willful ignorance purposefully avoids clear and available knowledge, such as Creationists acting as if they know nothing of evolution. The tenacious beliefs that grow out of willful ignorance often result in bloody religious conflicts. Finally, what Carse calls higher ignorance accepts the fact that no matter how many truths we accumulate, our knowledge falls infinitely short of the truth. Individuals acting in higher ignorance can recognize the many truths that religious traditions can offer. Seen in Carse's provocative way, religion transcends the narrow boundaries established by beliefs, and transforms our ways of thinking about the world. (June 2)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In seeing the unknown everywhere—what he calls “higher ignorance”—Carse says, lies the beginning of wisdom, and the act of belief “is highly complicated and richly nuanced behavior.” Masterfully combining scholarly research and thoughtful commentary, he distinguishes religion from belief systems. Using the lives of such disparate figures as Jesus, Galileo, Luther, and Lincoln, he illustrates the various kinds of ignorance that confront the world, not only higher ignorance but also ordinary ignorance and willful ignorance. At its core, belief carries within it a strong element of the unknown and therefore requires risk, not certainty. With that in mind, he discusses the line between knowledge and belief, explores the complicated issue of authority, considers the notion of communitas, and declares that religion in its purest form is a type of poetry, relative to which, he interprets a Dickinson poem on death as revealing the thin line between the known and the believed. He also attempts to define evil to determine where it fits into the overall religious experience. A bracing consideration of religion, knowledge, and belief. --June Sawyers

See all Editorial Reviews

Product details

Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The (May 29, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594201692
ISBN-13: 978-1594201691
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.9 x 9.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 31 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,708,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3361 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Philosophy
- #3582 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Religious
- #12061 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Philosophy

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features:

See Kindle Edition

31 customer reviews

2 star (0%)

Review this product

Write a customer review

Showing 1-8 of 31 reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Donald F. Lessnau

Don't waste your money

December 13, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I was really disappointed. I wanted to like it and was eagerly waiting for its arrival after hearing it mentioned on a religious panel. But it really lacks a lot of punch. I thought it would be something entirely different than what I found. Aside from a few passages of interest, the book was incredibly tedious and verbose and amounted to a very boring, esoteric whine that 3 college professors might have. Carse spent more time defining his words and terms in the book than really grappling with the main topic. It read like I was attending the most boring lecture during my college days. Not impressed.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

person

Carse does it again!

October 25, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

He won't be able to do better than Finite and Infinite Games, but that doesn't mean that this isn't one of the best books I've ever read. Just like every great book I've read, it challenged me in ways that were earthshaking and extremely welcomed. It's a beautiful argument, and I highly recommend reading it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Paul B

I would think takes a pretty solid faith to keep looking for the 'invisible

July 3, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It is NOT for those of weak of faith!!. It hits the desire for "certainty" which many seek in their faith and the shield of "certainty" which more than a few "of faith" want more than "permission" to keep asking questions which are in fact beyond such absolute certainty for the human mind.
Of the 3 positions of faith and knowledge, the first ...that which we CAN know through learning, the second position -- of many -- the position of "choosing NOT to know or seek the things beyond us" and the most difficult third position of a grasp of that which is BEYOND our ability to know and understand, this writing is in that 3rd position in which the drive to keep searching... knowing that some things ARE beyond our ability to understand. I would think takes a pretty solid faith to keep looking for the 'invisible.'

Art Becker

Helpful

Comment

Amazon Customer

A thoughtful perspective on why we should never give up on religion.

December 17, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

You don't have to be religious to enjoy this book.I had to buy this book for my science/religion philosophy class. I will never resell this book. It is now on my "favorite books of all time" shelf. Carse has an amazing perspective on religion that renews my respect for all the major faiths. He will make you rethink what it means to "believe."

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Betty Kinerk

I would recommend this book but not for enjoyment.

August 28, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Interesting book, I had to read it slowly and reread things many times.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Dr. B.

If you are a searcher after ultimate questions, this is a refreshing and stimulating read.

June 22, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Thanks you Dr. Carse for a tackling a difficult topic in both an intelligent and interesting to read style. If you are a believer (i.e., you have your beliefs and stick by them) you might be in for a rough ride if you actually listen to what Dr. Carse has to say. You may end up just hating the book. This is probably true for both hard headed atheists and hard headed Christians. On the other hand, if you are really searching to understand truth and meaning and the world you have been thrust into, you will get a lot out of Dr. Carse's excellent book. If you reject some of the insanity of certain religious "beliefs" but yet find atheist "beliefs" to be lacking as well, you just might feel at home reading this.

Helpful

Comment

John Wyatt

A great way to separate what I don't like about religion from the concept of religion!

August 15, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

James Carse decomposes "belief" from "religion" as a way of getting at what people generally don't like about religion. This preserves the value of religion in society, while also showing how what we were complaining about really wasn't an aspect of religion at all, but can appear anytime we put our "beliefs" ahead of people. His discourse on "belief" reminds me of my paraphrase of Renes Descarte: "I think, therefore I'm right!" Anyone who thinks that it's Religion causing problems should look into this book.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Frances Haas

Didn't Convince Me

July 26, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I see what the author is trying to do, defang the worst of the materialist attacks against religion, such as Dawkins. But he leaves nothing to stand on to interpret the universe or our place in it. With religion he claims that the higher form of faith is "learned ignorance," where nothing can be asserted. As soon as something is asserted we have slipped into deliberate ignorance. Knowing nothing, not asserting any beliefs or opinions whatsoever means you are practicing higher "ignorance." So, there are still "Terms" or labels in Carse's thinking. He is, perhaps, trying to write about the value of an open mind, but in his theory an open mind suggests a blank slate and its value is to stay blank. Admittedly it is progress away from fanaticism, but it falls short of intuitive knowledge or subjective knowing, something Mr. Carse does not appear to "believe in" even though this is the way the world comes to us.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

The Religious Case Against Belief

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)