The story of a former Evangelical Christian turned openly gay atheist who now works to bridge the divide between atheists and the religious

The stunning popularity of the “New Atheist” movement—whose most famous spokesmen include Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and the late Christopher Hitchens—speaks to both the growing ranks of atheists and the widespread, vehement disdain for religion among many of them. In Faitheist, Chris Stedman tells his own story to challenge the orthodoxies of this movement and make a passionate argument that atheists should engage religious diversity respectfully.

Becoming aware of injustice, and craving community, Stedman became a “born-again” Christian in late childhood. The idea of a community bound by God’s love—a love that was undeserved, unending, and guaranteed—captivated him. It was, he writes, a place to belong and a framework for making sense of suffering.

But Stedman’s religious community did not embody this idea of God’s love: they were staunchly homophobic at a time when he was slowly coming to realize that he was gay. The great suffering this caused him might have turned Stedman into a life-long New Atheist. But over time he came to know more open-minded Christians, and his interest in service work brought him into contact with people from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. His own religious beliefs might have fallen away, but his desire to change the world for the better remained. Disdain and hostility toward religion was holding him back from engaging in meaningful work with people of faith. And it was keeping him from full relationships with them—the kinds of relationships that break down intolerance and improve the world.

In Faitheist, Stedman draws on his work organizing interfaith and secular communities, his academic study of religion, and his own experiences to argue for the necessity of bridging the growing chasm between atheists and the religious. As someone who has stood on both sides of the divide, Stedman is uniquely positioned to present a way for atheists and the religious to find common ground and work together to make this world—the one world we can all agree on—a better place.

From the Hardcover edition.

Kindle Feature Spotlight

Length: 209 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled	Audible book: Audible book Switch back and forth between reading the Kindle book and listening to the Audible book with Whispersync for Voice. Add the Audible book for a reduced price of $7.90 when you buy the Kindle book. Available

Product details

File Size: 2681 KB
Print Length: 209 pages
Publisher: Beacon Press (November 6, 2012)
Publication Date: November 6, 2012
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B007WKEMCI
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray:

Not Enabled

Word Wise: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #698,858 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #104 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Religious > Judaism
- #106 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Religious > Islam
- #287 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Religion & Spirituality > Atheism

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?

Be the first video

Your name here

78 customer reviews

Review this product

Write a customer review

Showing 1-8 of 78 reviews

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

AFguy

Well-written, thoughtful, moving memoir

January 7, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Chris Stedman has summarized his life experiences into a compassionate meditation on faith and the lack thereof, and how it is possible to live a moral life without the help of a deity. His caring reflections on his believing friends and theists in general are a welcome change from the usual vitriol spewed by both believers and atheists. It's been a long time since I've read a book in a single sitting, but Stedman held my interest from beginning to end.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Ellen H. G. Culpepper

This Book Has Deey Influenced Me

February 25, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Stedman is a skilled storyteller of high Emotional Intelligence. The first section of this book, in which he tells his own story of being a young gay man growing up in a mostly loving but homophobic congregation was moving. The great leadership he is ready to exercise at a remarkably young age shows in the second part of his story, as he reveals his process of growing beyond dismissive impatience with religion, how he began to understand his need for solidarity in our care for the world, and as he shows practically and specifically how best to do that. I deeply identify with his goals, and am grateful for his gifts.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Gary A. Mongillo

Great book!

November 17, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I bought this book not really knowing what to expect; I am not an atheist but I respect their views and believe that we can all learn fron each other. Chris has written a book that is much needed today to bridge the gap between theists and nontheists. We all share this one home and we must work together to save it; Chris has put forward a book to help us to do just that, and I thank him. Also, it is a book about Chris's journey and his identity about being gay; it is an open, honest and emotional journey that he shares with us all.Great book!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Samuel Jackson

Cool Book

October 1, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Chris did a good job explaining why atheists should get involved in interfaith operatives. As a person who loves interfaith and understands its value while also identifying as an atheist, it was really refreshing to see someone - anyone who would challenge the dominating voices of the new atheists. Chris opens up a new dialogue for non-theists to participate in which diversified the image of us to be more full and more accurate.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

@DrCarlHoffman

Surprised with a blessing

August 26, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I read this book since the author was going to be a moderator at an event I am planning to attend. I did not expect his message would change my outlook. In my opinion every American should adopt the inclusive message of this book. I highly recommend reading this book. I am a retired Baptist minister.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Unkamengifts

Fresh insights

September 26, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It is easy to get caught up in our own beliefs and in defending them without taking the time to realize that understanding others is more important than most anything else. This book brought this to this forefront for me. Well done.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Jen G.Top Contributor: Pets

Nice change from Dawkins and Hitchens

February 7, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

While I agree with the substance of Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris, I find that they are too antagonistic towards moderate and progressive religious people. Religion is not going away, so being antagonistic works against agnostics and atheists. The approach that Chris Stedman takes is, to me, a much more intelligent and realistic approach to dealing with religion. Atheists and progressive religious folks have a lot in common, particularly a desire to combat religious fundamentalism, so why not be respectful and work together?

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

M. Jackson

A very good first book about a turbulant subject

April 18, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The first half is the authors coming out story--an interesting journey that shows Stedman getting swept up into religion as a way to answer issues about his sexuality only to find that religion teaches him self-loathing. Through the meeting of a gay friend at a summer camp he is triggered out of doom and gloom to become a very strong person, but in the process he abandons religion. His path through college in the second half of the book focuses on his growing ambition to have a cross dialogue between religions of different kinds and the non-religious--not to sway any individual in any one direction, but to do away with prejudice and violence that religious groups can incite. He imparts a wonderful philosophy about discourse.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious

Set up a giveaway

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.

Would you like to report poor quality or formatting in this book? Click here

Would you like to report this content as inappropriate? Click here

Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? Click here

Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious Kindle Edition

Kindle Feature Spotlight

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

Product details