Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists

Atheism has seen a resurgence in the last decade or so in its publicity--if not also its popularity--due in large part to the New Atheism (names like Hitchens, Dawkins, Dennett and Harris) and most recently Stephen Hawking with his argument against the necessary existence of God in The Grand Design. Yet for every volley leveled at theism in general and Christianity in particular, there is are equally capable minds ready to pick up the gauntlet and offer return fire.Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow aren't charting new territory in this book. Far from being a criticism, however, I found this to be one of the greatest strengths of the book. These two authors are thoroughly well versed in the arguments and works of other Christian thinkers and quote liberally from writers like C.S. Lewis, Timothy Keller, Dinesh D'souza, Alister McGrath and Paul Copan. A brief postscript section called "Why It Matters" follows each chapter and features other such thinkers as Gary Habermas, William Dembski, Randy Alcorn and Greg Koukl.The book is broken up into two sections: "Responding to Scientific and Philosophical Challenges" and "Responding to Moral and Biblical Challenges". Each chapter is imminently accessible to even those unfamiliar with the topics at hand. For this reason, none of the arguments get very in depth, but the authors have done the heavy lifting and offer a couple titles at the end of each chapter if you feel up to the challenge as well.Christian apologists have well reasoned responses to the New Atheists' charges and this book is as good an introduction as one could want. McDowell and Morrow are standing on the shoulders of many brilliant minds and have made a substantial offering in their own right. This book is a perfect reference for those familiar with the arguments, a perfect primer for those who are not, and a perfect loaner for the believer and skeptic alike.

The author does a good job of introducing the reader to common objections made by atheists and presenting sound responses to most of the objections. However, I take issue with his lazy treatment of slavery which was obviously permitted in the Bible. Of course, you won't find for instance the Transatlantic Slave Trade authorized, but in the OT, a form of slavery was indeed authorized, and not just what some would call indentured servitude. I find it very problematic that many Christians scholars try to gloss over this very fact and in an attempt to not make it seem so bad, attempt to treat the topic in the same breath as they do indentured servitude. If you are going to claim that slaves were allowed to be freed after seven years which the author does state, then be sure to point out the fact that this only applied to slaves who were Israelites. Not all slaves were commanded to be freed after seven years. We cannot expect atheists and anybody else to treat the topic of slavery fairly in the Bible if our own scholars appear to be dishonest in their own treatment of it.

I bought this for my teenage son and he was so excited to have answers to the questions he has been asking. Great book for teens.

Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow were certainly ambitious with this project as they cover a wide range of topics that have had volumes written on them individually, but they are quite effective in doing so. From science to culture, philosophy, and history, "Is God Just a Human Invention" does a good job of addressing the most common objections to Christianity raised by skeptical unbelievers today. It is most effective in doing so in brief but solid chapters that deliver the gusto of many lengthier expositions. The book also boasts an impressive Bibliography that is well balanced and offers a great deal more insight for further investigation. Despite feeling mildly disappointed at the way the book wrapped up the 'Tale of two atheists' the heart of the text displays quality thinking and reasoning coupled with a useful Handbook style that will still read straight through. Great for the curious skeptic, atheist, new believer or the seasoned evangelist it is worthwhile to invest some time in this read.

I bought this book under the apparently foolish assumption that it would be responding to the idea that the concept of gods can be traced back through history to human origins. Based on the title, I feel like this was not an unwarranted assumption.However, it was simply the same apologetics that I have been studying for years repackaged under a new title. As a former Christian myself, I enjoy challenging my beliefs and keeping up with the world of Christian apologetics in order to keep my mind open towards religion in case my beliefs can be shown to be wrong. I was honestly excited to find a book that was not just the same old stuff as every Christian apologist offers.The search continues. Not sure why I keep searching for good material where I have never found any before though.

After reading "Why I Became An Athiest" I thought the case against Christianity was closed because all the apologetics books I'd read kept regurgitating the same old arguments in the same old ways. Well, this book is the first book I've read that tackles the new atheists on their own turf and does an admirable job at that. I can't say it's answered every question, nor can I say it has resolved all my issues about or with God, but it has certainly caused me to take a second look and redirect my thinking in many ways. Whether you are questioning your belief in God or your belief in evolution this book is one I can recommend as worthy of your time.

A number of old arguments, but just because they are not old does not mean they are wrong or even out of date. There are several new points made and Sean obviously has a very good understanding of the New Atheist movement. His arguments are not unnecessarily lengthy, but rather straight to the point and adequate. He does not make straw man arguments and is very sound logically. He suggests a large bibliography and gives the reader a number of sources.

Professor Lennox's writings are always aimed at enabling those outside of Christian faith to understand that it has a robust, logical and ultimately undeniable basis. This will not greatly tax your time in its reading. Great book, highly recommended.

Well written, thoughtful book. Easy to understand in the nice casual style of the writer. Very applicable to today's conversations between atheists and believers. Highly recommended

I strongly recomend this book ,you will find in this book very honest and well grounded informations. Sean Mcdowell is very gifted writer ,