Cover Image: Richard Dawkins, C. S. Lewis and the Meaning of Life

Richard Dawkins, C. S. Lewis and the Meaning of Life

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I wished this book could be longer as I felt that there are much, much more to be said about atheism and religion. What are the flaws of not believing in a god, or believing in one, especially from the views of humans, with their bias and shortcomings? The topic itself is deep and thus, I find myself thirsting for more.
Despite that, I will still recommend this book to anyone wanting to dip their toes into this topic. It is simple to understand and balanced in its viewpoints.

Was this review helpful?

An interesting introduction to the contrasting perspectives of C.S. Lewis and Richard Dawkins. This is a very short book and does not go into detail but it provides a thought-provoking overview of the two men and their beliefs. I look forward to reading Alister McGrath's other works.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This is certainly an interesting book where Alistair McGrath takes the philosophies and ‘world views’ of two major and opposing thinkers of our age who did not have the opportunity to meet. This is done not by mocking up fake conversations (which would have been a very different book) but by comparing and contrasting the subjects’ professed ideas expressed through their writings. This book effectively attempts to construct the potential discussions that could have occurred should it have been possible for these two academics to have met.

The title takes in themes such as possible meaning in existence and what it means to be human, as well as evidence for faith and whether there is a God. Big topics indeed for such a slim volume.

McGrath is a true academic, but like both of his subjects in this book (Lewis and Dawkins) has a talent of allowing true academic thought and discussion to be understood by those not specialist in these fields and without dumbing down his arguments.

This is a great book that in a quite limited space allows for a genuine contemplation and discussion in the area that is arguably the most vital to us both as a species and as individuals created in the image of God. Fascinating and illuminating.

Was this review helpful?

We all need a big picture of our universe and ourselves-but that neither science nor Christianity can deliver that larger vision on its own. Each illuminates part of our life but not all of it. Science does not tell me how to be a good person; Christianity does not tell me the values of the fundamental constants of nature. Yet both, taken together offer a larger picture. They need to be allowed to enrich each other.

Such an interesting read on what appears to be contrasting views but when done without pride and a real desire to know truth, science and Christianity do really compliment the other. Dawkins and CS Lewis are the examples of the text. Each strong in their views. CS Lewis is being an intellectual man, also explored Christianity in a way that Dawkins probably never considered. The text entails what is science and what is Christianity. Christianity is personal but it also entails experience with all of our senses. Science starts as a theory and by observation truth can be found.

McGrath explored the similarities of Dawkins and Lewis and how different their conclusions were. If you are a fan Lewis and or Dawkins, I think you would this read challenging and informative. It is a great reminder that science does not answer the question what does it mean to be human and why there is evil. Christianity gives us those answers and a solution in a Creator.

A Special Thank you to SPCK and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I like how the author merges the thoughts and views on life, philosophy and basic fundamentals of human nature of two well known figures. It's a compelling read that requires time to fully grasp the context of their thought and outlook on life.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

This was an interesting read, as it followed the journey of two atheists that found Christianity later. I found this to be informative and unique.

Was this review helpful?

This book compares the lives and ideas of two iconic Oxford intellectuals, CS Lewis and Richard Dawkins, who took very different outlooks on religion and its relationship to science and philosophy, presenting both of their ideas seperately on four major questions and then analyzing how they might speak to each other. The book examines their divergent opinions on the meaning of life (if it has meaning), the raltionship between faith and evidence, whether there is a God, and who humans are in the light of those other three questions. The book does occasionally come across as somewhat biased, as the author is definetely Christian (not at all stating this as a bad thing and I found his own viewpoints quite relatable), but it magnificently compares the viewpoints of two diverging intellectuals who both have their own large followings and provides a groundwork for discussion between them. It helps both sides realize that there are many ways of understanding or knowing something and that very different conclusions may share common points.

Was this review helpful?

In this book, author Alister McGrath compares the views of Richard Dawkins and C. S. Lewis on some of life's big questions. He considers how we can learn from both authors, even if he finds the arguments of one of these authors more compelling than the other. The book is especially important for people who are interested in beginning to ask deeper questions about how science and religion interact. It also honestly and succinctly interacts with both authors and finds interesting ideas that could be applied to thinking about questions of life.

Was this review helpful?

Perfect independent reading for a-Level, for students studying Christianity as a component for their Ethics and Philosophy with AQA.
It expands upon the expected concepts presented by Dawkins, and provides a much more objective view than those that counter Dawkins.

Was this review helpful?

In this short book Alister McGrath compares and contrasts two popular communicators, C.S. Lewis, Christian apologist and Richard Dawkins, apologist for New Atheism. Under the four headings, Big Picture, Reasoned Belief, Is There a God? and Human Nature, McGrath analyses key arguments from each.

Since both McGrath himself and Lewis began as atheists before becoming convinced by the claims of Christianity it isn't surprising McGrath tackles Dawkins' easy dismissal of God. This was one of my main issues with Dawkins when I read The Blind Watchmaker some time ago. Unlike Lewis, who tried to convince the sceptic, Dawkins seems to preach to the choir with no evidence of anything other than a superficial knowledge of what he so comprehensively criticises in remarkably offensive terms.

McGrath also considers Dawkins' vision for human nature. Yes, Dawkins believes we are slaves to our selfish genes but, surprisingly, he believes that with the knowledge we have we can fight against our nature. What I find so difficult to understand about Dawkins is that he believes the universe has "no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference" and yet he passionately cares ... why, what does it matter?

This is only an introduction to the key writings of Dawkins and Lewis which are listed at the end for further study. I brought my own feelings about Lewis and Dawkins to this book and had them confirmed, no doubt others will have their own responses.

Was this review helpful?

As a long time fan of Alister McGrath I was excited to see this for review on NetGalley. I have mixed feelings about it though. It seems to be a very basic primer for those interested in comparing the thoughts of Dawkins and Lewis on the meaning of life. Alister McGrath is certainly well qualified in knowledge about both Dawkins and Lewis. My issue is that there just isn’t enough of it. Each time I felt the chapters were just getting going they ended and left me thinking “Is that all?” On Kindle when I got to 80% I turned the page to discover the rest was a list of footnotes/end notes etc. On checking on Amazon I discovered it’s listed as just 80 pages long. McGrath himself calls it a “short book” at the end but for me it’s not really a book more of a booklet and only gives time/space for a very brief look at comparing Dawkins and Lewis. I think the appeal is more for the novelty value of the comparison. I will likely buy it anyway so it can sit beside the other McGrath titles on my shelf but it really is more like a booklet and for me there just isn’t enough of it. I suspect this is the kind of book McGrath could probably write from memory on his coffee break to be honest and he himself has dealt in greater depth with both writers in previous books. It’s useful as a very basic primer but I’d seek McGrath’s own back catalogue for a study with more scope.

Thanks to NetGalley and SPCK for ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this although at times I found it hard going. I needed to really absorb the words and take it in but when I did I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it to anyone who has all those questions on the meaning of life, not to mention the two epic people discussing it. Really good read.

Was this review helpful?

In this short work the author brings together two gifted writers that can make difficult ideas easy to grasp, as the author describes them. Alister McGrath manages to synthesize ideas from important works of Richard Dawkins (an evolutionary biologist and an atheist) an C. S. Lewis (a literary scholar and a christian) in order to offer answers to some of the most important questions about life and its meaning: Is there a God?, Who we are?.
McGrath stands up for the idea that science and Christianity can work together and can deliver us a larger vision about universe, life and the meaning of life. He has a very critical view of both sides and is able to explain how science and Christianity can be in the same side and not at war, how many atheists and Christians think.
It is a good and useful reading for teachers who have to teach science with all its truths and also to explain how it fits with Christian beliefs.

Was this review helpful?