Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Evolution of Atheism
Chapter 2: The New Atheism
Chapter 3: A Light in a Dark Jungle
Chapter 4: The Secular Movement
Chapter 5: The Moral Minority
Chapter 6: Purists, Freethinkers, and Bridge Builders: Tensions at the Grassroots
Chapter 7: The Atheist Right
Conclusion

Notes
Bibliography
Index

About the Author

Stephen LeDrew is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Religion and Society at Uppsala University.

Reviews

"An impressively sophisticated study densely packed with interesting and valuable insights about the atheist movement in general and the New Atheism in particular...[LeDrew] presents his findings in an engaging, non-technical manner."--Counterpunch
"Digging beneath simplistic 'science vs religion' dichotomies, this book aims to uncover the true reasons for the nature and rise of so-called New Atheism. Arguing that we must look to religious fundamentalism and its values as well as to as the general post-modern onslaught on rationality, Stephen LeDrew's The Evolution of Atheism makes a strong case that we must cast broadly into today's culture if we are to understand the staggering success of the
works of Richard Dawkins and others. This is a very important book that brings many fresh insights to its topic." --Michael Ruse, author of Atheism: What Everyone Needs to Know
"This is a very good, important, and readable book that makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the New Atheism, in part by calling atheism out as yet another object of study and explanation, rather than the supposed natural default position of all reasonable people. Striking a nice balance of scholarly sympathy and critical distance, it provides new insights and makes very interesting claims about the internal diversity of the New Atheism. This
book ought to get much attention and generate helpful discussion." --Christian Smith, author of The Sacred Project of American Sociology
"The success of this book rests on the author's willingness to venture beyond his stated premise, which is to offer an interpretation of modern atheistic movements framed by the lens of evolution...Highly recommended"--CHOICE