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Author: McGrath, Prof. Alister (Professor of Historical Theology, Oxford University)

Popular philosophy

Published on 23 January 2025 by Oneworld Publications in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 272 pages
223 x 145 x 28 | 380g

Belief: surely it’s a relic from the past, a hangover from a superstitious age that is totally out of sync with today’s rational, science-led culture?’A timely, often bracing and always highly stimulating book.’ Tom Holland, author of Dominion and co-host of The Rest is HistoryIn today’s science-driven, rational world, belief is dismissed as an artefact of a bygone era – something absurd at best, harmful at worst. The prevailing narratives paint belief as primitive, weird, even dangerous.

But as life grows ever more confusing and our societies more atomised, contemplating something bigger than ourselves has never been more vital.

Alister McGrath offers a fresh perspective on belief, presenting it not as a weakness of rational thought but as an essential tool for navigating uncertainty. Elegant and thought-provoking, Why We Believe reveals how belief provides meaning in the face of existential despair, how it fosters community and offers solace.

As society moves beyond the dismissive rhetoric surrounding people of faith, here is a powerful manifesto for the re-enchantment of the Western mind.

‘Scholarly, compulsively readable and with gems of information on every page… a must read.’ Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie, author of A Field Guide to the English Clergy