The Faith of the Faithless by Simon Critchley
Variations on the theme of a secular religionAt the end of his previous book, How to Stop Living and Start Worrying, Simon Critchley wrote: "If morality becomes a question, as it is on BBC Radio 4, of nicely educated people with shrill voices making ch...
Alain de Botton’s atheist temple is a nice idea, but a defunct one | John Gray
De Botton's atheist temple call does not need to be realised – our existing places of worship can be appreciated by allAlain de Botton has reinvigorated the conversation on religion. His new book moves away from the tedious debates of recent yea...
In praise of … Alain de Botton
The philosopher's plan for secular temples may be a flop, but there is space for creative conversation about the purpose of religionReligion without faith may seem about as pointless as non-alcoholic beer, but Alain de Botton's latest project to build ...
Do atheists need a temple? | Poll
The philosopher and writer Alain de Botton wants to build a £1m temple in the city of London to celebrate life on earth. Do you think atheists need their own temple?
Alain de Botton’s ‘temples for atheists’ have a foundational flaw
Aren't believers just as likely to appreciate a shrine to perspective? And doesn't the Large Hadron Collider qualify as a rationalist temple? De Botton's doctrine feels a trifle holyPerhaps emboldened by the success of the atheist bus, or his own Livin...
Jaipur festival cancels Salman Rushdie video link
Owner of festival's hotel venue scraps event featuring Satanic Verses author following police warning of violenceThe organisers of Asia's biggest literary festival have been forced to cancel a video-linked appearance by British author Salman Rushdie af...
Salman Rushdie may address Jaipur festival via video link
The Satanic Verses author could make screen appearance at book event after admitting 'intelligence' of threat may be falseSalman Rushdie, who was forced to pull out of Asia's biggest literary festival in India after authorities revealed "specific intel...
John Milton, part 8: Adam and Eve find in loss a new paradise glimpsed
In the last in our Paradise Lost series, Adam and Eve, deaf now to God, wander into a world of death, love and distant hopeBefore the Fall, Adam and God are chatting about loneliness. Adam has asked God for a companion: "In solitude/What happiness," he...
Digested read: Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton
Hamish Hamilton, £18.99The most boring question one can ask of any religion is whether or not it is true. Manifestly, none are. Yet this should not stop us cherry-picking the bits we like and repackaging them as self-help aphorisms for a liberal middl...
Why I quoted from The Satanic Verses at the Jaipur Literature Festival | Hari Kunzru
I wanted to give a voice to Salman Rushdie, a writer silenced by a death threat, not offend anyone's religious sensibilitiesOn Friday, over lunch, I heard the news that Salman Rushdie would not be attending the Jaipur Literature Festival. His visit had...
Heaven on Earth: A Journey Through Shari’a Law by Sadakat Kadri
Sharia law, often seen as draconian, is shown to have a richly varied and fluid history in this thought‑provoking studySadakat Kadri, a lawyer by training, is careful to issue disclaimers. "Lest it be necessary to say so – and it probably is," he w...
The Big Ideas podcast: Friedrich Nietzsche’s ‘God is dead’