The Atheist Who Didn't Exist by Andy Bannister

The Atheist Who Didn't Exist by Andy Bannister ISBN-13: 9780857216106 Trade Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: Monarch Books Released: July 27, 2015

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Christianbook.com:
Blending humor with serious thought, The Atheist Who Didnt Exist will help readers to think a little deeper about the popular claims of atheism. Whether the reader is a Christian who desires to be able to start a conversation with secular friends or simply an agnostic dissatisfied with some of the arguments that pass for serious thought, Andy Bannister shows that when it comes to the most important questions of life, we need to move beyond simplistic sound bites.


My Review:
The Atheist Who Didn't Exist is a Christian apologetics book. The purpose is to point out the problems with 'bad argument' sound bits for atheism so that Christians and Atheists can carry on a more thoughtful dialogue. The author took an atheist claim and rephrased it in another context so that it was easier to see how the argument held up. He started each chapter with a silly story that illustrated the argument in the new context, then he explained why it isn't a good argument.

I think he did a good job of showing why the arguments don't work. However, I can't use his stories to make a similar argument since he personalized them. I'd have to think a while to figure out how to explain his argument to someone else (which may be a good thing).

The author's humor won't be for everyone. It's mainly teasing about things few Americans have any stake in (like English sports teams that don't do well). However, the author sometimes went beyond silly stories and teasing. He poked fun at Dawkins, for example, not just Dawkins' bad arguments. That bothered me. Christians are supposed to be known for their loving attitudes, and I doubt Dawkins is feeling the love.

There are references to drinking alcohol and a few uses of bad language, which will turn off some Christians. Overall, I liked the method the author used to illustrate the problems with certain atheist arguments. However, I'm doubtful that the author's brand of humor would help in explaining the point to an atheist who takes those arguments seriously.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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