WOF 409: The Rise and Fall of the New Atheism

<p>Friends, the New Atheism movement rose quickly in the early 2000s, led by vicious critics of religion such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. What made their polemics so popular and effective? And how did the New Atheist movement decline and fade almost as quickly over the past few years?</p> <p>That’s what Brandon Vogt and I discuss on today’s “Word on Fire Show” episode, with the help of an excellent new book by Justin Brierley titled <em><a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Surprising-Rebirth-Belief-God-Christianity/dp/1496466772/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label= "The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again - opens in new tab" data-uw-rm-ext-link="">The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again</a></em>.</p> <p>A listener asks, does the Catholic Church teach that the Holy Spirit has a gender?</p> <p>00:00 | Intro<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" /> 00:50 | Bishop Barron’s visit to Harvard University<br role= "presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" /> 02:55 | Justin Brierley – <em><a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Surprising-Rebirth-Belief-God-Christianity/dp/1496466772/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label= "The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God - opens in new tab" data-uw-rm-ext-link=""><strong>The Surprising Rebirth of Belief In God</strong></a></em><br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" /> 03:32 | What is the New Atheism?<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" /> 07:17 | What led to the rise of the New Atheism?<br role= "presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" /> 10:22 | Why the New Atheism appealed to young people<br role= "presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" /> 12:46 | How the New Atheism began to unravel<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" /> 15:43 | How the New Atheism revitalized Christian apologetics<br role="presentation" data-uw-rm-sr="" /> 17:19 | The New Atheism’s failure to provide a satisfying alternativ