And Man Created God: Is God a human invention?
This book addresses one of the oldest questions posed to religious believers: if God made everything, who made God? Most recently levelled by the New Atheists, the question was asked in ancient Greece and has preoccupied religious believers in the centuries since. Here, renowned scholar Robert Banks explores the history of the objection - from its earliest vocalization in the ancient world to its most famous opponents, Freud, Marx, and others. Ideal for anyone with a general interest in new atheism, for those studying religion, or wanting to sort out what (if any) elements of their idea of God are man-made.
If God created man, who created God?
Contents
Acknowledgments 7
Foreword 9
Part One: Back on the Public Agenda 15
1. The Renewal of an Old Attack on Religion 17
Part Two: Early Advocates of a Sceptical View 33
2. A New Challenge to the Gods 35
3. Its Later Uptake and Turnaround 45
Part Three: Four Leading Modern App roaches 61
4. God as the Product of Human Wishes: Ludwig Feuerbach 63
5. God as a Substitute for Oppressive Conditions: Karl Marx
80
6. God as a Projection of Repressed Desires:Sigmund Freud 96
7. God as the Symbol of Human Potential: Erich Fromm 112
Part Four: A Time for Self-Examination 131
8. Facing Up to the Personal Challenge 133
Notes 149
"Overall this book presents many fascinating ideas that could benefit both the scholar and the lay individual with a bent toward deep, inquisitive thinking." Ray McAllister
"Robert Banks asks us to separate out God and human beings, examine the role of Christ as part of understanding God, use cultural and sociological analysis sensibly ... to live and demonstrate our belied and faith: this is the only way in which the seeker and believer can find God." Stuart Hannabuss
Product Details
- Title : And Man Created God: Is God a human invention?
- Author: Banks, Robert
- Publisher: Lion Books
- Publication Date: 2011
- ISBN: 9780745959641
Reviews
1 rating
Richard
6/6/2021
This is a short book, which shows the viewpoints of the atheist and other opponents well. Most great opponents against the theistic view were persons that were in one way or another connected with Judaism or Christianity. King James Bible They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 1 John 2:19 I miss the persuasion in the writing of this work to defend the theistic view. Added to this, I think this book is way too short to cover a fast topic like this.