God Is Not Great

God Is Not Great. It is a 2007 polemical work by the Anglo-American author and journalist Christopher Hitchens, which argues that organized religion is fundamentally harmful to human civilization. The book, subtitled How Religion Poisons Everything, became a central text of the New Atheism movement alongside works by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. Hitchens employs a blend of historical critique, personal anecdote, and rhetorical flourish to assert that faith is not only a source of violence and repression but also a corrosive force against scientific progress and ethical autonomy.

Overview and thesis

The book’s central thesis posits that religious belief is a man-made, totalitarian doctrine that damages all aspects of human life and society. Hitchens contends that the moral teachings of major world religions, including Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, are derived from archaic and barbaric texts like the Bible and the Quran. He argues that these faiths promote intellectual dishonesty, suppress free inquiry exemplified by figures like Galileo Galilei and Charles Darwin, and justify atrocities from the Crusades to September 11 attacks. The narrative is structured as a prosecutorial case, drawing from events across history and geography, from the Inquisition to contemporary conflicts in the Middle East.

Critical reception

Upon its release, the book received polarized reviews, sharply divided along ideological lines. It was praised in secular and atheist circles, with publications like The Guardian and The New York Times noting its forceful prose and erudition. However, it faced substantial criticism from religious scholars and theologians. Reviewers in The Times Literary Supplement and First Things accused Hitchens of historical oversimplification, selective citation, and a failure to engage with sophisticated theological arguments from thinkers like Thomas Aquinas or Reinhold Niebuhr. Despite this, it was a finalist for the 2007 National Book Award and became an international bestseller, translated into dozens of languages.

Author's background and influences

Christopher Hitchens was a renowned public intellectual, contributing editor to Vanity Fair, and a prolific essayist for publications like The Atlantic and The Nation. His earlier works, such as The Trial of Henry Kissinger and his memoir Hitch-22, established his reputation for polemical writing and anti-authoritarian politics. Key influences on his atheistic worldview included the Enlightenment philosophies of Thomas Paine and Voltaire, the skeptical tradition of George Orwell, and his own experiences reporting from religious conflict zones like Belfast and Jerusalem. His debates with religious figures, including Tony Blair and Al Sharpton, further shaped the book’s confrontational style.

Main arguments

Hitchens systematically attacks religion’s claim to provide a unique foundation for morality, arguing that ethical behavior predates and exists independently of faith, citing pre-Socratic philosophers and secular humanists. He documents religion’s opposition to scientific discovery, from the condemnation of Galileo Galilei by the Catholic Church to modern resistance against evolution theory and stem cell research. The book also details religion’s role in fostering violence, exploring conflicts such as the Thirty Years' War, the partition of India, and the Bosnian War. Furthermore, Hitchens condemns religion’s repression of sexuality and women’s rights, pointing to doctrines of Sharia law and the Vatican’s stance on contraception.

Public impact and legacy

The publication of God Is Not Great significantly amplified the public profile of the New Atheism movement, often referred to with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett as the “Four Horsemen of the Non-Apocalypse.” It spurred a series of widely viewed public debates and television appearances on programs like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Real Time with Bill Maher. The book’s success contributed to a broader cultural conversation about secularism, influencing subsequent works by authors like Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Lawrence Krauss. It remains a foundational and controversial text in modern discussions of atheism, religion, and secular society. Category:2007 non-fiction books Category:New Atheist literature Category:Books by Christopher Hitchens