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The Religious Case Against Belief | 
| Author: James P. Carse
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 22386
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 5.8 x 1.1
ISBN: 1594201692
Dewey Decimal Number: 200
EAN: 9781594201691
ASIN: 1594201692
Publication Date: May 29, 2008
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Product Description
A provocative, insightful explanation for why it is that beliefnot religionkeeps us in a perilous state of willful ignorance
In The Religious Case Against Belief, James Carse identifies the twenty-first centurys most forbidding villain: belief. In distinguishing religions from belief systems, Carse works to reveal how beliefwith its restriction on thought and encouragement of hostilityhas corrupted religion and spawned violence the world over.
Galileo, Martin Luther, Abraham Lincoln, and Jesus Christusing their stories Carse creates his own brand of parable and establishes a new vocabulary with which to study conflict in the modern world. The Religious Case Against Belief introduces three kinds of ignorance: ordinary ignorance (a mundane lack of knowledge, such as ignorance of tomorrows weather or the reason why your stove is malfunctioning), willful ignorance (an intentional avoidance of accessible knowledge), and finally higher ignorance (a learned understanding that no matter how many truths we may accumulate, our knowledge falls infinitely short of the truth).
While ordinary ignorance is common to all people, Carse associates the strongest manifestation of willful ignorance with the most fervent (and dangerous) of believers. He points to the historic conflict between Martin Luther and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V both to reveal this seemingly religious collision as a clash of belief and to identify belief s inherently destructive characteristics. From Luther to the contemporary Christian right, we learn that believers construct identity by erecting boundaries and by fostering aggression between the believer and the other. This is why belief systems chooseat great costto remain locked in bloody conflict rather than to engage in dialogue, recognizing the great deal they have in common. This is willful ignorance.
In fierce contrast to willful ignorance, higher ignorance is an acquired state enhanced by religion. Those traveling the path to higher ignorance recognize faith teachings (such as the Bible) as poetry intended to promote contemplation, interpretation, and a sense of wonder. For evidence of religions deeply embedded rejection of singular truth and its acceptance of diverse dialogue, Carse looks to the many faces of Jesus presented in the books of the Bible and elsewhere. Uncontaminated by belief systems, religion rejects the imagined boundaries that falsely divide people and ideas, working to expand horizons.
The Religious Case Against Belief exposes a world in which religion and belief have become erroneously (and terrifyingly) conflated. In strengthening their association with powerful belief systems, religions have departed from their essential purpose as agencies of higher ignorance. Carse uses his wideranging understanding of religion to find a viable and vital path away from what he calls the Age of Faith II and toward open-ended global dialogue. Far from abstract philosophical musing, The Religious Case Against Belief is required reading for our age.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Is the distinction real or artificial? August 24, 2008
One can sympathize with James Carse's intention in The Religious Case Against Belief without agreeing with his thesis.
His intention is to find some way to avoid the fruitless wrangling between religionists and atheists that is currently going on. He does this by arguing that the atheists are correct in their criticisms of dogmatic belief that goes by the name of "religion," but that such belief doesn't constitute religion at all. Belief systems, he says, are closed ideologies that frequently employ willful ignorance. Like Galileo's detractors, ideologues refuse to take seriously any claims that run counter to their belief systems. They automatically draw lines in the sand between themselves and everyone who disagrees with them, thereby creating adversarial relationships which can lead to excess and violence.
But genuine religion, Carse continues, is imbued with the spirit of what Nikolaus of Cusa called "learned ignorance": the humble realization that reality is far greater and more complex than an single explanation of it, whether that explanation is God-oriented or not. Genuine religious faith refrains from dogmatism because of its conviction that God is always greater than we humans can imagine.
This is a clever abstract distinction--and herein lies my disagreement with Carse--but reality is much messier. Religious humility is typically interwoven with a great deal of self-doubt, and this in turn easily breeds ideological tendencies. Learned ignorance in practice usually draws pretty clear lines between what's ultimately acceptable or unacceptable when talking about God. And belief systems, I would suggest, aren't nearly as monolithic as Carse suggests. They can accommodate any degree of toleration, and they also have life spans in which their openness ebbs and flows. They are, in short, more dynamic than Carse allows.
This isn't to say that Carse's treatment is without merit. Although his thesis is flawed (and not terribly original, as a matter of fact), he asks the right question when he wonders if atheists aren't tilting for the most part at windmills--that is, closed and intolerant ideologies--more than what they think they're attacking.
 Good ideas, confusing presentation July 16, 2008
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
The main argument James P Carse makes in "The Religious Case Against Belief" is that it's not necessary to believe something to be religious. But Carse himself can't really figure this out. He admits that this itself is a belief. And he says that the danger of this thinking is that it may lead to relativism, which of course is an evil word these days, but then says a lot of things that sound an awful lot like relativism, but then says we need to have boundaries. It's all a bit convoluted and a bit confusing.
Still, Carse has an important point that, if not completely original, is nonetheless significant to public dialogue today. Too many people think religion is about knowing certain specific things and don't understand how it is and can be more about an encounter with an unknown force. Carse doesn't really present this well. In addition to his contradictions mentioned above, he also uses very odd examples and a repetitive and truly boring prose style. But he can be resonating at times. And the fact that he is making the point, that there is a book called "The Religious Case Against Belief" and it is being read is an accomplishment enough.
Solidly good and provocative, but not great July 15, 2008
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
I truly appreciate Prof. Carse's slim volume, here, but it definitely falls short of a full five stars. The other reviews have already hit the strengths of his work--such as his soundly and thoughtfully provocative separation of belief from religion. My criticism (which leads me to a somewhat generous downgrade of four stars) stems from my view that the book could've benefited from (a) a bit more refinement and (b) tighter editing. It reads as if it grew from a paper presentation he made at a conference which was then roughly expanded into book treatment so it could go to press, with several somewhat sloppy editorial problems (e.g., redundancies, dropped lines of reasoning, etc.).
But more basically, I wish Prof. Carse more carefully developed his descriptive structure of "religion." Frankly, I think he copped out, summing it up as (a) no one can agree on what a "religion" is but (b) we can agree on longevity and cultural coherence as the two defining characteristics. I was left both unconvinced and a bit puzzled as to what he actually meant. His discussion of "religion" certainly was less thought through than his descriptive structure for "belief."
That said, I see the book as an excellent conversation starter/book club selection/course assignment. That is, reading it as a stand alone tome? It's fine, with a basic thesis that is timely and well received (at least by the reviewers here). But it is lacking. Reading it as part of a larger (and actual, face-to-face discussion)? That's where I expect it would shine. I'd love to hear the arguments that can be made on the various points he raises, not in a self-congratulatory circle of agreers but among those who agree and those who may be offended. The Coda seems to call for that sort of use of the book.
Fundamentally (which may be an ironic choice of words!), the book provokes thought and reflection, of which there is far too little in this day and age, and I whole heartedly and strongly applaud Prof. Carse for his contribution toward nudging us back in that direction. But the bun could have stayed in the oven a bit longer, and this would have been a truly excellent book, not merely a compelling thesis.
 A necessary perspective July 2, 2008
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
I'm already a fan of Prof. Carse from "Finite and Infinite Games," and this new book adds to my respect for his careful way of seeing. In this new work, Carse offers a reasoned and useful distinction between religious thought and belief systems. The basis of his distinction is the comparative openness to wonder. Belief "systems" are not religions, by Carse's reasoning, but closed sets of dogma which thrive in opposition to other such systems. His basis for true religion is longevity. This book will reward rereading!
Separating Dogma and Spirit Gives Insight and Hope! June 24, 2008
16 out of 19 found this review helpful
This book invites the reader to explore the differences between belief (dogma, doctrine, etc) and religion (living faith, spirit, connection with God/Spirit). I find it fascinating and very very accessible -- thought provoking AND fluid, not heavy as some theology books can be. Whatever a person's faith or spiritual journey, this book can be a valuable asset in looking at one's own journey and, most important, at the ways in which we (historically, collectively) tend to deal with differences in belief/tradition. Also looks at political and social belief structures.....fascinating and liberating!
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