What is Atheism, Secularism, Humanism? Academy for Lifelong Learning Fall 2019 Course leader: David Eller
Course Syllabus Week One: 1. Talking about Theism and Atheism: Getting the Terms Right 2. Arguments for and Against God(s) Week Two: 1. A History of Irreligion and Freethought 2. Varieties of Atheism and Secularism: Non-Belief Across Cultures Week Three: 1. Religion, Non-religion, and Morality: On Being Good without God(s) 2. Explaining Religion Scientifically: Cognitive Evolutionary Theory Week Four: 1. Separation of Church and State in the United States 2. Atheist/Secularist/Humanist Organization and Community Today
Suggested Reading List David Eller, Natural Atheism (American Atheist Press, 2004) David Eller, Atheism Advanced (American Atheist Press, 2007)
Other noteworthy readings on atheism, secularism, and humanism: George M. Smith Atheism: The Case Against God Richard Dawkins The God Delusion Christopher Hitchens God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything Daniel Dennett Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon Victor Stenger God: The Failed Hypothesis Sam Harris The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Religion Michael Martin Atheism: A Philosophical Justification Kerry Walters Atheism: A Guide for the Perplexed Michel Onfray In Defense of Atheism: The Case against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam John M. Robertson A Short History of Freethought Ancient and Modern William Lane Craig and Walter Sinnott-Armstrong God? A Debate between a Christian and an Atheist Phil Zuckerman and John R. Shook, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Secularism Janet R. Jakobsen and Ann Pellegrini, eds. Secularisms Callum G. Brown The Death of Christian Britain: Understanding Secularisation 1800-2000 Talal Asad Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity Lori G. Beaman and Steven Tomlins, eds. Atheist Identities: Spaces and Social Contexts Greg Epstein Good without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe Corliss Lamont The Philosophy of Humanism
Websites: The Secular Web/Internet Infidels https://infidels.org American Atheists https://www.atheists.org American Humanist Society https://americanhumanist.org Freedom from Religion Foundation https://ffrf.org The Skeptics Society https://www.skeptic.com Atheist Alliance International https://www.atheistalliance.org Secular Student Alliance https://secularstudents.org Council for Secular Humanism https://secularhumanism.org/about-the-council-for-secular-humanism International Humanist and Ethical Union https://humanists.international Foundation Beyond Belief https://foundationbeyondbelief.org Center for Inquiry https://centerforinquiry.org