Wow! eBook
Christian Atheist: Belonging without Believing Reprint Edition
Author(s): Brian Mountford (Author)
- Publisher: Christian Alternative Books
- Publication Date: 16 Jun. 2011
- Edition: Reprint
- Language: English
- Print length: 140 pages
- ISBN-10: 9781846944390
- ISBN-13: 1846944392
Book Description
The key to the book is a set of interviews with people who fall broadly into the Christian Atheist category; some are more agnostic and less sceptical than others, but what they have in common is the rejection of traditional belief in God, counterbalanced by an admiration for the aesthetic genius of Christianity (leading to a sense of deeper value), the Christian moral compass, and in some cases the community aspect of Christian life. As one of his interviewees points out, you can?t have Christian atheism without mainstream, traditional Christianity, so Brian Mountford sets their comments within a broader discussion of the issues: God, aesthetics, orthodoxy, doubt and belief, ethics and communal values. His purpose is threefold: to validate and affirm the Christian atheist position within the broad spectrum of Christianity to say to the Church, you ignore this phenomenon at your peril to show that the distinction between atheist and religious adherent is rarely black and white, and that the ground between the two is a fertile source of meaning and value
Editorial Reviews
Review
In this fascinating and thoughtful book, Brian Mountford explores the borderland where Christians and atheists gaze at each other with expressions ranging from the hostile and scornful to the friendly and sympathetic. In some ways it is the most interesting place in contemporary religion. Mountford has an extensive knowledge of this borderland, and in the interviews and reflections in this book he explores it in the company of some eloquent and thoughtful contemporaries. –(Philip Pullman, author and self-confessed Christian Atheist)
Review
Richard Wilson | Oxford Times
This important book by one of Oxford’s outstanding church leaders takes us into a debate that never goes away: about the nature of religious belief, conflicting viewpoints of science and belief, the origins of faith and the guidance it can offer to moral behaviour and comfortable and civilised living together. Canon Mountford has positioned himself to take advantage of the opportunities his unusual job has offered him: as a don, he writes with perception and verve about poetry, music and theatre, but he caters for town and gown, tourist and connoisseur, believer and non-believer. Beauty, the numinous, and mystery matter, but so do accessibility, common sense, and inclusiveness. Combining all this in a short book is what he manages to achieve here. Joanna Gibbon | Head of Finance, Lindsell Marketing
Absolutely fascinating and must speak for many millions of inbetweeners. Many congratulations for such a lucid grappling of a knotty subject. Derek Marcuss | Australia
I congratulate you on ‘Christian Atheist’. It will be of great interest to a vast number of people, and I would not be surprised if you have a best-seller on your hands. Revd Robert Reiss | Canon of Westminster
The spectrum of ways of believing in God from at one end the literalistic acceptance of some of the biblical explanations of how God works to at the other end something like Christian Atheism is an interesting and important one to recognise. I wonder where you stand on that spectrum. It is a question worth pondering. Elizabeth Hoare | Church Times
Mr Mountford wants to stay engaged in the conversation of faith and this is what makes his book so interesting and pertinent in the current cultural situation we find ourselves in Britain today. Anyone who wants to engage seriously in the work of apologetics or simply to understand where ‘Christian atheists’ are coming from should read this book. George Taylor | GoodBookStall
Philip Pullman, author of Northern Nights coined the phrase ‘Christian Atheist’ when taking part in a public discussion on the release of the film The Golden Compass based on his book. His critics had claimed that both the book and the film were anti-God and anti-religious but Pullman retorted that he was not only a Christian Atheist but also a Church of England Atheist, a Common Prayer Atheist ,and for good measure, a King James Bible Atheist. He clearly meant that although he valued the cultural heritage of Christianity through art, language, music and morality he did not actually believe in God.In discussions with twelve people who echo Pullman’s view, the author has explored the idea of Christian atheists, these ranged from a businessman, a philosopher, a scientist, and author (Pullman himself) and a teacher of English amongst others.The result is a new view of Christianity with insights into Aesthetics, Doctrine and the meaning of doubt within and without the Church which the church cannot afford to ignore. Living Spirituality News
In his fascinating and thought-provoking new book Mountford discovers a fertile and creative source of meaning and value in the ground between the atheist and the religious adherent. Stuart Hannabus | Women, Word, Spirit
Brian Mountford is vicar at the University Church in Oxford and a well-seasoned traveller in this territory. Starting with Julian Barnes’ now famous comment that ‘I don’t believe in God, but I miss him’, Mountford analyses those ‘who are drawn to the religious ethics, language, art and community [of religion] but cannot accept the metaphysical claims or dogma.’ Lynsay Winpenny
I enjoyed it enormously and found it immensely relevant.
One of the best things that happened to me recently was an encounter with a prominent member of the Chipping Norton Methodist Communion who, for some reason, was moved to confide that, of course, she found “all this Incarnation stuff” gobbledegook, although she enjoyed the social gathering at Church and wanted to learn more, and did believe in God. I enjoyed the pure honesty of her remarks which made me laugh out loud. I also recently read Jeanette Winterson’s “Why be Happy When You Could Be Normal?” which paints her experience of the Church in a pretty unfavourable light but is just enormously refreshing because it is so very honest, and questing of the authentic – like “Oranges are not the only Fruit”.
I agreed wholeheartedly with your remark that one of the most important things the Church can offer is a place where anyone can go. Too often, though, it feels like a walk into a cage. I think people do need the freedom to find “God” in their own terms, and that it’s important for the Church to risk that they won’t encounter an experience they would describe as “God”, whilst still retaining its welcome.
Elaine Henson
How very much I appreciated and enjoyed your exploration of “Belonging without Believing”. I found it an “un-put-downable” read, which to me posed all the right questions–or at least the right questions for me and many of my friends/colleagues who’ve spent much of their lives and careers involved in church activities and culture, without being quite able to accept the doctrinal trappings. You guessed it–I’m a musician! Thank you for a thought-provoking experience; I shall not only re-visit it myself (now that I’ve looked up the definition of “numinous”!) but also buy copies for any number of my friends with whom I’ve always shared doubts and concerns.
This important book by one of Oxford’s outstanding church leaders takes us into a debate that never goes away: about the nature of religious belief, conflicting viewpoints of science and belief, the origins of faith and the guidance it can offer to moral behaviour and comfortable and civilised living together. Canon Mountford has positioned himself to take advantage of the opportunities his unusual job has offered him: as a don, he writes with perception and verve about poetry, music and theatre, but he caters for town and gown, tourist and connoisseur, believer and non-believer. Beauty, the numinous, and mystery matter, but so do accessibility, common sense, and inclusiveness. Combining all this in a short book is what he manages to achieve here. Joanna Gibbon | Head of Finance, Lindsell Marketing
Absolutely fascinating and must speak for many millions of inbetweeners. Many congratulations for such a lucid grappling of a knotty subject. Derek Marcuss | Australia
I congratulate you on ‘Christian Atheist’. It will be of great interest to a vast number of people, and I would not be surprised if you have a best-seller on your hands. Revd Robert Reiss | Canon of Westminster
The spectrum of ways of believing in God from at one end the literalistic acceptance of some of the biblical explanations of how God works to at the other end something like Christian Atheism is an interesting and important one to recognise. I wonder where you stand on that spectrum. It is a question worth pondering. Elizabeth Hoare | Church Times
Mr Mountford wants to stay engaged in the conversation of faith and this is what makes his book so interesting and pertinent in the current cultural situation we find ourselves in Britain today. Anyone who wants to engage seriously in the work of apologetics or simply to understand where ‘Christian atheists’ are coming from should read this book. George Taylor | GoodBookStall
Philip Pullman, author of Northern Nights coined the phrase ‘Christian Atheist’ when taking part in a public discussion on the release of the film The Golden Compass based on his book. His critics had claimed that both the book and the film were anti-God and anti-religious but Pullman retorted that he was not only a Christian Atheist but also a Church of England Atheist, a Common Prayer Atheist ,and for good measure, a King James Bible Atheist. He clearly meant that although he valued the cultural heritage of Christianity through art, language, music and morality he did not actually believe in God.In discussions with twelve people who echo Pullman’s view, the author has explored the idea of Christian atheists, these ranged from a businessman, a philosopher, a scientist, and author (Pullman himself) and a teacher of English amongst others.The result is a new view of Christianity with insights into Aesthetics, Doctrine and the meaning of doubt within and without the Church which the church cannot afford to ignore. Living Spirituality News
In his fascinating and thought-provoking new book Mountford discovers a fertile and creative source of meaning and value in the ground between the atheist and the religious adherent. Stuart Hannabus | Women, Word, Spirit
Brian Mountford is vicar at the University Church in Oxford and a well-seasoned traveller in this territory. Starting with Julian Barnes’ now famous comment that ‘I don’t believe in God, but I miss him’, Mountford analyses those ‘who are drawn to the religious ethics, language, art and community [of religion] but cannot accept the metaphysical claims or dogma.’ Lynsay Winpenny
I enjoyed it enormously and found it immensely relevant.
One of the best things that happened to me recently was an encounter with a prominent member of the Chipping Norton Methodist Communion who, for some reason, was moved to confide that, of course, she found “all this Incarnation stuff” gobbledegook, although she enjoyed the social gathering at Church and wanted to learn more, and did believe in God. I enjoyed the pure honesty of her remarks which made me laugh out loud. I also recently read Jeanette Winterson’s “Why be Happy When You Could Be Normal?” which paints her experience of the Church in a pretty unfavourable light but is just enormously refreshing because it is so very honest, and questing of the authentic – like “Oranges are not the only Fruit”.
I agreed wholeheartedly with your remark that one of the most important things the Church can offer is a place where anyone can go. Too often, though, it feels like a walk into a cage. I think people do need the freedom to find “God” in their own terms, and that it’s important for the Church to risk that they won’t encounter an experience they would describe as “God”, whilst still retaining its welcome.
Elaine Henson
How very much I appreciated and enjoyed your exploration of “Belonging without Believing”. I found it an “un-put-downable” read, which to me posed all the right questions–or at least the right questions for me and many of my friends/colleagues who’ve spent much of their lives and careers involved in church activities and culture, without being quite able to accept the doctrinal trappings. You guessed it–I’m a musician! Thank you for a thought-provoking experience; I shall not only re-visit it myself (now that I’ve looked up the definition of “numinous”!) but also buy copies for any number of my friends with whom I’ve always shared doubts and concerns.
Review
November 2012: “Arches”, The University of Newcastle Alumni magazine,
Devout religiousness and atheism are hardly complementary positions, but are they mutually exclusive? Certainly not, argues Canon Brian Mountford, in this erudite and equitable book, which explores the place of doubt and compromise within the Christian church.
‘Christian Atheism’ was first coined by writer Philip Pullman to denote his appreciation of the cultural heritage of the church – its language, morality and sense of community – without belief in God. It might seem an untenable position for religious conservatives, but Mountford identifies members of his own congregation with similar views, and explores the phenomenon through conversations with 12 people – including a parishioner, a student, a philosopher, and Pullman himself.
Vicar of the University Church at Oxford, and a Fellow of St Hilda’s College, Mountford has the vantage of a preacher, a scholar and an ambassador for the Church, and he tempers his own beliefs with a non-judgemental quest for tolerance and understanding.
As science and modernity cast doubt over the dogma and metaphysical claims of traditional Christianity, the unquantifiables of love, morality and metaphor are still as important as ever. Prizing personal interpretations and the collective good of the church-going community, Christian Atheist offers an olive branch to believers and non-believers alike. Nov 10, 2011: Richard Cheetham | Church Times
The subject matter of this book adds some welcome texture to an important topic. Dec 14, 2011: Philip Feakin | Sofia
Well worth reading. Feb 13, 2012: Christopher Rivers | MA USA
Christian Atheist, is absolutely brilliant. Such a timely and essential topic, handled with such insight, erudition and humor. It manages to be both quite simple and very sophisticated. If more people,both clergy and lay, were as strightforward and generous as Brian Mountford, perhaps the Church would be more attractive to more people. [This book is] a truly significant contribution to the ongoing dialogue about what organized religion means today and where it might be headed. Mar 13, 2012: Leonora Jagessar-Visser’t Hooft | REFORM
If you recognise that you can be an ‘a-theist’ – rejecting the supernatural claims about God as set out in dogman and creed – but still maintain a cultural affinity to the Christian faith and tradition, then this book provides an excellent exploration of the borderland between Christian orthodoxy and atheism.
Devout religiousness and atheism are hardly complementary positions, but are they mutually exclusive? Certainly not, argues Canon Brian Mountford, in this erudite and equitable book, which explores the place of doubt and compromise within the Christian church.
‘Christian Atheism’ was first coined by writer Philip Pullman to denote his appreciation of the cultural heritage of the church – its language, morality and sense of community – without belief in God. It might seem an untenable position for religious conservatives, but Mountford identifies members of his own congregation with similar views, and explores the phenomenon through conversations with 12 people – including a parishioner, a student, a philosopher, and Pullman himself.
Vicar of the University Church at Oxford, and a Fellow of St Hilda’s College, Mountford has the vantage of a preacher, a scholar and an ambassador for the Church, and he tempers his own beliefs with a non-judgemental quest for tolerance and understanding.
As science and modernity cast doubt over the dogma and metaphysical claims of traditional Christianity, the unquantifiables of love, morality and metaphor are still as important as ever. Prizing personal interpretations and the collective good of the church-going community, Christian Atheist offers an olive branch to believers and non-believers alike. Nov 10, 2011: Richard Cheetham | Church Times
The subject matter of this book adds some welcome texture to an important topic. Dec 14, 2011: Philip Feakin | Sofia
Well worth reading. Feb 13, 2012: Christopher Rivers | MA USA
Christian Atheist, is absolutely brilliant. Such a timely and essential topic, handled with such insight, erudition and humor. It manages to be both quite simple and very sophisticated. If more people,both clergy and lay, were as strightforward and generous as Brian Mountford, perhaps the Church would be more attractive to more people. [This book is] a truly significant contribution to the ongoing dialogue about what organized religion means today and where it might be headed. Mar 13, 2012: Leonora Jagessar-Visser’t Hooft | REFORM
If you recognise that you can be an ‘a-theist’ – rejecting the supernatural claims about God as set out in dogman and creed – but still maintain a cultural affinity to the Christian faith and tradition, then this book provides an excellent exploration of the borderland between Christian orthodoxy and atheism.
About the Author
Interested in the clash between religious faith and doubt, Brian Mountford has worked in Oxford for 25 years as Vicar of the University Church and Fellow of St Hilda’s College.
