On the Recent Popularity of Atheist Books

Here are two articles of interest dealing with the popularity of atheist books in the last couple of years.

Joseph Bottum at First Things: “Why Atheism Is Selling . . . Books”

There’s an odd defensiveness about all these books—as though they were a sign not of victory but of desperation. Everywhere on earth except Western Europe, religion is surging. Each of the authors admits that most people, especially in America, do not agree with him. Each pictures himself as a man who spits against the wind. Each rehearses his arguments for atheism mostly, it seems, to convince himself.

They’re certainly not convincing many others. According to a 2007 Princeton Survey poll for Newsweek, 91 percent of Americans believe in God. Only 3 percent say they are atheists. The whole group of nonbelievers—adding in agnostics and persons who say they are of no religion—account for 10 percent, at best, of all Americans. Worse for the new atheists: A full 87 percent of Americans identify with a specific religion—82 percent Christian, 2 percent Jewish, and 1 percent Muslim, Buddhist, and other.

Now, Michael insists that all this recent atheistical brouhaha comes from the easily predictable anxiety that appears at the end of any age—in our case, at the end of the age of secularism.

. . .

Add it all up, and there’s a perfect occasion for all these books on atheism. The fact that they won’t make any difference is another matter entirely.

David Smith at Guardian Unlimited: “Believe it or not: the sceptics beat God in bestseller battle”

Sales of books that explore religion or spirituality have grown by more than 50 per cent in the past three years, according to online retailer Amazon.

The boom surpasses the rise in sales of books in categories such as history, which have grown by 38 per cent, and politics, up by 30 per cent, confirming that religion has become a pivotal topic in the early 21st century.

. . .

It is The God Delusion that has driven the growth of the category. Between April and June it was the fourth-bestselling book of all, beaten only by the two editions (children and adult) of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s latest offering. However, the publication of The God Delusion last year also prompted a 120 per cent increase in sales of the Bible.

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