Voices of Unbelief: Documents from Atheists and Agnostics

The intention of this text is to provide a wide array of perspectives on religious disbelief; it offers material from often unheard voices, particularly those of women, non-Europeans, and those outside the privileged classes. The resulting comprehensive and approachable guide opens with discussions of the differences between belief and unbelief, what atheism is as well as "where it is," agnosticism, and why certain accounts of belief and disbelief survive above others. Following the introduction is a brief chronology of the history of religious unbelief, spanning from the 11th century BCE to 2010. The main body of the book consists of a series of essays, speeches, and other writings on religious unbelief arranged in presentations on "The Ancient World, "The 'Middle Ages' in Four Cultures," "The Enlightenment," "The 19th Century," and "The 20th Century." The text also has two sections entitled "The Humorists" and "Contemporary Voices." The one- to six-page entries each begin with a short introduction, which contains some biographical information about the writer; offer "Keep in Mind as you Read" context for the writings and the writers; and end with questions for discussion and critical thinking, "topics and activities to consider," and further-reading suggestions. Definitions of key terms are scattered throughout the entries.