Taking Religion Seriously - by Charles Murray (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Taking Religion Seriously is Murray's autobiographical account of the decades-long evolution in his stance toward the idea of God in general and Christianity in particular. He argues that religion is something that can be approached as an intellectual exercise. His account moves from the improbable physics of the Big Bang to recent discoveries about the nature of consciousness, from evolutionary psychology to hypotheses about a universal Moral Law. His exploration of Christianity delves into the authorship of the Gospels, the reliability of biblical texts, and the scholarship surrounding the resurrection story. Murray, the author of Coming Apart and coauthor of The Bell Curve, does not write as an expert. He acknowledges that those taking religion seriously for the first time, like himself, must grapple with topics and ideas that defy intellectual mastery. In this book, Murray offers his personal example of intellectual struggle toward religion. 'Maybe God needs a way to reach over-educated agnostics and that's what I stumbled into, ' he writes. 'It's a more arid process than divine revelation but it has been rewarding. And, if you're like me, it's the only game in town'"--

Book Synopsis

"The book is a highly personal and readable account of a profound change in the author's outlook: one that grew gradually over the course of decades but has lately blossomed..."

--The Wall Street Journal

"Millions are like me when it comes to religion: well-educated and successful people for whom religion has been irrelevant," Charles Murray writes. "For them, I think I have a story worth telling."

Taking Religion Seriously is Murray's autobiographical account of the decades-long evolution in his stance toward the idea of God in general and Christianity in particular. He argues that religion is something that can be approached as an intellectual exercise. His account moves from the improbable physics of the Big Bang to recent discoveries about the nature of consciousness, from evolutionary psychology to hypotheses about a universal Moral Law. His exploration of Christianity delves into the authorship of the Gospels, the reliability of biblical texts, and the scholarship surrounding the resurrection story.

Murray, the author of Coming Apart and coauthor of The Bell Curve, does not write as an expert. He acknowledges that those taking religion seriously for the first time, like himself, must grapple with topics and ideas that defy intellectual mastery. In this book, Murray offers his personal example of intellectual struggle toward religion.

"Maybe God needs a way to reach overeducated agnostics and that's what I stumbled into," he writes. "It's a more arid process than divine revelation but it has been rewarding. And, if you're like me, it's the only game in town."

Review Quotes

"Charles Murray is a man who has repeatedly done the intellectual work that others do not want to do."

--Wilfred M.McClay, Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History, Hillsdale College

"There are few, if any, bolder policy intellectuals than Charles Murray.... He has done more to provoke serious debate on subjects ranging from welfare to IQ than any of the million or so members of American academe."

--The Economist

"Arguably the most consequential social scientist alive."

--Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief, The Dispatch

"Charles Murray's social science is sometimes provocative, usually controversial, and always significant to the national debate."

--Robert Verbruggen, fellow, The Manhattan Institute

"Charles Murray will infuriate people. But if they read carefully, he will also make them think."

--Ken Auletta, New Yorker journalist and author of The Underclass

"Taking Religion Seriously, if nothing else, provides a neat catalog of the best apologetics works for anyone exploring the Christian faith today."

--Religion and Liberty Online

"If you think you know who Charles is from the way the MSM has described him for years, this conversation may surprise."

--Andrew Sullivan, The Dishcast