Reviews

"Drawing on his own experience of growing up in a fundamentalist Christian environment, Monkcom challenges readers to examine how beliefs are formed, how they resist contrary evidence, and whether religious claims about God can be substantiated. At the centre of the book is a tension between faith and reason, belief and evidence, and certainty and intellectual humility; he consistently favours reason, evidence and intellectual humility.

"Monkcom considers questions such as what we know, how we know it, the difference between knowledge and belief, and whether some beliefs are better justified than others. He puts forward convincing arguments in an easy-to-understand way. 

"In writing this book, an important objective for Monkcom was to invite believers and non-believers to have more open dialogue where we seek a deeper understanding rather than a winning argument.

"Beyond Belief will not necessarily settle the question of religion, but it is highly recommended as either a starting point or as a way of consolidating the reader's understanding of the many claims made by religious believers and the reasoning behind them".

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“Writing as someone who once embraced fundamentalist Christianity, Monkcom replaces hostility with empathy, demonstrating that it is possible to examine deeply held beliefs critically while maintaining respect for those who hold them. He carefully explores why these beliefs remain persuasive to many people before evaluating whether they withstand rational scrutiny. This method gives the discussion an inviting, conversational quality. 

“One of the book’s strongest contributions is its emphasis on dialogue. Monkcom argues that modern dogmatism—religious or otherwise—thrives when people retreat into isolated ideological communities. His proposed alternative is both simple and challenging: ‘Let’s engage in a genuine conversation, seeking to understand, not demonize, one another.’ That appeal is especially relevant in today’s increasingly polarized public discourse.

“Monkcom’s perspective is particularly valuable because it comes from someone who understands religious commitment from the inside. Beyond Belief is more than a personal deconversion memoir or a critique of religious belief. It offers a thoughtful model for engaging difficult questions with intellectual honesty and compassion”.

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Charming....  I'll likely recommend this as a future purchase. There is a need for more books written with a male perspective, and the diary format is interesting.

I particularly enjoyed the autobiographical part of Beyond Belief which traces the author's struggles with his upbringing within the Plymouth Brethren. The second part of the book invites the reader to think critically about religious beliefs. The book encourages a friendly calm discussion on this difficult subject. The writing is clear and the arguments are well presented and easy to follow.

To read this book and take in what it says might actually turn out to be, for some, a faith-building rather than a faith-undermining exercise

How does one present a review, in a publication read by believers in God, of a book that argues for atheism?

Certainly, I would not recommend this book to those who are young in their faith, but what about mature believers who are reasonably secure in theirs? I say ‘reasonably’ because, as it has been suggested, no-one can be wholly secure in their faith until and unless they have fully faced up to the arguments that are contrary to it and see where those arguments fall short. So to read this book and take in what it says might actually turn out to be, for some, a faith-building rather than a faith-undermining exercise...

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A very thoughtful and accessible read. I appreciated that the author does not simply dismiss religion, but explores both the good it can offer and the harm that can arise when rigid fundamentalist beliefs are imposed, especially on children. His personal story of growing up in a strict religious family and questioning inherited beliefs is honest and engaging. I especially liked the sections on faith versus reason.

A Christian’s view

As a committed Christian I respected and admired the persuasive arguments of a former fellow student who struggled to escape from his bigotted upbringing. For such a serious subject I found the book almost convincing, and entertaining.