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Society without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment, by Phil Zuckerman
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Review
“Puts to rest the belief that you need God in order to be a moral person, that irreligious societies are wracked by social problems, and that godless people are unhappy and unmoored. . . . In the case of Scandinavia: God may be dead, but Swedes and Danes lead rich, full lives. Society Without God is a colorful, provocative book that makes an original contribution to debates about atheism and religiosity. Ideal for classroom use, it will get students thinking about their own lives and choices.” -Arlene Stein,author of Shameless: Sexual Dissidence in American Culture“For those interested in the burgeoning field of secular studies’ or for those curious about a world much different from the devout U.S.—this book will offer some compelling reading.”-Publishers Weekly“The book succeeds in documenting how the conditions of a liberal social welfare state promote contentment.” -Choice“Society without God is both a sociological analysis of irreligion and Zuckerman’s apologia pro vita sua. He wants us to know that, contrary to the deeply held beliefs of some Americans, a society without god can be a good society and an irreligious person can be a moral person, too. To his credit, Zuckerman provides enough nuance and detail to allow a skeptic like me to see what Peter Berger called ‘signals of transcendence’ in the society without god he portrays. Along with the volume’s engaging writing style, this makes it ideal for classroom use. I know my students will enjoy reading and discussing Society without God.” -David Yamane,author of The Catholic Church in State Politics“His reporting of previously published material is invaluable to persons not previously familiar with such information.”-Humanism Ireland“Most Americans are convinced that faith in God is the foundation of civil society. Society Without God reveals this to be nothing more than a well-subscribed, and strangely American, delusion. Even atheists living in the United States will be astonished to discover how unencumbered by religion most Danes and Swedes currently are. This glimpse of an alternate, secular reality is at once humbling and profoundly inspiring— and it comes not a moment too soon. Zuckerman’s research is truly indispensable.” -Sam Harris,author of the New York Times"Society Without God" offers a unique perspective on the active debate regarding the necessity of religion . . . By turning to one of the most secular societies in the world, Scandanavia, Phil Zuckerman offers an empirically grounded account of a successful society where people are happy and content and help their neighbors without believing in God. The book is fluently written and highly illuminating. It offers an accessible entry to important questions in the study of religion and secularism."-Michael Pagis,Journal of the American Academy of Religion“Despite this book’s weighty topic, with its conversational writing style, Society Without God is amazingly readable, even fun. It presents rigorous arguments that are deceptively simple to understand, but that are, when you think about them more deeply, quite transformative.”-PopMatters“[Zuckerman] tells of a magical land where life expectancy is high and infant mortality low, where wealth is spread and genders live in equity, where happy, fish-fed citizens score high in every quality-of-life index: economic competitiveness, healthcare, environmental protection, lack of corruption, educational investment, technological literacy . . . well, you get the idea. Zuckerman (who has explored the sociology of religion in two previous books) has managed to show what nonbelief looks like when it’s ‘normal, regular, mainstream, common.’ And he’s gone at least partway to proving the central thesis of his book: ‘Religious faith—while admittedly widespread—is not natural or innate to the human condition. Nor is religion a necessary ingredient for a healthy, peaceful, prosperous, and . . . deeply good society.’ ” -Louis Bayard,Salon.com“In an anecdotal and eminently readable manner, Zuckerman offers a novel idea within the study of religious sociology.”-Library Journal
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About the Author
Phil Zuckerman is Associate Professor of Sociology at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. He is the author of Invitation to the Sociology of Religion and Strife in the Sanctuary: Religious Schism in a Jewish Community.
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Product details
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: NYU Press (June 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0814797237
ISBN-13: 978-0814797235
Product Dimensions:
6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
4.0 out of 5 stars
64 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#662,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
As an historian with a few drops of Norwegian, maybe Swedish blood in me who has hung around the Scandinavian ghettos in Seattle, I found this book fascinating. Sociologist Phil Zuckerman interviews five longships full of Vikings about their lives, perceptions of God, religious beliefs (or, more often, lack thereof), morals, and thoughts about death. He notes that most Danes and Swedes don't seem to require much belief in God to live happy and reasonably virtuous lives, as good or (by his count) better than Americans, by and large. (Though a more apt comparison would be to Scandinavian Americans, who by my observation seem more pious, and no more crime-ridden.)The interviews are full of interesting details -- for instance, the nurse who doesn't believe in God, but has she thinks observed spirits leave bodies on their death, so is a bit "heretical" in relation to strict naturalism. And the fear some express of being looked down on, for believing. Unlike some of those who interpret his writings, Dr. Zuckerman is careful not to go beyond his evidence to claim that atheism or secular humanism is the cause of Scandinavia's success. He argues, reasonably I think, that the evidence demonstrates that society can succeed (at least in the short run, one might cautiously add) without much strong faith in God.Or at least, without much faith in God among the present generation. The ironic thing is -- and here I have to give a nod to Zuckerman's honesty -- numerous interview subjects point out that Christianity is the basis of their own morality, or of traditional Danish / Swedish morals and laws. Zuckerman even admits that he could give many times more such quotes, and he gives at least half a dozen.I think there is strong historical evidence to buttress this view. What we know of the Vikings, before Christianity arrived, is at stark variance with their present pacifist and productive reputation. One Muslim traveler in 922 AD reports wanton drunkenness, slavery, filth, lack of concern for the poor, and human sacrifice. The rest of Europe, of course, came to know the Vikings from their depredations. Sifting through the Cambridge History of Scandinavia and other historical accounts, and a biography of the pietist Norwegian reformer Hans Hauge, I found lots of support for the notion echoed by Zuckerman's subjects, that Christianity originally transformed Hagar the Horrible into his present, milder descendent. So even if Scandinavian society does not need faith in God at the present moment to maintain its virtues, those virtues may yet have originated in such faith.And there is also the question of the future. Zuckerman himself elsewhere expresses concern over the low birth rate common among secularists. Combine that with Muslim immigration and a lack of civilizational confidence, one has additionally to ask if secularism can long sustain what it probably did not create. The Roman Empire decayed demographically before that decay was manifest in loss of territory, and that could certainly happen again. I am not certain of the answer, but it may be that some time in the future, Scandinavia will recognize its need for God, to confront new existential threats, or because, after all, there is more in heaven and earth, as many of Zuckerman's subjects put it. (Do they all read Hamlet in school?)What makes this book interesting is the series of lives it lays open. Zuckerman enters into the story himself, honestly relating his own views and perceptions. You may disagree, but I prefer that kind of social science to dry, "objective" statistical analysis. Zuckerman knows his stuff, and lets it inform, without intruding on, his interviews, helping to put the "human" back in secular humanism. I would especially recommend this book to missionaries headed to Scandinavia. :- )
This is an eye-opening book telling how the Scandinavian countries are the happiest in the world. Made me want to move there and leave the USA behind.
I enjoyed the author's attempt to statistically quantify the impact of belief, or lack thereof, in God has upon a given society based upon interviews of its members. In no way scientific, it does provide a glimpse into the minds of those that do not, and most never did, have a strong belief in the God of Abraham. This completely contradicts the long-held belief that societies without religion are doomed to complete suffering and misery.My only disappointment is that the book does not really convey anything specific that might persuade misguided evangelicals of our world to stand down from their conviction that (their) religion is of utmost urgency for all humans to adopt.
I appeared in this book as 'Henry 41' and am proud to have contributed to this fantastic book. Basically, Phil shows that societies don't need god to be 'good', or good places to live. Highly-recommended.
Society without God by Phil ZuckermanSociety without God is a social study of how secular societies such as Denmark and Sweden are not only essentially "godless" but thrive as societies. Social scientist Phil Zuckerman does a wonderful job of capturing the cultures of these Scandinavian nations and provides interesting insight on how they have become secular. Through a series of interviews and references to social studies the author provides strong support for his social theories and contrasts that with United States. The book is composed of the following nine chapters: 1. Society without God?, 2. Jens, Anne and Christian, 3. Fear of Death and the Meaning of Life, 4. Lene, Sonny, and Gitte, 5. Being Secular, 6. Why?, 7. Dorthe, Laura, and Johanne, 8. Cultural Religion, and 9. Back to the USA.Positives:1. Fascinating social study that focuses on the religious beliefs or in this case the lack thereof of, of mainly two Scandinavian nations: Denmark and Sweden.2. As accessible a book as you will find. Well written, to the point and interesting.3. Even though the book is comprised of many interviews, the author provides compelling supporting data based on social studies. The Kindle links work great and are worthwhile.4. Completely debunks any notion that a society requires the belief in gods to prosper and thrive. The author provides key social indicators to back up his assertions. In fact, demonstrating that nations like Denmark and Sweden are models of social health.5. Absolutely love when authors take you inside other nations and cultures. Fascinating look at how Scandinavians live and why they believe what they believe.6. Provides the best explanation that I have read regarding why secularization worked in Scandinavian nations and not in other nations. That alone is worth the price of the book.7. So much valuable social information throughout book.8. Skepticism in a rational way. I like that.9. Some interviews are so interesting, I don't want to spoil it but rest assured that some things will baffle you.10. A friendly, conversational tone throughout the book. It's the kind of book you can give to anyone.11. Educational. Provides interesting compelling theories of why people do not believe.Negatives:1. Focuses primarily on Scandinavian nations, not much on Japan, France or other secular nations.2. A couple of times, the author failed to name the best country in some of the social indicators of well being, it was Finland. I had to research on my own.3. I don't know about the book but the Kindle version lacked illustration or charts that would have been helpful.4. There is a little fluff in the book. But it doesn't deter from the main points. I don't think that the author's explanations regarding ancient Scandinavians' beliefs was up to par but I'm nitpicking.Overall this book was a real treat for me. I enjoy books that take me to other cultures and one that is about interesting topics. A fascinating topic, that was written in a conversational tone and that can be read in a short period of time. This is a book worth reading, I highly recommend it and I will be referencing it in the future
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