I was a devout Catholic for three years and am currently going through a spiritual crisis. I am looking to challenge myself.
What are the best books that rigorously argue against Christianity (bonus points if they focus on Catholicism specifically)?
I want books that have deeply engaged with Christianity historically or theologically, nothing shallow like Dawkins.
by Hour-Effective-8946
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God is not great. Christopher Hitchens.
The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. It’s a historical fantasy series about King Arthur that mostly focuses on the druid religion vs christianism, and it’s from the pov of a pagan. It shots a lots of fire in christianism that’s for sure.
Read “How Jesus Became God” by Bart D. Ehrman.
He was a devout believer. A defender of the faith.
But when Bart Ehrman set out to read the Bible in its original languages — Greek, Latin, even Aramaic — the words he’d built his life on… they didn’t say what he’d been told.
What began as a quest to deepen his faith became a journey that would shake the foundations of everything he believed.
This fall, discover how a fundamentalist scholar became one of Christianity’s fiercest historical critics… because he read the original text.
The Hyperion Cantos seems to be pretty anti-religion.
I really enjoyed “The Pagan Christ”by Tom Harpur He’s not anti Christian per se, but makes a compelling argument for the case that Christ was never meant to be a literal historical figure but instead an allegorical figure created by the early Church.
Also “Why I Believed” by by Ken Daniels.
I liked God: a Biography by Jack Miles, Answer to Job by Carl Jung and Sickness Unto Death by Søren Kierkegaard. Maybe not the rigorous arguments you’re looking for, but enlightening moments on my own journey.
Bertrand Russell, *Why I Am Not a Christian*
Oooo as a former religious person I’m definitely following this post. Thanks!
Unreasonable Faith by James Fodor
If Jesus is forgiving sins of the believer continuously, be it rape, be it murder, be it cheating, be it hating.
Why can not He be little more generous and forgive sins of non believers too, as not believing is yet another sin.
Letter to a Christian nation
Elaine Panels: Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus
Much about Mary and the possibility Jesus was the product of Roman sexual assault.
Honestly the Bible
Read through it and think critically about what it’s saying and why, and who is saying it for what benefit, note it’s contradictions and fallicies
When you apply logic to religion, it generally falls apart pretty fast.
Not specifically against Christianity, but I find a lot of comfort in Albert Camus. He’s ostensibly an atheist, and whilst he shyed away from calling himself an existentialist, he absolutely explores the themes and finds a more humanist vibe. He contemplates Christianity frequently in his work. I find quite a quiet joy and peace in much of his writing. I haven’t read everything but am a particular fan of The Stranger (L’etranger). For a philosopher he’s quite accessible, more so than other contemporaries.
Having gone through a similar spiritual crisis in the past, I have a slightly different recommendation. The existence of a God (or gods) is literally impossible to prove or disprove. With that in mind, in addition to some of the excellent recommendations here (which you should absolutely read), try reading the primary texts of other religions. Literally the worst case scenario is that you think it’s all a scam but have some additional knowledge of the beliefs others around you in life may hold. Otherwise, having a large prism of perspectives might help you focus on what you truly believe and what best aligns with what you want out of life.
Regardless of what you decide, hope you find what you’re looking for