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Ross Douthat, a New York Times columnist and author, is set to release his latest book, "Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious," in February. The book is a continuation of Douthat's work as a conservative cultural critic aiming to make religious belief understandable to those who are not religious.
Douthat, an adult convert to Catholicism, has previously authored "The Deep Places," a memoir detailing his battle with Lyme disease and the role his faith played in his recovery. His new book presents an argument for religious belief as a remedy for the cynicism found in secular culture. He suggests that reason and history support belief in transcendental moral guidelines over nihilism.
“To atheists looking to be unsettled in their certainties, to spiritual searchers struggling to imagine a plausible destination, to believers wrestling with doubts and difficulties, and to anyone interested in the ultimate questions about human life, it makes (sense) that religion is not just an option but an obligation,” Douthat writes.
Douthat critiques Darwinists and skeptics who view life as random accidents without divine purpose. “For some time now, the educated world has cultivated the opposite perspective,” he states, arguing that this view hasn't led to greater happiness.
While focusing primarily on Christianity, Douthat acknowledges other traditional religions as valuable paths toward understanding the supernatural. He encourages seekers not to assume there is only one truth but rather varying degrees of truth among different beliefs.
He challenges readers to consider existential questions beyond what he terms "Official Knowledge," which he claims often dismisses the supernatural. “Because in the realm that most writers and intellectuals and academics inhabit... disenchantment reigns supreme,” warns Douthat.
Douthat also addresses how the sexual revolution led many to reject religious traditions seen as restrictive. He notes that these rejections span across various religions' teachings on sexual ethics.
Despite advocating for exploration of all legitimate religions, Douthat finds Christianity particularly compelling due to its narrative of God’s presence through suffering. “With Christianity we are told that God Himself is on that cross...,” he observes.
In concluding his book, Douthat poses reflective questions about assumptions of meaninglessness in life: “You (atheists et al.) took pointlessness for granted...?”
Michael Mastromatteo from Toronto contributed this review.
