 Cover of the U.S. hard-cover edition | |
| Author | Christopher Hitchens |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Criticism of religion |
| Publisher | Twelve Books imprint of the Hachette Book Group USA |
Publication date | May 1, 2007 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), and audiobook |
| Pages | 307 |
| ISBN | 978-0-446-57980-3 |
| OCLC | 70630426 |
| 200 22 | |
| LC Class | BL2775.3 .H58 2007 |
God Is Not Great (sometimes stylized as god is not Great)[1] is a 2007 book by author and journalist Christopher Hitchens in which he makes a case against organized religion. It was originally published in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Books as God Is Not Great: The Case Against Religion and in the United States by Twelve as God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, but was republished by Atlantic Books in 2017 with no subtitle.
Hitchens posited that organized religion is "violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism, tribalism, and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children" and sectarian, and that accordingly it "ought to have a great deal on its conscience". He supports his position with a mixture of personal stories, documented historical anecdotes and critical analysis of religious texts. His commentary focuses mainly on the Abrahamic religions, although it also touches on other religions, such as Eastern religions. The book sold well and received mixed reviews, with some critics finding historical inaccuracies in the text and some finding the book highly important.
The title of the book negates the Muslim affirmation Allahu akbar, which translates as "God is great".[2][3]
- ^ Hitchens 2011, p. 9.
- ^ Institute, Christian Research (2009-06-11). "god Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything". Christian Research Institute. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
- ^ Stenger, V.J. (2009). The New Atheism: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason. Prometheus Books. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-61592-344-1. Retrieved 2023-08-25.