Spiritual Atheism

A college instructor of philosophy and religion who spent 15 years studying Zen Buddhism in Japan, Antinoff's debut follows popular, provocative atheist tomes like Christopher Hitchen's God is Not Great, but is more a prod than a philosophical primer. As a jumping-off point, Antinoff uses a principal quotation from Dostoyevsky: ""God is necessary, and so must exist... Yet I know that he doesn't exist, and can't exist."" Antinoff seeks to answer, ""What then?"" Presupposing the lack of a divine entity, Antinoff is unafraid to alienate readers who believe in a God of any kind, and his fondness for quoting the great (Christian) philosopher Paul Tillich works to further antagonize believers, as well as atheists searching for meaning. Antinoff considers and dismisses only two concepts-intense romantic love and intense artistic output-as possible substitutes for religion and spiritual belief, a position sure to provoke atheists who find great purpose in, say, charitable work or science. Eventually, Antinoff turns to his own Zen Buddhist practice, using koans and received wisdom to create a non-answer to his central question, ultimately failing to please or enlighten.