Evangelical Atheisms?

Last updated on: March 11, 2014 at 5:49 pm By Ryan Bell

Yesterday my friend and Research Associate at USC’s Center for Religion & Civic Culture, Jonnie Russell, wrote a piece for the Center’s blog entitled, “Evangelical Atheisms: Sunday Assemblies and Ryan Bell’s ‘Year Without God.'” In the piece he writes: Each of these atheistic ventures, in its own way, might be called an evangelical rendering of atheism. In other words, the “doing” of atheism in each project betrays a very theistic, even evangelical, understand of the world. This not to say... Read more

Deconstructing (a)theism

Last updated on: March 10, 2014 at 5:07 pm By Ryan Bell

I love this exchange between Gary Gutting and John Caputo because it highlights the disconnect I see in conversations about (a)theism, science and philosophy. I recommend reading this interview first and then come back here. My comments will be based on this specific interview. Gutting, from the beginning and throughout the interview, wants to nail down where Derrida, Caputo and deconstruction falls in the matrix of atheism, agnosticism and theism. For Gutting, the question is about the existence of god,... Read more

One long sin against mankind

Last updated on: March 8, 2014 at 1:05 pm By Ryan Bell

I’ve been slowing working my way through A.C. Grayling’s book, The God Argument, and finding it a very helpful, crisply articulated, summary of arguments against religion and belief in gods (I’ve just finished the first half. The second half is about the merits of humanism). I naturally have questions and areas where I want to push back, but in keeping with my commitments this year I am reading with an open mind. Partly due to my training and partly due... Read more

You are stardust and to stardust you will return: Lent for atheists

Last updated on: March 5, 2014 at 2:00 pm By Ryan Bell

Lent has been the most meaningful season of the year for me for the past 10 years and I don’t want to give it up. Ash Wednesday in particular. Twice on this day—morning and evening—I would place ashes on the foreheads of those who gathered, with the words, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It was also the season of the year in which I would garner the harshest criticism from my co-religionists, earning me more than... Read more

The “good news” of slavery?

Last updated on: February 28, 2014 at 4:22 pm By Ryan Bell

It’s been a busy week and this blog has been the main casualty, but I have no regrets. I’ve been participating in the first annual Level Ground Film Festival this weekend. Over the next few days I will be reflecting on a few of the incredible experiences I’ve had during the festival, especially as they relate to my Year Without God. Today I begin with a film that didn’t screen at the Level Ground Film Festival. Last Sunday I watched... Read more

The importance of Level Ground

Last updated on: February 20, 2014 at 5:13 pm By Ryan Bell

Seven weeks ago there was a great deal of discussion about how I had lost the handful of jobs I had when I announced my Year Without God. Two important points were made there, by me, by the media, and by hundreds of commentors on the blog. 1) I should not be surprised to lose jobs whose very job descriptions imply that I hold to orthodox Christian beliefs. 2) It would be nice if some—surely we cannot expect all, but... Read more

Atheists don’t gather. Or, do they?

Last updated on: February 13, 2014 at 4:44 pm By Ryan Bell

In the Huffington Post piece that launched my Year Without God, I said, I will also attempt to speak to as many actual atheists as possible — scholars, writers and ordinary unbelievers — to learn how they have come to their non-faith and what it means to them. I will visit atheist gatherings and try it on. The pushback was immediate. Atheists don’t gather, I was told. The only thing we have in common is that we do not believe... Read more

When the familiar becomes unfamiliar

Last updated on: February 8, 2014 at 2:51 pm By Ryan Bell

There is this spot on the 134 freeway between Glendale and Pasadena where, on a clear day like today, you can get an amazing view of downtown Los Angeles. If you’re lucky and it’s not too hazy, you can see the ocean. At night the view is breathtaking. As I drove through this area this morning and I looked out over the city I had a familiar feeling of loss and nostalgia. I came to this city over eight years... Read more

A movement of the irreligious

Last updated on: February 7, 2014 at 7:15 pm By Ryan Bell

I can just imagine how the headlines would read if the evangelical church was found to be growing by 40 % from generation to generation. Claiming the world for Jesus in this generation! Actually, Evangelical headlines already read like that and they’re losing ground at the rate of 20-30% per generation, according to this infographic from Public Religion Research Institute which has been making the rounds on the internet since it came out yesterday. I’m not inclined to think of... Read more

From science to theology, back to science

Last updated on: February 6, 2014 at 3:42 pm By Ryan Bell

The battle between science and religion has been on everyone’s mind this week as we watched a bizarre sort of debate unfold on Tuesday, between Bill Nye and Ken Ham. It recalled my own internal debate, spanning 25 years; a journey that has seen me move from the realm of science, to theology, and now back to a renewed passion for the remarkable discoveries of science and the mysteries that still evade us. The Advanced Placement (AP) program came to... Read more