Even though Albert Mohler is president of a prestigious seminary, I have long thought his gifts lay in cultural analysis. Several years ago, I began listening to a daily radio broadcast he hosted. He would discuss current events and cultural trends through the lens of a Christian worldview. I found his commentary to be insightful and prescient. I was lost when I moved away and could no longer hear his daily broadcast. Alas, now I can listen daily to his "The Briefing" podcast.

Atheism Remix found its genesis in a series of lectures Mohler delivered at Dallas Theological Seminary in 2008. In those lectures, Mohler explained and responded to the New Atheism - which isn't truly "new." The four lectures are represented by corresponding chapters. In chapter one, Dr. Mohler introduces the reader to "the four horsemen of the modern apocalypse - Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, and Sigmund Freud." Mohler helps the reader see how their influence gave voice to a rising secularism. Understanding their influence is critical, as Mohler notes, because "I believe that what we see in the rise of the New Atheism is something of the endgame of secularism" (28). Most insightful to me, was Mohler's citation of Charles Taylor's three different intellectual stages (36-39). First, there was a time in which it was impossible NOT to believe. Second, there was a phase when it becomes POSSIBLE not to believe. Third, there is the age in which we find ourselves today (at least for the secular elite) - it is impossible TO BELIEVE.

In chapter two, Mohler introduces us to the Four Horsemen of the New Atheist Apocalypse - Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam harris, and Christopher Hitchens. The brief biographies on each man was extremely helpful, as well as the overview of their contribution to the New Atheism. Dr. Mohler ends the chapter by noting eight hallmarks of the New Atheism.

Chapter three deals with the response from Christians to the New Atheism. Interestingly enough, some of the responses that Mohler cites are just as frightening as the positions the New Atheists hold themselves. Particularly interesting to me where the responses from Alvin Plantinga and Alister McGrath - two heavyweights in Christian academia themselves. Mohler demonstrates his grasp on the issue in the last paragraph of this chapter: "The credibility of Christian theology is thus essentially tied to the credibility of biblical revelation. The refutation of the New Atheism and the critiques offered on the basis of scientific theory and philosophy are helpful. But in the end, the self-authenticating character of divine revelation is the only ground upon which a distinctively Christian theism can be established" (85).

In the fourth chapter, Mohler further demonstrates the weakness of responding to the New Atheism from liberal viewpoints. In the end, only orthodox Christian belief will stand up against the recycled atheism at our door. "The New Atheists are certainly right about one very important thing - it's atheism or biblical theism. There is nothing in between" (108). ( )

This short book (108 pages) is an informative guide to the challenge of the New Atheists and their challenge to Christian theism. Mohler targets the "four horsemen of the New Atheism" - Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennet, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens.

Chapter one briefly surveys the history of atheism and situates the new atheism within secularism.

Chapter two is the most helpful chapter of the book; it discusses New Atheism's assault on Theism by giving thumbnail sketches of the "four horsemen,"then pointing out eight common features of their assault on theism: (1) The New Atheism is marked by an unprecedented new boldness; (2) There is a clear and specific rejection of the Christian God of the Bible; (3) The New Atheists explicitly reject Jesus Christ; (4) The New Atheism is specifically grounded in scientific argument; (5) The New Atheism is new in its refusal to tolerate moderate and liberal forms of belief; (6) The New Atheism attacks toleration; (7) The New Atheists have begun to question the right of parents to inculcate belief in their own children; and (8) The New Atheists argue that religion itself must be eliminated to preserve human freedom.

Chapters three and four discuss the defense of theism poised against by the New Atheists by various theologians and philosophers, including Alistair McGrath, Alvin Plantiga, Tina Beattie, and John F. Haught. While agreeing with some points of their arguments (especially McGrath and Plantiga), Mohler's primary criticism is that these responses represent various levels of accomodation. In contrast, Mohler argues that "Evangelical Christians simply cannot surrender biblical authority, propositional revelation, and biblical theism in order to meet the various challenges presented to us in the twenty-first century" (102). There are only two alternatives, atheism or biblical, Christian theism.

Unfortunately, this book does not itself present an argument for biblical theism. The book doesn't deliver on its subtitle, "a Christian confronts the New Atheists," for there isn't much confrontation with, and no detailed argumentation against, the New Atheists. That was disappointing. Readers who want thoughtful engagement with the New Atheists will have go elsewhere. (I'd suggest Timothy Keller's The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism.)

That said, the second chapter of this book made it worth reading for me. I appreciated the review and summary of the various NA books. ( )