Alister McGrath, Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University, has today launched The Current Debate, a new debating forum on the website of Theos, the public theology think tank. McGrath uses the opportunity to initiate a debate on The God Delusion, the latest book by Richard Dawkins. A former atheist himself, McGrath argues that The God Delusion “is perhaps his weakest book to date, marred by its excessive reliance on bold assertion and rhetorical flourish, where the issues so clearly demand careful reflection and painstaking analysis, based on the best evidence available. Attractive precisely because it is simplistic, Dawkins demands the eradication of religion. Only when it is eliminated can the human race rest secure! Get rid of religion, and the world will be a better place. It is a familiar theme, if stated with greater fervour than before.”

Writing exclusively for Theos, McGrath, whose book The Dawkins Delusion will be published by SPCK in February 2007, examines the Dawkins view on religion, social difference and violence and counters that religion “has the capacity to transform, creating a deep sense of personal identity and value, and bringing social cohesion. Let’s skip the rhetoric, and cut to the reality. It’s much less simple - but it might actually help us address the real social issue that we face in modern Britain.”

To read Alister McGrath’s contribution in full and join the debate yourself, please go to The Current Debate