Christianity, atheism, post modernity

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleХристиянство, атеизъм, постмодерност
3. Language term Bulgarian
4. lemma author Nachev, Ivaylo
5. lemma category Modes of interaction > Atheism - Orthodox theological tradition and practice > Premodern _modern_ postmodern
6. Publication date 26-7-2017
7. lemma work Спиров, Иван [Author]. Christianity, atheism, post modernity
8. lemma manifestations Християнство, атеизъм, постмодерност - София: Авангард Прима, 2015.
9. Keywords postmodernity - materialism - Christian philosophy
10. Lemma body

    1. The book presented a psychological analysis from Christian positions of the broad topic of contradictions between faith and disbelief in the postmodern world. It made a wide-spectrum overview of various aspects of the current debates between atheism and Christianity. The author pointed out that by using the word "Christianity" on many places he denoted "Eastern Orthodox" and throughout the book were used predominantly Eastern Orthodox sources. He also made the case for Christian philosophy in the Eastern Orthodox context, an underdeveloped field through the understanding of all ideas of the time and the way they can contribute for authentic Christianity in the postmodern secular society.
       The author examined the struggles of the Christian faith in a fully secularised world where dominates the scientific explanation of universe and men, one that excludes the necessity of a Creator. Moreover, in the postmodern situation values are diluted by relativism and pluralism. The author questioned the opinion of some observers for the return to religion and de-secularisation of the Western world in the 21th century. It was also was noted the trend for interplay between Christian and national identities in Eastern Orthodox countries.
       Among the central problems are tensions between Christian philosophy and antitheist scientism, faith in God and extreme scepticism, Evangelical moral and secular ethics, spiritual life in the religious traditions and the modern psychoanalysis. In separate chapters of the first part was elaborated on variations of contemporary atheism (including the extreme scientific movement, whose proponents are influenced by Richard Dawkins' book The God Delusion) and materialism, and it is made a parallel with the origins of faith and religious feelings. It is also analysed the 20th scientific progress, and one of its side-effects being scientifically based atheism seeking inspiration from empirical sciences. According to the Christian philosophy, the knowledge of the natural sciences and the knowledge of God are of a different order, meaning that each of them cannot interfere in the field of the other. Efforts for reconciliation of the two are meaningless. The book also elaborated on goals and limits of natural sciences which deal with occurrences dependent on previous phenomena, while beyond this is the transcendent Creator of the universe. The second part of the book reflected on core Christian ideas in the postmodern world. The third part dealt with practical dimensions of the faith and moral challenges stemming from the erosion of Christian values.