Misology...

Eschatology - the study of the ‘end times’ - was a word I’d barely heard before I started writing my book about belief. Also misology - a mistrust of reason - and theodicy - the attempt to explain why a just God would allow the existence of evil. There are many such words in the religious lexicon, most of them describing theological ‘problems’ which are brought about by believing unlikely propositions. Theologians create problems for which they attempt to find solutions: as bleakly pointless a task as I can imagine.

I have found, from reading books of Christian apologetics, that theological arguments can be complex, elaborate, circuitous, sophisticated, even subtle and nuanced… but once the authors have embraced misology, they are heading down a cul de sac. It may be a long cul de sac, with many twists and turns along the way, but there’s still no way out. Once blind faith has eclipsed sweet reason, the search for truth is effectively over.

Springtime in the East Yorkshire village of Lund...