Atlas sets out to bust seven myths or commonly held assumptions about religion. Put briefly: religion equals dogma; religions are structured hierarchically; religions can be clearly distinguished from one another; spirituality and mysticism contrast with religion; science and religion are at odds; religions are dangerous and a secular society is completely different (and better) than a religious one. Atlas comes in with counter arguments to what he sees as these modern myths which, he says, have become part of many people’s conceptual framework of how things are. Such thinking can only offer a very basic view of religion. His demolition work begins by way of systematically questioning or attempting to disprove the basic premises on which these assumptions are built. He chips away, deconstructs but also offers insight into how we might develop a new vision of religion. Atlas is a Belgian scholar and this book which first appeared in Dutch now makes a welcome appearance becoming available to a much wider, English-speaking audience. Taken chapter by chapter it would provide religious discussion groups and the like with plenty of material. ~ Paul Harrington - Progressive Voices 47

I’ve been wanting to see someone crystallize the myths about religion and show them for what they are. This is an important breakthrough and major clarification. ~ Rupert Sheldrake, best-selling author of The Science Delusion and Science and Spiritual Practices

Jonas Atlas has taken a wealth of scholarship and presented it in brief and accessible form. Atlas replaces nonsense with nuance, and shows that many of what we think are facts are ideologically-motivated falsehoods instead. Rather than simply tearing down myths, however, this book builds bridges between “nonbelievers” and “believers,” and overcomes the tendency to separate the world into “us” and “them.” ~ William T. Cavanaugh, Professor of political theology, author of The Myth of Religious Violence

In the agonizingly superficial and unsophisticated discourses prevalent in the media today, “religion” has tragically become synonymous with irrationality and fundamentalism. While both irrationality and fundamentalism can be found in association with religion—just as they can be found in association with every other form of organized human activity as well—the true core of the religious intuition is something that transcends the logico-conceptual models of the intellect; it doesn’t contradict rationality. Jonas Atlas brings us on a journey of rediscovery of humanity’s greatest treasure and most valuable legacy: the maps to meaning embedded in our religious traditions. ~ Bernardo Kastrup, executive director of Essentia Foundation, author of 'Decoding Jung’s Metaphysics' and 'Why Materialism is Baloney'

A clear and important demolition of some key modern myths about religion. ~ Abdal Hakim Murad, Dean of the Cambridge Muslim College, author of 'Travelling home: Essays on Islam in Europe'