Why We Believe: Understanding Ourselves in a Complex World

Belief: surely it’s a relic from the past, a hangover from a superstitious age that is totally out of sync with today’s rational, science-led culture?

’A timely, often bracing and always highly stimulating book.’ Tom Holland, author of Dominion and co-host of The Rest is History

In today’s science-driven, rational world, belief is dismissed as an artefact of a bygone era - something absurd at best, harmful at worst. The prevailing narratives paint belief as primitive, weird, even dangerous.

But as life grows ever more confusing and our societies more atomised, contemplating something bigger than ourselves has never been more vital.

Alister McGrath offers a fresh perspective on belief, presenting it not as a weakness of rational thought but as an essential tool for navigating uncertainty. Elegant and thought-provoking, Why We Believe reveals how belief provides meaning in the face of existential despair, how it fosters community and offers solace.

As society moves beyond the dismissive rhetoric surrounding people of faith, here is a powerful manifesto for the re-enchantment of the Western mind.

’Scholarly, compulsively readable and with gems of information on every page... a must read.’ Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie, author of A Field Guide to the English Clergy

Alister McGrath is emeritus Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion and Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at the University of Oxford. Among his many books, translated into 27 languages, are Dawkins’ God and C. S. Lewis: A Life. Before turning to theology, he was a committed Marxist and a student of the natural science with a PhD in molecular biophysics.