About us
Serious Learning for Serious Atheists
Atheist Scholars Meetup is a monthly book club for Atheists who are serious about learning from a free-thinking, post-religious, and atheistic perspective, while building long-term friendships.
We don't admit people who don't self-identify as Atheists. Our group is for those who have already completed their journey to atheism and are building upon it as an intellectual foundation.
If you self-identify as an Atheist, you are invited to apply for membership by clicking on the link below. Meetings are now held online on the 4th Tuesday of every month, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. The required membership dues are $25 every six months to cover the Meetup.com subscription cost.
Our meeting format consists of a review and discussion of a selected book that has a strong appeal to Atheists in a rich context of science, philosophy, sociology, history, and/or psychology. All books will have a distinct atheistic or free-thinking perspective, i.e., they were written by and for Atheists or “Nones”. This is not a science or philosophy book club. A book based solely on a scientific or philosophical topic might be very interesting but does not serve the purpose of our Atheist Scholar Meetup.
In fairness to everyone attending who expects to have a meaningful discussion and productive learning experience, you must have read the chosen book prior to attending each meeting. We want active participants who can add to our discussion. Most books chosen are also available as audiobooks.
The next book we read is chosen by consensus among those members attending the prior meeting.
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Calling oneself an Atheist is just the beginning, not the end, of a life-long journey of learning, dialog, and discovery. The Atheist Scholars Meetup group raises the standard among local Atheist groups by building a private membership focused on serious learning in a harmonious environment. By “Scholars”, we mean serious students of Atheism. Maybe you have been reluctant to join an Atheist group in the past or maybe you are just not interested in what the other groups in our area have to offer.
Atheist Scholars is for those who appreciate the value of exchanging ideas with a like-minded group and who enjoy asking “why” more than claiming to know “because.” It’s for committed lifelong learners looking for an impressive group of smart friends to share in intellectual discussions in a supportive atmosphere.
If you call yourself an Atheist, are a lifelong learner who is not gullible enough to believe in conspiracy theories, and you see the benefits of a Meetup group that offers serious book discussions with order and civility, please apply for membership in Atheist Scholars.
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If you wish to apply to join the Atheist Scholars Meetup group, click on the button below or click here. If you have questions about our group, please visit our FAQ page.
Norm Cohen
Founder and Organizer
If you are interested in learning more about the many topics related to Atheism, ***[www.AtheistScholar.org ](http://www.atheistscholar.org/)***is an excellent resource for you!
Upcoming events
1
Read & Discuss "An Atheist's History of Belief"
·OnlineOnlineRead and discuss:
An Atheist's History of Belief: Understanding Our Most Extraordinary Invention
2015 (paperback edition)
by Matthew Kneale
Counterpoint Press
238 pages plus endnotes
https://a.co/d/0jkhWFSLpreview:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/An_Atheist_s_History_of_Belief/On9LEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0"The atheist’s poetic synopsis of the history of spirituality and religion from the Booker Prize Finalist author of English Passengers
What first prompted prehistoric man, sheltering in the shadows of deep caves, to call upon the realm of the spirits? And why has belief thrived since, shaping thousands of generations of shamans, pharaohs, Aztec priests and Mayan rulers, Jews, Buddhists, Christians, Nazis, and Scientologists?As our dreams and nightmares have changed over the millennia, so have our beliefs. The gods we created have evolved and mutated with us through a narrative fraught with human sacrifice, political upheaval, and bloody wars.
Belief was man's most epic labor of invention. It has been our closest companion, and has followed mankind across the continents and through history."
source: Publisher
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NOTE:
In fairness to everyone attending who expects a meaningful discussion and a productive learning experience, you must have read this entire book (238 pages) in order to attend this meeting.NOTE:
For this video conference, you must have a computer with a camera, microphone, and speakers, or a headset. We are using Microsoft Teams to host this meeting.Download and install Microsoft Teams here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app
A free Microsoft account is required if you don't already have one:
https://signup.live.com/signupYOU MUST RSVP TO SEE THE LINK that is required to join our online meeting.
Find answers about Microsoft Teams here:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/On9LEAAAQBAJ***
About the Author
Matthew Kneale studied Modern History at Oxford University. He then spent a year in Japan where he began writing short stories. He is author of several novels, including English Passengers (2000) which won the Whitbread Award and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He currently lives in Rome.
Book Review
"The author succeeds not because he formulates sharper theories or ideas about non-belief, but because he barely mentions non-belief at all. Where other authors, like those apostles of atheism, Dawkins and Hitchens, have become bestsellers by condemning religion and haranguing its followers, Kneale takes a more gentle, reasoned approach.
He views religion as the invention of cultures seeking to assuage their various fears and insecurities. That’s not a new tack— scholars have long studied religion in the context of its inventors’ needs and aspirations. But novelist Kneale brings to this angle a storyteller’s, rather than an academic’s, touch. It’s a pleasant read, just not a very hardline atheistic one."
Publisher's Weekly
https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781619022355"A history of religious belief, written from an atheistic perspective--what else is new? And yet the author, a novelist with good knowledge of history, succeeds in framing the discussion in a fresh way. Described as "an atheist, but not a militant one", Kneale gives us an elegant and wide-ranging history of religion steeped in anthropology, modern psychology and the study of myths. The unifying device of the book is that of "invention": from inventing gods, to inventing paradise, deals with god, apocalypse and witchcraft, invention of the necessary relationships between the religion and the nation, and the invention of new ways to cope with advancing science and ever-evolving social structures.
Despite its purported "gentleness" the thesis is deeply subversive; at no point does the author give in to easy pablum of many religious professions. He treats religion as a fiction, a myth of rather high order, but does not shy away from recognition of its potential usefulness."
source:
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/An+Atheist%27s+History+of+Belief%3a+Understanding+Our+Most+Extraordinary...-a03813318853 attendees
Past events
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