The Tenacity of Unreasonable Beliefs: Fundamentalism and the Fear of Truth | 
 enlarge | Author: Solomon Schimmel
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: EBooks
This item is no longer available
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 19873
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 296
Dewey Decimal Number: 200.904
ASIN: B001GQ2MJY
Publication Date: August 15, 2008
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Product Description
The Tenacity of Unreasonable Beliefs is a passionate yet analytical critique of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptural fundamentalists. Schimmel examines the ways in which otherwise intelligent and bright Jews, Christians, and Muslims defend their belief in the divine authorship of the Bible or of the Koran, and other religious beliefs derived from those claims, against overwhelming evidence and argument to the contrary from science, scholarship, common sense, and rational analysis. He also examines the motives, fears, and anxieties of scriptural fundamentalists that induce them to cling so tenaciously to their unreasonable beliefs.
Schimmel begins with reflections on his own journey from commitment to Orthodox Judaism, through doubts about its theological dogmas and doctrines, to eventual denial of their truth. He follows this with an examination of theological and philosophical debates about the proper relationships between faith, reason, and revelation. Schimmel then devotes separate chapters to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptural fundamentalism, noting their similarities and differences. He analyzes in depth the psychological and social reasons why people acquire, maintain, and protect unreasonable religious beliefs, and how they do so. Schimmel also discusses unethical and immoral consequences of scriptural fundamentalism, such as gender inequality, homophobia, lack of intellectual honesty, self-righteousness, intolerance, propagation of falsehood, and in some instances, the advocacy of violence and terrorism. He concludes with a discussion of why, when, and where it is appropriate to critique, challenge, and combat scriptural fundamentalists. The Tenacity of Unreasonable Beliefs is thoughtful and provocative, written to encourage self-reflection and self-criticism, and to stimulate and to enlighten all who are interested in the psychology of religion and in religious fundamentalism.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 This is my opinion after the first 23 pages... December 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
What, a review after the first 23 pages? Yes, and I will update it as I go along. Mr. Schimmel grew up in the Orthodox Jewish community. In his early twenties he stopped believing that the Torah was god-given. He left the community in spirit but apparently still goes to services. Some might think this intellectually incomprehensible, and so did I upon first reading. But then I started to think about it. Here is what I came up with: Suppose you were raised believing that god (should one exist) didn't want you to walk on the cracks of the sidewalk or the ground. Now you're twenty years old and you start to have doubts and finally conclude this is nonsense. But still, after admitting such to yourself, you continue to avoid the cracks. Why? Well, because it has become ritual. You need it. You're used to it. Perhaps you are comforted by it. Not many people can give up a belief and go cold turkey on all the accompanying ritual(s). And that's one of the dangers of religion. So it is possible to break away from something in the mind, but more difficult to break away from the ritual. One might say that the person is addicted to rituals at this point. If he/she gives up the sidewalk ritual it will need to be replaced by something else. Again it is difficult for many to go cold turkey. So I can understand why Mr. Schimmel still goes to services. Perhaps one day he will fully make the break, or even get sucked back in. In any event, I look foward to the rest of the book.
01-04-09
I finished the book a couple of days ago and my rating remains the same. Of course, for me (as an atheist), Mr. Schimmel was preaching to the choir. There were some parts I thought could have been a little stronger, but overall, I found most every page interesting. My biggest complaint would be my opinion that Schimmel is naive in thinking his book could help "convert" someone who believes in his/her religion into someone who does not. Anyone who does change his/her mind was probably already on the road to disbelief and this book was just another stepping-stone. The true believers will only use the defense mechanisms that are explained in the book to continue believing in his/her religion.
Now if, for example, you are an Orthodox Jew and read this book, chances are excellent that you won't agree with the parts where the author discredits the notion that Moses received any prophecy from God. But I would ask you this-- Did you find his evidence against the other religions (namely Christianity and Islam) compelling? If yes, you must ask yourself how come you can see why their religion is false and yours is true. If you say that you can't judge the information about whether or not their religions are true or false because you don't know enough about them, then you must ask yourself how you can believe so strongly in your religion when you haven't satisfactorily studied the other major religions (and for that matter, some not so major religions) to determine just which one is true (if any).
That's all.
 unintelligent and poorly researched. November 18, 2008
1 out of 13 found this review helpful
It is easy to trash anything from religion to atheism. this book claims to be intellectual but isn't. For instance, he claims to have posted his questions about classical Jewish belief to an online group and 'never received an answer.' duh. how about asking any one of the HUNDREDS of Orthodox academics - ie from Yeshiva University to Bar Ilan or the THOUSANDS of Orthodox teachers who teach about the authenticity of Torah - ie Rabbi Dr. David Gottlieb from Ohr Somayach (formerly prof at Johns Hopkins, someone from Gateways, or from Aish HaTorah or Chabad or any of the people that regularly deal with these questions. Schimmel's questions are neither new nor particularly interesting. His unwillingness to take 10 minutes and engage in dialogue with those who have intelligent answers is amazing.
Furthermore, attributing pyschological reasons to those who don't agree with him is insulting. There are many people - as intelligent as he is and more learned (remember he grew up SOMEWHAT Orthodox and stopped serious Torah learning many decades ago - not exactly a Torah scholar)who simply disagree with his conclusions. easier to insult the messenger than to actually deal with the message, I guess.
Great subject - disappointing book November 9, 2008
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
Unlike the other reviewers, I was very disappointed by this book. The subject is fascinating, but the book is badly written (very long and involved sentences - sorry) and badly edited. The author is passionate, but I felt that it was disorganized, very repetitive, strong on the author's fulminations, but thin on research. Unless you already know all about the subject, I don't think you will really understand the content, either.
 CLOSED BELIEF SYSTEMS November 6, 2008
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
I heard Mr.s Schimmel talk about his book this evening at The Newton Public Library. I regret that after such a talk there is not usually time enough for questions. I think this is an important subject to examine and that orthodoxy of belief systems, perhaps an extension of fundamentalism, in all areas of life, is a subject worth examining. I am wondering actually, about the climate of the times, because I have everywhere, written about a life of astonishing visible synchronicity, and these talks about belief in God, of a supreme power, etc. might be somewhat alleviated by examining not only the total frequency of these events, but also the true "fact" that this is a noticeable and constant occurrence in all writing groups I am attending. One small "miracle" doesn't mean a whole lot, but, in aggregate, they do, and there's a story that surrounds this. So I am writing about the importance of this book, in that a closer examination of fixed beliefs, orthodoxies in religion, is part of a greater story in all our lives that is about open ness to new ideas and feeling threatened by new discoveries and experiences is not a good reason to close all doors. I am saying, it's amazing nobody is picking up on this and this bears direct relevance to this topic.
 A book sure to take you out of your comfort zone October 29, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Sol Schimmel has written a book that is an important read for any thinking member of the three Abrahamic faiths, although Jews, Muslims and Christians will find much that makes them uncomfortable - or should do so. Schimmel's language is very strong at times ("[o]nce again we see that very smart people can believe very stupid things"), and he acknowledges that the book has "offended and will offend many people" but perhaps the kind of questions that are really worth asking are precisely the ones that make us most uncomfortable.
Biblical Criticism has left us - even those of us who are orthodox (or is it orthoprax?) - with many questions, and Schimmel's book pushes some of these questions to their limits. I found the author's own Autobiographical Reflections to be one of the most important parts of the book (even though by their nature they are the most personal and perhaps least intellectual), and worth reading as a study in the phenomena of Chozer bi'Sheela (the hebrew term for those who were once religious and now profess agnosticism or atheism).
For those interested in pursuing some of his questions further, try God, Knowledge & Mystery by van Inwagen (especially Chapter 5) and God and the Philosophers (ed Thomas Morris), especially Chapter 20 by the Orthodox philosopher David Shatz.
I look forward to Schimmel's promised sequel to this really fascinating book. In the meantime, put this book on your Christmas/Hannukah/Idl Fitter gift list...
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