Item Details

The Sacred Things of Contemporary Anglophone Atheism: Celebrities, Books and Values

Issue: Vol 4 No. 1 (2013)

Journal: International Journal for the Study of New Religions

Subject Areas: Religious Studies

DOI: 10.1558/ijsnr.v4i1.81

Abstract:

Contemporary Anglophone atheism—popularly known as the “New Atheism”—may be characterized as a diffuse movement in Anglophone societies whose members are defined by an affiliation with and high respect for a set of celebrities, books and values. Individuals such as Christopher Hitchens, texts such as The God Delusion, and values such as personal autonomy are some of the key identifying markers that these atheists use to define themselves and their group. The article uses a Durkheimian notion of sacredness to understand the relationship between members, the collective identity of the group, and these central objects. Such identifying markers of the movement may be used in further research to identify affiliates of the movement or distinguish it from other atheisms. Fieldwork research was conducted at the Global Atheist Convention held in Melbourne, Australia on 13–15 April 2012.

Author: Cale Hubble

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