For Immediate Release
Contact:
Merrill Miller, 202-238-9088 ext. 105, merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org
(Washington, D.C., March 2, 2015)— Humanist Press, the publishing arm of the American Humanist Association, is proud to announce the release of its latest book, Belief and Unbelief, from renowned feminist and skeptic, Barbara G. Walker. Walker is the acclaimed author of The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets and The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects. In her newest book, she continues her examination of the power of metaphor and symbolism for articulating women’s worth, while also critically scrutinizing the ways in which patriarchal religions have contributed to female subjugation across the globe. The book has received advanced praise from reviewers, including Foreword Reviews, which lauded it as “a well-researched analysis of the impact of faith and beliefs on society” that “advocates for a peaceful, secular world.”
Women have all too often been the scapegoats of patriarchal faith traditions, but Belief and Unbelief celebrates womanhood freed from the confines of religion. The book’s 22 essays lead the reader through the history of human society’s repression of women at the hands of male-dominated monotheism. In “Religion as the Root of Sexism,” Walker exposes the teachings of prominent theologians as a means of dominating women and extending the church’s social and political power. Her writings also decry “The Islamic Holocaust” being perpetuated against women and girls around the world, and she condemns Christianity’s “God the Monster” for terrifying children into submitting to dogma. In “Does Religion Make People Good?,” Walker responds with an emphatic, “No!,” and her essay “Biblical Morality” cites extensive evidence backing her claims.
Walker goes beyond her criticisms of major world religions, however, to make a powerful and positive argument for the return to an egalitarian world in which women and men are equals. Such a world, Walker asserts, would be based not on ideology but on caring communities that value individuality and creativity. Her closing essay, “Family and Future,” imagines such a world and praises the women and men who are already working to make this dream a reality.
Barbara G. Walker is the author of numerous books on feminism, religion, cultural anthropology and mythology from the viewpoint of prehistoric matriarchies.
Copies of Belief and Unbelief are available at humanistpress.com with links to other print and ebook retailers. The book is available in paperback for $18.99 and ebook for $9.99.
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Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists and other non-religious Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming philosophy of humanism, which—without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
Humanist Press is the publishing house of the American Humanist Association, providing material for the humanist/freethought/atheist market since 1995.