God, Actually
- Home
- About the Author
- More about the Book
- Excerpts from the Book
- - Contents
- - Preface
- - Introduction
- - 1) The Physical Universe
- - 2) The Human Mind:
Cognition and Conscience - - 3) Love
- - 4) Tackling Arguments
Against a Designing God - - 5) Jesus
- - 6) The Resurrection
- - 7) Suffering
- - 8) Christianity and Politics
- - 9) Other Religions
- - 10) Heaven and Hell
- More Praise for God, Actually
- Roy's Book Reviews
- Bonus Book Reviews
- Where To Buy
God, Actually is a unique new book about
religious faith in general and Christianity in particular.
First published in June 2008 by ABC Books, the literary arm of Australia's national broadcaster, it quickly became Australia's best-selling religious book (Nielsen Bookscan, 4 weeks to 14 June) and has already been reprinted three times in the author's home country.
God, Actually is now available in a revised and updated international edition, published by Monarch Books (an imprint of Lion Hudson plc, the largest religious publisher in Britain).
The international edition was officially released in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2009 and will shortly become available in bookstores in North America.
God, Actually has been highly praised by a wide cross-section of readers, both in Australia and internationally: men and women, believers and sceptics, experts and laymen, Christians and non-Christians, people from both the right and the left of politics.
The only people who haven't enjoyed the book are some hard-core atheists who blog on Richard Dawkins' website! See this thread.
Here are some of the many positive verdicts:
"God, Actually is a brilliant book. Williams writes with wit and a masterful
command of language and sensitive argument."
Steve Parker, Thinking Christian, 24 April 2009 | Read review >>
"A must read for sceptics. Roy Williams brings a lawyer's careful attention to evidence and strength of inference to life's [and death's] most important questions. He respectfully, but effectively, cross-examines the case against Christianity as propounded by its recent atheist advocates. Like C.S. Lewis and other authors who came to faith late in life, Williams understands the issues that trouble atheists and agnostics and gives thoughtful, convincing responses."
Robert F. Cochran, Jr., Louis Brandis Professor, Pepperdine University School of Law
"The book is a very considerable achievement. It is exceptionally well-written, and carefully nuanced on all the crunch points."
Graham N. Stanton, Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity Emeritus, University of Cambridge
Letter to the author, 22 July 2008
"Fluent, robust, often entrancing argument aimed at showing the truth of basic Christian beliefs … Williams' chapter on the presence of suffering and evil... is a superb piece of theological reflection."
The Revd. Dr Colin Goodwin, Melbourne Anglican Church website, 2 April 2009 | Read review >>
"I thought that God, Actually was one of the best statements of reasoned faith that I have read. I loved it."
Rev. Tim Costello, Chief Executive, World Vision Australia
Letter to the author, 19 September 2008
"Williams has not only done a lot of hard thinking and reading, he has the literary skills to do justice to his views. While informed by this personal perspective, Williams argues his case like the lawyer he is... The value of the book, whether you agree with it or not, is that it forces you to take up the challenge and justify your own views on God's existence."
Fiona Capp, The Age (Melbourne), 19 July 2008 |
"A painstakingly honest and thoughtful book. And wherever you sit on the believer/non-believer spectrum, it demands close attention for the respect demonstrated by the author for his readers... God, Actually is a book that will stir ferocious argument and debate. It is erudite, wide-ranging, reasoned and reasonable, and asks only that its observations and arguments be approached with an open mind."
Diana Simmonds, Sydney University Alumni Magazine, Spring 2008 | Read review >>
God, Actually tackles the most ancient and important of questions: Why should we believe in God?
It is distinctive in a number of respects:
First published in June 2008 by ABC Books, the literary arm of Australia's national broadcaster, it quickly became Australia's best-selling religious book (Nielsen Bookscan, 4 weeks to 14 June) and has already been reprinted three times in the author's home country.
God, Actually is now available in a revised and updated international edition, published by Monarch Books (an imprint of Lion Hudson plc, the largest religious publisher in Britain).
The international edition was officially released in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2009 and will shortly become available in bookstores in North America.
God, Actually has been highly praised by a wide cross-section of readers, both in Australia and internationally: men and women, believers and sceptics, experts and laymen, Christians and non-Christians, people from both the right and the left of politics.
The only people who haven't enjoyed the book are some hard-core atheists who blog on Richard Dawkins' website! See this thread.
Here are some of the many positive verdicts:
"God, Actually is a brilliant book. Williams writes with wit and a masterful
command of language and sensitive argument." Steve Parker, Thinking Christian, 24 April 2009 | Read review >>
"A must read for sceptics. Roy Williams brings a lawyer's careful attention to evidence and strength of inference to life's [and death's] most important questions. He respectfully, but effectively, cross-examines the case against Christianity as propounded by its recent atheist advocates. Like C.S. Lewis and other authors who came to faith late in life, Williams understands the issues that trouble atheists and agnostics and gives thoughtful, convincing responses."
Robert F. Cochran, Jr., Louis Brandis Professor, Pepperdine University School of Law
"The book is a very considerable achievement. It is exceptionally well-written, and carefully nuanced on all the crunch points."
Graham N. Stanton, Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity Emeritus, University of Cambridge
Letter to the author, 22 July 2008
"Fluent, robust, often entrancing argument aimed at showing the truth of basic Christian beliefs … Williams' chapter on the presence of suffering and evil... is a superb piece of theological reflection."
The Revd. Dr Colin Goodwin, Melbourne Anglican Church website, 2 April 2009 | Read review >>
"I thought that God, Actually was one of the best statements of reasoned faith that I have read. I loved it."
Rev. Tim Costello, Chief Executive, World Vision Australia
Letter to the author, 19 September 2008
"Williams has not only done a lot of hard thinking and reading, he has the literary skills to do justice to his views. While informed by this personal perspective, Williams argues his case like the lawyer he is... The value of the book, whether you agree with it or not, is that it forces you to take up the challenge and justify your own views on God's existence."
Fiona Capp, The Age (Melbourne), 19 July 2008 |
"A painstakingly honest and thoughtful book. And wherever you sit on the believer/non-believer spectrum, it demands close attention for the respect demonstrated by the author for his readers... God, Actually is a book that will stir ferocious argument and debate. It is erudite, wide-ranging, reasoned and reasonable, and asks only that its observations and arguments be approached with an open mind."
Diana Simmonds, Sydney University Alumni Magazine, Spring 2008 | Read review >>
Synopsis
God, Actually tackles the most ancient and important of questions: Why should we believe in God?
It is distinctive in a number of respects:
- The author, Roy Williams, was an agnostic leaning towards atheism for much of
his life. Many of his closest relatives and friends still are. This gives him a
sympathetic insight into the contemporary secular mind.
- For twenty years, Williams practised as a lawyer at the highest level. He brings his analytical skills to bear in order to show that belief in Christianity can and should be based on evidence and reason.
- Williams is not a biblical literalist and he avoids dogmatism. The vital place of doubt and uncertainty in God's creation is a recurring theme. Williams's thesis is that it is possible to demonstrate that Christianity is probably true; but no more. There is a vital role for faith, a much-misunderstood concept that he seeks to explore.
- Williams has made the assumption that most modern-day readers who are not already Christians will be unconvinced solely by appeal to biblical authority. He explains the Bible rather than citing it uncritically. He relies on many examples drawn from the secular world - science, philosophy, history, the arts, the law, sexuality.
- Politically, Williams lies well to the Left on many (though far from all) issues - a somewhat unusual starting-point nowadays for an orthodox Christian author.
- All the main arguments for atheism are skilfully dissected. Williams pinpoints many weaknesses in the work of best-selling atheist authors such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris.
The book is written in a fluent but not informal style. Unlike many religious
publications, God, Actually has been carefully researched and footnoted, making
it suitable for educational purposes.
- For twenty years, Williams practised as a lawyer at the highest level. He brings his analytical skills to bear in order to show that belief in Christianity can and should be based on evidence and reason.
- Williams is not a biblical literalist and he avoids dogmatism. The vital place of doubt and uncertainty in God's creation is a recurring theme. Williams's thesis is that it is possible to demonstrate that Christianity is probably true; but no more. There is a vital role for faith, a much-misunderstood concept that he seeks to explore.
- Williams has made the assumption that most modern-day readers who are not already Christians will be unconvinced solely by appeal to biblical authority. He explains the Bible rather than citing it uncritically. He relies on many examples drawn from the secular world - science, philosophy, history, the arts, the law, sexuality.
- Politically, Williams lies well to the Left on many (though far from all) issues - a somewhat unusual starting-point nowadays for an orthodox Christian author.
- All the main arguments for atheism are skilfully dissected. Williams pinpoints many weaknesses in the work of best-selling atheist authors such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris.
