Book launch - "Some New World: Myths of Supernatural Belief in a Secular Age"

ABOUT THIS BOOK: In his famous argument against miracles, David Hume gets to the heart of the modern problem of supernatural belief. 'We are apt', says Hume, 'to imagine ourselves transported into some new world; where the whole form of nature is disjointed, and every element performs its operation in a different manner, from what it does at present.' This encapsulates, observes Peter Harrison, the disjuncture between contemporary Western culture and medieval societies. In the Middle Ages, people saw the hand of God at work everywhere. Indeed, many suppose that 'belief in the supernatural' is likewise fundamental nowadays to religious commitment. But dichotomising between 'naturalism' and 'supernaturalism' is actually a relatively recent phenomenon, just as the notion of 'belief' emerged historically late. In this masterful contribution to intellectual history, the author overturns crucial misconceptions – 'myths' – about secular modernity, challenging common misunderstandings of the past even as he reinvigorates religious thinking in the present.

PETER HARRISON is Emeritus Professor of History and Philosophy, University of Queensland, Professorial Research Fellow, University of Notre Dame, Australia, and Emeritus Andreas Idreos Chair in Science and Religion, University of Oxford.

The event will take place at Warrington Room, Harris Manchester College. Light refreshments will be provided.

This book launch is free and open to the public but please register: SNWLaunch@gmail.com