Contemporary Atheism As Hyper-Real Irreligion: The Enchantment Of Science and Atheism In This Cosmos

Chapter in the Brill Handbook of Hyper-real Religions

"A religion old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the universe as revealed by modern science, might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths. Sooner or later, such a religion will emerge" (Sagan 1994: 52). 

Beginning in 2004 a spate of books appeared containing polemical discussion of the pathological acts of "Religion" and an admiration for an Atheistic/scientific worldview. These books achieved large sales and indicate a receptive public concerned about the public resurgence of religion and the erosion of scientific authority. In this chapter Possamai's (2007) hyper-real religions concept will be employed to gain an understanding of contemporary Atheism and its emergence in late modernity. Viewed through the lens of hyper-reality, Atheist materials and culture will be argued to support the individual ontological security of contemporary Atheists via an enchanted public image of scientific understanding and progress. These enchanted versions of science will be viewed as hyper-real in nature and as providing inspiration for the creation of meanings and identity supported by a naturalistic scientific cosmology.

Wordle of AFA (@Atheistoz) Follower Descriptions

I used nodeXL (http://nodexl.codeplex.com/) to gather the twitter account descriptions (the part underneath the username on a profile) of the followers of the AFA (Atheist Foundation of Australia; @atheistaus). I plugged 2491 follower descriptions into Wordle (http://www.wordle.net), here is the result. I hope people find this as interesting as I do... I will edit later with some possible issues with this data and some possible interpretations. Until then I'd be happy to hear some comments.

and for comparison followers of @ACLobby (Australian Christian Lobby; 715 followers) 

Information Sheet

The Rise of the New Atheism?

Alan Nixon

a.nixon@uws.edu.au

PhD Candidate

University of Western Sydney                                               

Ethics Approval Number: H9065

 

What is this study about?

This study seeks to examine the importance of modern Atheism to people who are self-proclaimed 'Atheists'. It aims to explore how people gain meaning from their Atheism. It is especially concerned with how people integrate their Atheism into their sense of who they are or their self-identity, how this affects the feeling of being part of a group and how this affects their lives. The study hopes to give people who have been affected by Atheism or the new atheism a chance to describe their experiences. It also hopes to shed light on the relationship between the current society and Atheism from the perspective of participants.

Who would I like to contribute to it?

I would like to talk to men and women aged 18+ years who are self-proclaimed Atheists or New Atheists.

What’s involved if I agree to participate?

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to be interviewed on one occasion for about 2 hours. The interview will involve discussing (in text, voice or face to face) your experiences as an Atheist and how they have affected your life. With your agreement face to face interviews will be audio-taped and transcribed. The interview can take place anywhere that you feel comfortable to talk, such as in your home or other favourite location or online (e.g. Skype or e-mail).

Please let me know what your preferred interview method will be.

Please note: Details of any illegal activities that you or others may be involved in should not be discussed with the researcher

Will the interview be confidential?

Any personally identifying information you provide is treated confidentially. We will use an alternative name (Pseudonym) to record your contribution and will also change any details that could be used to identify you. Your contact details will be kept in a locked filing cabinet separate from the interview material. Although by default we will keep your information confidential, you can request to have your details (real name) printed in the final document.

Am I able to refuse or withdraw at any time?

Participation in this research is voluntary and you can choose to stop the interview at any time without giving a reason. You can also refuse to answer specific questions. There are no consequences for withdrawing from the interview.

People to contact for information or complaints

If you have any questions about the study, you can contact the researcher, Alan Nixon on a.nixon@uws.edu.au or +61406652329.

If you have any concerns or complaints about the study, please contact the University of Western Sydney Human Research Ethics committee on humanethics@uws.edu.au

Check out music from Tombstone Da Deadman

Though there are many bands who are Atheists. There are few non-comedy songs about atheism or the experieces of Atheists. I also haven't heard much music that discusses being an Atheist in the 21st Century (Though I'd love to be pointed towards some if people know, I love discovering new music). This is what 'Tombstone Da Deadman' does and in a genuinely musical way. This is not parody or cheap production but well produced solid hip-hop that expresses the Atheist Experience (lol). I'm downloading now....

What would the Atheist community want to know about itself?

Much of the social science literature on Atheism/Irreligion/Non-religion is written with very little reference to empirical data¹, particularly data coming from Atheists or the non-religious themselves. The research I am currently doing will include the voices of Atheists in a number of forms such as documents, twitter feeds, movies (youtube or standard), blogs and interviews with participants (more on this in a later post).

In the social sciences many practitioners use qualitative methods to extract the voices of actors in particular social settings, in order to add them to our understanding of that social group or social structure (well known e.g. Denzin and Lincoln 1998). This data adds another dimension to the research via accessing the participant view of the system. It helps to ensure that the thoughts of those inside the social group are not (even accidently) misrepresented or skewed by an outsider view. 

In contemplating all this, another level of participant voice and thus a question occurred to me...


"What does the Atheist community want to know about itself?"


I'd appreciate any answers or comments on this question... 


I hope you are all as curious as I am :-) 


Al.


Notes

1 There are some exceptions. see for example Demerath 1969; Mauss 1969; Caporale & Gumelli 1971; Campbell 1972; Caplovitz & Sherrow 1977; Dudley 1978; Hale 1980; Hunsberger 1980; Hunsberger 1983; Bromley 1988; Hadaway & Roof 1988; Feigalman, Gorman & Varacalli 1992; Altemeyer & Hunsberger 1997; Hout & Fischer 2002; some chapters Martin 2007; Zuckermann 2007, 2010 (vol 1 & 2); Bullivant 2008, 2010; Nall 2010. 

References

Denzin, N. And Lincoln, Y. (1998). Strategies of Qualitative Enquiry. U.S. Sage Publications.