Dear Friends,

We're delighted to pass on latest news (and there has been almost too much news to keep track of) about the impending release of Harvard Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein's first book, Good Without God, and the associated nationwide Good Without God campaign of the United Coalition of Reason and others. Below you'll find links to major news stories, highlights from blurbs & reviews, as well as initial details of Greg's book & media tour!

Only a few more days to get the nice pre-order discount on the book!

Here's a rundown of selected highlights-- as you'll see, the running theme throughout is that a new conversation about Humanism and religion is beginning across the US. We finally have a chance to get beyond mutual animosity and focus on what is good for all people, and how American Humanists can take a prominent role in helping to achieve it:

The campaign & the book are featured in an extremely popular story on NYTimes.com on 10/19.

Greg's book featured prominently in an even more popular story in USA Today 10/19:

The book also gets a prominent mention in a Newsweek magazine print-edition story this week:

See also the Village Voice, Chicago Tribune, and many more:


And sadly,  the American Humanist Association’s Good Without God billboard in Idaho was recently vandalized. We hope others around the country will respond more thoughtfully. And if not, we will have to work harder to use their mistakes as teaching opportunities.


Meanwhile, here's an early review of the book from Library Journal:

Library Journal     November 1, 2009

Epstein, Greg M. Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe. Morrow. Nov. 2009. c.272p. ISBN 978-0-06-167011-4. $25.99. REL

In his first book, Epstein (humanist chaplain, Harvard Univ.) ambitiously attempts to present humanism as a positive life stance that consists of much more than just the absence of belief in a deity by combining history, philosophy, inspiration, and personal confession and generously sprinkling literary, philosophical, and pop cultural illustrations throughout. Opposing the two extremes of the new atheism and religious fundamentalism, he carves a middle path alongside religious moderates. By focusing on ethics and action rather than theology and belief, Epstein’s vision is highly inclusive and emphasizes the vast common ground between the religious and nonreligious without diminishing or compromising the obvious differences. In this passionate collection of thoughts and ideas, he endeavors to educate the religious about the true nature of humanism and to inspire the nonreligious to consider constructively what they do believe rather than what they do not. VERDICT Positioned by the publisher as a response to Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins, this is recommended for anyone interested in a positive and more tolerant contribution to the current God debate.—Brian T. Sullivan, Alfred Univ. Lib., NY

Or as Harvard University Professor Steven Pinker, author of The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works put it:

“Good Without God is not just a brilliant book title but an indispensable and humane ideal. Greg Epstein’s wise and warm explanation of the Humanist worldview goes beyond the recent atheist bestsellers and speaks to the moral and spiritual impulses that have traditionally attracted people to religion.”

And in the words of White House advisor on religion Eboo Patel, recently named by US News & World Report as one of America’s top leaders:

"In Good Without God, Greg Epstein shows us what it means to cross boundaries, build bridges, and work toward a society where people from all backgrounds live in equal dignity and mutual loyalty."

Wondering why you didn’t hear about all of this sooner? Follow Greg at www.facebook.com/gepstein.

And finally— the early tour details!

This weekend:

Private conference of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism in Farmington Hills, MI: www.iishj.org

Monday, October 26/EVANSTON, IL

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

“Interfaith Youth Core Biannual Conference” (private conference) www.ifyc.org

2:00 – 3:15 PM Panel Discussion  “Interfaith Leadership and Religious Identity”

3:30 – 5:00 PM  Speaking & Signing  “Humanism, Atheism and Agnosticism: Non-Religious Communities and Interfaith Work”


Tuesday, October 27/CHICAGO, IL (BOOK RELEASE DAY!)

7:35 – 7:50 AM CST  AIR AMERICA/”The Lionel Show”

12-1 PM University of Chicago Hillel

5:30 – 7:00 PM  HARVARD CLUB OF CHICAGO (private event)

8:00 – 10:00 PM   UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (public event!)

Panel Discussion: Good with or without God, U. Chicago Divinity School (public event)
http://event.uchicago.edu/maincampus/detail.php?guid= This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it &instanceId=394

Wednesday, October 28/NEW YORK, NY

11 AM    NPR/”On Point” with Tom Ashbrook

6:00 PM  Speaking & Signing COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE

Thursday, October 29/NEW YORK, NY-NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

10:00 – 11:00 AM  NPR/”Fresh Air” with Terry Gross (air date TBA)

2:30 – 2:45 PM EST  AIR AMERICA/”State of Belief” (air date TBA)

7:30 PM  Speaking & Signing hosted by the Rutgers University Humanist Chaplaincy and NJCoR:
http://rutgershumanist.org/

Sunday, November 1/WORCESTER, MA

2:00 PM  Speaking & Signing BARNES & NOBLE
http://worcester.humanists.net/events/epstein.html

Monday, November 2/CAMBRIDGE, MA

7:30 – 9:30 PM    HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Good Without God campaign launch with Greg & the 2009 Harvard Humanists of the Year, the United Coalition of Reason!

Details to come for those on our Boston Events list, including how to get a free Good Without God bracelet, and more...

AND MUCH MORE ON THE WAY, including national TV appearances, more national radio shows and press, and Stanford Univ. (Nov 18), Reed College (Nov 19), U Penn (Nov 20),
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Nov 21), Philadelphia (Nov 22), Washington DC (Dec 6) and Tulsa OK (Dec 10-11).

Stay tuned, and thanks so much for your support. The foundation of all Humanist programming at Harvard is the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard (HCH). Financial support for HCH comes solely from those who value these programs, including our student groups, individual meetings with the chaplain, and speakers like Joss Whedon, Lt. Dan Choi, Sir Salman Rushdie, and more. Please visit HCH’s website for information on how to support Humanism at Harvard and beyond: www.harvardhumanist.org/giving.

Now let’s go out and build a more purposeful, compassionate, Humanistic world together!

And don't forget the pre-order discount on Good Without God at Amazon.
--
The Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University
Humanist Chaplaincy Office, The Memorial Church
One Harvard Yard, 02138
617-495-5986
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://harvardhumanist.org