The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason book club questions

1. 1.

   Harris argues that faith itself — not just extremist faith — is the problem. Is that a more or less defensible position than the claim that only extremist religion is harmful?

2. 2.

   He says moderate religious belief provides cover for extremism. Is that claim fair, or does it fail to distinguish between very different kinds of religious commitment?

3. 3.

   The book was written immediately after 9/11 and focuses heavily on Islamic doctrine. Does the timing and focus affect the fairness and generalizability of the argument?

4. 4.

   Harris proposes a science of ethics based on facts about wellbeing. What would the limits of that framework be? Are there important moral questions it cannot address?

5. 5.

   He argues that Western deference to religious belief is itself dangerous. Is there a meaningful distinction between respecting religious freedom and deferring uncritically to religious claims?

6. 6.

   The End of Faith became a best-seller before the term 'New Atheism' existed. What does its success tell you about the cultural moment it was addressing?

7. 7.

   Harris has been criticized for double standards — being harder on Islam than on Christianity. Is that criticism of the book fair?

8. 8.

   The argument that violence follows from specific doctrines is contested by sociologists and historians who argue structural factors are more important. Does that contestation undermine Harris' case?

9. 9.

   Harris acknowledges in the book that he values mystical experience and meditates. How does that complicate the simple atheist polemic that some readers took it to be?

10. 10.

    What would a world look like in which Harris' recommendations — critical examination of all religious belief, a science of ethics — were actually implemented?

11. 11.

    Has reading this book changed how you evaluate claims about the relationship between religious belief and political violence?

How to run the discussion

• Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
• Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
• Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
• Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.