James Carse      ... religious scholar and author. The Religious Case Against Belief continues Professor Carse’s long-time public engagement with pressing current issues, as he did for many years on CBS-TV in New York City. His widely admired book, Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility has been continuously in print since first published in 1968. His other books include The Silence of God, Breakfast at the Victory and The Gospel of the Beloved Disciple. Emeritus Professor of the History and Philosophy of Religion, Dr. Carse directed New York University’s Religious Studies Program for 30 years. He lives in New York City and Massachusetts’ Berkshires.

Audio Preview of James Carse

Religion and belief are very different, says James Carse, emeritus professor of the history and philosophy of religion. While scientists inspired Dr. Carse to make what he calls a religious case against belief, global challenges add urgency to his eagerness to clarify general confusion about the distinction.

“To put it into a kind of formula, you could be religious without believing anything, and you can be a true believer -- an intensely committed believer -- without being religious.”

Dr. Carse’s examples of belief systems range from dogmatisms found in all religions, to Nazism, Maoism, Serbian nationalism, and American triumphalism.

“Belief systems always have a complete explanation for anything that’s going on. They brace up authority, are perfectly rational and inherently dangerous. You want to keep a clear boundary around your belief system. You definitely want to stimulate opposition. You never win an argument with a believer.”

Religion, he says, is full of questions and the capacity to open us to ongoing wonder.

“Serious scholars of religion do not even try to define it. It’s too rich a phenomenon. Religions have nothing to say. Within the great religious traditions -- all of the great religions -- they are not sure themselves what’s going on. That’s why these traditions have such vitality. Once you know what a religion’s all about, it dies."

Dr. Carse says scientists who confuse religion and belief when addressing theism make a serious error.

“What they’ve done is to take a scientific point of view and attack a belief system. But the only way you can do that is to convert your scientific point of view into a belief system. So it becomes an ideological battle that really doesn’t enlighten anyone. The best treatment is indifference.”

Galileo is Dr. Carse’s example, anticipating we’ll be surprised by the reason Pope Urban VIII put Galileo on trial.

“The idea that the earth rotated around the sun had been generally accepted for 90 years. Why was the Pope after Galileo? Galileo never trusted any of his own conclusions. I think Urban VIII sensed that (this meant) there was no area of thought that isn’t subject to question. And of course that reflects back on religious dogma.”

Death and evil are two very good test issues for religion, he says.

“Belief systems invariably define what death is and what evil is. You have to have heroes and dying is part of the heroic element of a belief system. One thing I’ve found looking over great ranges of religious phenomena is there’s no definition of death out there.

“The important thing about evil is attaching it to our own inner reality where it belongs. One of my favorite remarks about evil is in Jesus’ really strong remark in the Gospels, ‘Do not look for the speck in someone else’s eye without seeing the log in your own.’

“I think one of the great services that religion does is to remind us -- urge us at every moment -- to be stunned. To find our existence and the world in which we find it marvelous. There is no point in our everyday existence at which we could not stop and be absolutely amazed that we exist even. How easily we forget that!”