In Defense of Faith: The Judeo-Christian Idea and the Struggle for Humanity

Religious faith is under assault. In books, movies and on television, secular critics are attacking religion and the religious with a renewed vigor. These “new atheists” typically repeat a two-part mantra. First they claim that religious faith is irrational. Then they assert that irrational people possessed of such faith are responsible for most of the hatred and bloodshed that have plagued humanity. Abandon religion, they urge us, and the world will at last live as one.

In In Defense of Faith, David Brog examines this question in the context of Western civilization and Judeo-Christian tradition and asserts that, far from encouraging hatred and violence, the Judeo-Christian tradition has easily been the most effective curb upon these dark defects of human nature and our best tool in the struggle for humanity.

From the Christian activists who fought to stop the genocide of Indians in South America and their ethnic cleansing in North America, to the abolition of African slavery on both sides of the Atlantic, and on to modern human rights activists from Martin Luther King Jr. to the rock star Bono – In Defense of Faith examines the strong historical record of the Judeo-Christian idea and asks where we would be without it. On the other hand, asserts Brog, history has not been as kind to the atheist model: every time it is put to the test peace and brotherhood does not break out. On the contrary, we quickly revert to the most base, violent instincts of our selfish genes.

David Brog is the executive director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Before joining CUFI, Brog worked in the United States Senate for seven years, rising to be chief of staff to Senator Arlen Specter and staff director of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has also served as an executive at America Online and practiced corporate law in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Philadelphia. Brog lives in Washington, D.C., and San Antonio, Texas.