Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe by Greg M. Epstein

Greg M. Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, takes on the challenging assertion made by believers that with no God there can't be morality or meaning to one's life.  Epstein, wading into the battlefield left by the “New Atheists” Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, puts together a compelling argument for a godless ethic.  Epstein doesn't pull any punches as he addresses the perceived and/or nagging intellectual and emotional entanglements of non-belief.  Epstein's argument is religiously erudite, concise, humble, and often quite brilliant in its simplicity as he addresses complex issues such as biological evolution, religious pluralism, nihilism, evil (perpetuated by both believers and non-believers), and life's meaning.   Epstein,  unlike the provocative writings of the “New Atheists”, knows and understands the complexity of religious belief; his isn't an argument from science, although it could be, but an argument for the humanity of humankind.  Even more, his isn't an argument for the eradication of religious belief, but for a dialogue, a shared commonality, and a challenge to smother believers with humanist compassion.  Highly recommended for both believers and non-believers.