Some New World
Myths of Supernatural Belief in a Secular Age
Published on 24. July 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
481 pages
978-1-009-47724-6 (ISBN)
Description
In his famous argument against miracles, David Hume gets to the heart of the modern problem of supernatural belief. 'We are apt', says Hume, 'to imagine ourselves transported into some new world; where the whole form of nature is disjointed, and every element performs its operation in a different manner, from what it does at present.' This encapsulates, observes Peter Harrison, the disjuncture between contemporary Western culture and medieval societies. In the Middle Ages, people saw the hand of God at work everywhere. Indeed, many suppose that 'belief in the supernatural' is likewise fundamental nowadays to religious commitment. But dichotomising between 'naturalism' and 'supernaturalism' is actually a relatively recent phenomenon, just as the notion of 'belief' emerged historically late. In this masterful contribution to intellectual history, the author overturns crucial misconceptions - 'myths' - about secular modernity, challenging common misunderstandings of the past even as he reinvigorates religious thinking in the present.
Reviews / Votes
'This is a superb book that takes on big questions and offers satisfying answers. Harrison's very careful examination of the development of the concepts of 'supernaturalism' and 'belief' is full of brilliant, new insights. This major new work will only add to his reputation as one of the leading figures in the humanities.' Bernard Lightman, Professor of Humanities, York University, Toronto, author of Victorian Popularizers of Science: Designing Nature for New Audiences (2007) and The Origins of Agnosticism: Victorian Unbelief and the Limits of Knowledge (1987) 'A brilliant and fascinating exploration of religion and science as they have come to be conceptualised, usually in opposition to each other, in the modern West. Drawing on a wide range of thinkers and ideas, Some New World will significantly shape future scholarly discussions.' Jane Shaw, Principal of Harris Manchester College, Professor of the History of Religion, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford, and author of Miracles in Enlightenment England (2006) 'Some New World is an epochal piece of scholarly work. It forces us to question the foundational categories we use for thinking about science, religion, and their intersection. It feels as though Some New World is the culmination of the trajectory of the work the author has been doing for decades. This outstanding book will surely be the focus of scholarly discussion for a generation to come.' Matthew Stanley, Professor of the History of Science, Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York University, author of Einstein's War: How Relativity Conquered Nationalism and Shook the World (2019) and Huxley's Church and Maxwell's Demon: From Theistic Science to Naturalistic Science (2014) 'This is a very significant work, by one of our most eminent contemporary historians of science and religion, and its implications need to be wrestled with in the most serious and concerted fashion.' Paul Tyson, Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology 'I applaud Harrison's... historically responsible, careful explanation of secular modernity. I am grateful too for his resisting the temptation to bend historical work to diagnose our contemporary ills, whatever they may be.' Mike Kugler, Fides et HistoriaMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
776 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-009-47724-6 (9781009477246)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
04/2024
Cambridge University Press
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Person
Peter Harrison is a former Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion in the University of Oxford, and Emeritus Professor of the History of Science at the University of Queensland, where he was also an Australian Laureate fellow and Founding Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH). His many celebrated books include 'Religion' and the Religions in the English Enlightenment (Cambridge University Press, 1990), The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science (Cambridge University Press, 2007), The Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion (Cambridge University Press, 2010), The Territories of Science and Religion (University of Chicago Press, 2015), and - co-edited with John Milbank - After Science and Religion (Cambridge University Press, 2022). In 2019, he delivered in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin the prestigious University of Oxford Bampton Lectures, which constitute the basis of the present work.
Content
Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Hume's dilemma; 2. Languages of belief; 3. Inventing epistemology; 4. The age of evidences; 5. The birth of the supernatural; 6. The shape of history; 7. What the Greeks saw; Bibliography; Index.