Books published by Onus Books

Atheism is an evolving worldview - not the single proposition that God does not exist, but everything else that might or might not go with it. With only a single sentence about the existence of single entity, there is huge scope - necessity, even - for having to reasonably work everything else out. It's a lot more difficult to figure out the world when it's not handed to you in an old, outdated book. The world is sometimes a complicated place. With this in mind, Not Seeing God looks at the challenges of leaving religion, arguing for atheism, the role and position of atheism in society and where we go from here. This anthology of chapters from the writers of Patheos Nonreligious is a cornucopia of skeptical delights and is a necessary addition to any nonbeliever's bookshelf, as well as that of the questioning believer. From philosophy to psychology, politics to cinema, the military to folklore, it's all here in glorious variety, at the crossroad of atheism and society."...this collection has something for everyone to enjoy and ponder... [and] should be considered required reading for the well-informed non-theist." - Caleb Lack, author and Director of the Seular Therapy Project "Anyone who has even a passing interest in religion or atheism has much-interesting things, important things, fun things-to learn from the writers included in this book." - Ed Buckner, Former President of American Atheists "In Not Seeing God, Jonathan MS Pearce has done a wonderful job of providing a very wide range of thoughtful and personal perspectives that give the reader every reason to doubt belief in God. This volume provides a unique contribution to the canon of contemporary god-skeptical literature and is recommended to every curious reader interested in such discussions." - James A. Lindsay, author of Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly and Everybody Is Wrong About God"A varied and interesting collection of work from a great variety of contributors, all weaving together a compelling theme of places and cultures where no god is found." - Ed Suominen, co-author of Evolving out of Eden; editor, Tellectual Press."Not Seeing God is an excellent collection of some of the best skeptical writers working today. As one would expect from the writers at Patheos Nonreligious, each piece is well crafted, often humorous, occasionally moving, and always deeply insightful. The quality and diversity of writers and their approaches to not seeing god(s) makes this text a handy reference tool... this book has so much to offer that I suspect it'll spend a lot more time sitting on my desk than it will on a shelf." - David Fletcher, author of Myth Education: A Guide to Gods, Goddesses, and Other Supernatural Beings"An original collection of essays ranging from positive arguments for atheism to godlessness in different parts of the world, from the raising of children to meaning and purpose without God. The real surprise here is the number of new ideas presented." - Franz Kiekeben, philosopher and author of The Truth about God and of Atheism: Q&A

The Kalam Cosmological Argument is a simple argument:Everything that begins to exist has a cause for its existence;The universe began to exist;Therefore, the universe has a cause.Apologists love to use these three short lines to argue that God is the cause of our universe. Jonathan MS Pearce takes the argument to task and finds it seriously lacking, despite its common appeal. Sounding the death knell for the Kalam, this is a must-have counter to the well-worn religious argument advocated by famous Christian thinkers such as William Lane Craig."This is a beautifully crisp and clear introduction to, and discussion of, the Cosmological Argument. Suitable for beginners but also those who want a more insightful and detailed discussion. This is an ideal book for students, and indeed anyone who is interested in what remains one of the most popular arguments for the existence of God." - Stephen Law, Reader in Philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London and head of Centre for Inquiry UK."Pearce has again delivered, treating the important topic, the notorious (and bad) Kalam Cosmological Argument, in a concise and erudite way." - James A. Lindsay, Ph.D., author of Dot, Dot Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly and Everybody Is Wrong About God"If you've read enough about Kalam to be intrigued and want the thorough takedown, this book is for you." - Bob Seidensticker, author of Cross Examined: An Unconventional Spiritual Journey and the Cross Examined blog at Patheos.com"…remarkable. He has written an accessible, yet philosophically sophisticated, critique of the Kalam Cosmological Argument…. he makes some novel contributions to this literature in the course of his analysis. If you have teethed yourself on popular discussions of atheism and religion, and now want to feast on something a little bit meatier, this is the book for you." - John Danaher, PhD, Lecturer in Law, NUI Galway (Ireland), and author of the blog Philosophical Disquisitions."With his latest book Did God Create the Universe from Nothing?, Jonathan Pearce has collected a vast array of the most powerful academic and popular-level responses to one of the most well-known cosmological arguments for the existence of God. Theists will be surely challenged by this wide-ranging book which seeks to put an end to this theistic argument about the beginning of the universe." - Justin Schieber, public debater on the philosophy of religion, creator of the channel Real Atheology "The Kalam argument enjoys much respect that it doesn't deserve, and Did God Create the Universe from Nothing? gives the unsparing rebuttal that it does deserve. Pearce is a capable and confident Virgil, guiding us through the philosophical and scientific fine points of the response. If you've read enough about Kalam to be intrigued and want the thorough takedown, this book is for you." - Bob Seidensticker, author of Cross Examined: An Unconventional Spiritual Journey and the "Cross Examined" blog at Patheos.com

There is often thought, by theists, to be a void in humanist and atheist lives; a god-shaped hole. For many atheists, though, that void is amply filled with meaning and purpose, nobly and morally built up out of philosophy and living a fulfilled life. This volume helps to document that through a wide variety of verse, form, and content with poems from an interesting array of writers, detailing a range of emotions and thoughts.There has been a void, a lacking, of collections of atheistic artistry, and this selection hopes to remedy such a situation, and in doing so seeks to show how humanists can and do weave lives that are rich tapestries of morality, purpose, awe and wonder. "Jonathan Pearce has done us a great service in producing this anthology. Filling the Void is eclectic, witty, arresting, philosophical, and fun. It charts a course through the emotional landscape of atheism and fills a niche in humanist literature that's been vacant for far too long." David Warden, Chair of Dorset Humanists"Read this extraordinary book; feel the wonder and take delight in the fact that we are that singular facet of the universe able to contemplate itselfthrough science and artand to create poetry in the intersection of the two." David Fitzgerald, author of Nailed and The Complete Heretic's Guide to Western Religion series"Divinity Pearced by worded structureWandering from blinding sands to southern birdsPoems for our secular timesThis anthology of freethinking poems, ranging from poignant to humorous, from ancient voices to modern songs, encapsulates the thoughts of many secular folks. See what a few meters of these works may do for you and inspire further reflection in a new way." Dr Aaron Adair, author of The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View"In Filling the Void, Jonathan MS Pearce has put together an anthology of valuable literature for humanity. Verse speaks to us in ways that prose cannot, and here, for those lacking belief in God, we find people given an often-silent voice. Sometimes wry, sometimes struggling, sometimes defiant, poignant, or beautiful, the poetry in Filling the Void expresses the contemporary nonbeliever's experience in truly human terms." James A. Lindsay, author of Dot, Dot, Dot: Infinity Plus God Equals Folly and Everybody Is Wrong About God"Many books about atheism focus on science or challenging religious dogma so it can be difficult to find literature on how nonbelievers find meaning in their lives. Filling the Void shares the perspectives of a diverse group of atheists who express how they grapple with reality and their emotions. Jonathan Pearce has provided a necessary addition to atheist and humanist literature with this beautiful anthology." Matthew Facciani, sociologist and activist, blogger at According to Matthew"This collection vibrantly showcases the fact that having a naturalistic, scientific worldview in no way means one can't experience the grandeur and majesty of life and the universe...or have a wickedly keen sense of humor about that whole god idea. Filling the Void should do just that for most readers: plug a hole in their book collection nicely, showcasing the overlap of humanism and literature, of science and verse, of religious criticism and rhyming constants." Dr. Caleb Lack, Director of the Secular Therapist Project; author of Critical Thinking, Science, & Pseudoscience: Why We Can't Trust Our Brains