Many new atheist writers have claimed that a new age of enlightened secular rationalism has rescued Western civilisation from the stranglehold of backwards and archaic Christian influence.

David Bentley Hart says those who make such claims are suffering from an "atheist delusion".  His book "Atheist delusions: The Christian revolution and its fashionable enemies" recently won the Michael Ramsey Prize for theological writing.

Terry Sanderson of the UK's national Secular Society claims we are better off than we have ever been in an increasingly secular society and that the freedoms and values we hold do not require a Christian foundation.

Bentley Hart believes that Terry is deluded by a new atheist myth of secular "progress" when the history of Christianity and secularism actually tell a different story.

The Michael Ramsey Prize website http://www.michaelramseyprize.org.uk/

For David Bentley Hart http://davidbhart.blogspot.com/

For Terry Sanderson http://www.secularism.org.uk/

Also: Order Unbelievable? The Conference on DVD http://www.premier.org.uk/dvd

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes   You may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 18 Jun 2011 - Is a secular society a more tolerant one? David Robertson debates Terry Sanderson

Unbelievable? 29 Aug 2009 - Richard Bauckham on the Gospels - pt 1  Richard Bauckham and James Crossley.

Unbelievable? 5 Sep 2009 - Bauckham on the Gospels - Pt 2 Richard Bauckham & James Crossley.

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter