New Atheism and Critique of Religion

Critique of religion has a history as long as the religions themselves. There has been continuous tension between those who want to preserve and those who want to change the content, design and practice of religious traditions. Recently, critique of religion has become associated with an increasingly loud group of New Atheists: what distinguishes this group? Which are their arguments and how do they organize and position themselves? In the course we read and analyze leading New Atheist advocates and position them in a wider context of criticism of religion.