Synopses & Reviews
Bringing a revolutionary communist voice to the current discourse about god, atheism, and morality, this treatise demystifies religious belief and examines how, even in its most progressive interpretations, religion stands in the way of the emancipation of humanity. Addressing numerous questionssuch as Is believing in gods actually harmful? How has Christianity served for centuries as an ideology of conquest and subjugation? Why is the "Bible Belt" in the U.S. also the "lynching belt?" and Why is patriarchy and the oppression of women foundational to so many religions?this critique takes issue with long-established traditions and suggests the necessity to fully rupture with all forms of superstition and embrace a truly scientific approach to understanding and transforming reality.
Review
"Forceful, scathing, and timely. While I did not personally agree with everything Bob Avakian has to say in this book, I found his arguments cogently articulated and provocatively put forth. Angry, humorous, provocative, and hopeful in equal measure, this was an enjoyable and engaging read." Phil Zuckerman, associate professor of sociology, Pitzer College
Review
"Bold, wide-ranging, down-to-earth, provocative. One needn't be a Marxist to learn a lot from this work. I especially like the forthright critique of the obfuscating epistemology of religion, and of religion's appalling consequences for women." Laura Purdy, professor, humanities and philosophy, Wells College
Review
"Lots of people haven't actually studied what that Bible says. Bob Avakian has. He exposes the hypocritical bullshit. . . . This book is serious reading."Eric G., former Black Panther member
Review
"May just spearhead a return to the Age of Reason." Harry Lennix, actor, instructor
Review
Necessary, critical and timely. . . . Everyone should read Away With All Gods because it is necessary, critical and timely, but also because it is a book written with joy and humor." John Hutnyk, professor and academic director, Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London
Review
"His new book opens up a much needed conversation about the role of religion and spiritual belief in the overall fight for justice, along with questions of morality and what it will take to bring about an end to white supremacy and patriarchy." Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr., president, Hip-Hop Caucus
Review
"Whether readers enthusiastically embrace or reject its claims and arguments, [this] is a book that cannot be ignored." Peter McLaren, professor, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California
Synopsis
Bringing a unique revolutionary communist voice to the current discourse about god, atheism and morality, Avakian demystifies religious belief and examines how, even in its most progressive interpretations, religion stands in the way of the emancipation of humanity. A thread deeply woven throughout Away With All Gods! is the need to fully rupture with all forms of superstition, and to take up instead a truly scientific approach to understanding and transforming reality.
Whether you believe in god, or are an agnostic or an atheist, Bob Avakian will challenge you with his powerful critique of long-established traditions and his liberating vision of a radically different world.
About the Author
Bob Avakian has been the Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, since its founding in 1975. A veteran of the revolutionary upsurges of the 1960s and early 1970s, he has spent the past several decades critically analyzing and evaluating the experiences of the first wave of socialist revolutions, in Russia and then in China—distinguishing their historic accomplishments from their shortcomings, and identifying the causes of their ultimate reversals. On this basis, and drawing from a broad range of human experience in many different fields, Avakian has brought forward what he characterizes as a new synthesis of communism—arguing provocatively for the necessity, the possibility, and the liberating potential of revolution in the U.S. itself, as part of a worldwide struggle for communism, enabling humanity as a whole to finally move beyond relations of exploitation and oppression, and the antagonistic conflicts to which they give rise.
Bob Avakian’s extensive body of work includes numerous books, other writings, and talks.