Why I Am Not a Christian and What I Believe (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition)

“The most robust, as well as the most witty, infidel since Voltaire.”
—The Spectator

One of the most blasphemous philosophical documents ever written, Bertrand Russell’s “Why I Am Not a Christian” is an eloquent critique of religious beliefs and dogma. Originally delivered as a lecture on March 6, 1927, the essay has since become one of Russell’s most famous works and a key text in the literature of atheism and skepticism. In it, Russell dismantles comfortable answers religion provides to questions of morality, justice, and the meaning of life—offering instead rational alternatives based on accountability, freedom, and consciousness. It has influenced generations of thinkers and has become a classic in the literature of secular philosophy.

Together with “Why I Am Not a Christian,” What I Believe stands as an eloquent expression of Russell’s well-known atheism. The ideas he concisely encapsulates present a compelling refutation of religion and belief in favor of reasoned thought. A defining work, this remarkable text remains the most succinct and compelling introduction to Russell’s philosophical outlook.

This Warbler Classics edition includes an extensively researched, detailed biographical timeline.

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. In 1950, he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature. Russell remained an active social campaigner and prominent public figure until his death at the age of ninety-seven.

“Devastating in its use of cold logic.”
—The Independent