There are two types of atheists in this world, and the categories often overlap. Evidential atheists argue that there is not enough empirical data to claim that God exists. This is what we see in the New Atheist movement. On the other hand are the atheists of suspicion who are less concerned with the question of whether or not God exists and more concerned with exposing the self-deceptions at the heart of religionists. The relationship between these two categories, skepticism and suspicion, are substantial. Suspicion can lead to skepticism and the skeptics will often use arguments from suspicion in their debates.

In Suspicion & Faith, Merold Westphal examines three masters of suspicion: Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Nietzsche. For Westphal, the critiques laid against Christianity by these three thinkers should not be ignored, but engaged because they are a legitimate prophetic critique. While it may seem odd to place three atheists in the lineage of the great Hebrew Prophets, the overlap in their messaging is undeniable. “If Marx had been my student and had turned in his theory in the form of a term paper, I would have searched the notes for references to Amos. In their absence I would have called young Karl in for a serious discussion about plagiarism” (213).

Westphal summarizes the perspectives of Freud, Marx, and Nietzsche regarding religion:

• For Freud, religion is primarily “ontological weakness seeking consolation” (229).
• For Marx, religion is primarily “sociological power seeking legitimation” (229).
• For Nietzsche, religion is primarily “sociological weakness seeking revenge” (229).

In his detailed study of these three thinkers, Westphal shows how there is a significant element of truth to their suspicions—certainly enough truth to challenge Christians to rethink their presuppositions.

In the end, Suspicion & Faith serves at least two purposes. It functions as an intermediate-level introduction to the religious implications of Freud, Marx, and Nietzsche’s thought. More importantly, it sounds a wake-up call for Christians to examine their religion. It is amazing how much we can learn from our so-called enemies!

Westphal, Merold. Suspicion & Faith: The Religious Uses of Modern Atheism. New York: Fordham University Press, 1998.