Mal’s Reviews > Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer's Guide to the Uses of Religion > Status Update

Very thoughtful commentary on the importance of religious art as a sensual means of spiritual/moral restoration. I think that the ideas of how an art museum or exhibit should be set up should be implemented.

The section on tenderness and pessimism were alright. Nothing too interesting to me

The adoption of the type of active, repetitive, and ecstatic learning that churches have into education is wonderful. It is much more useful to select the best of secular works and reinforce the parts of them that provide value to humanity in a similar way to churches; provided these institutions maintain the value of skepticism and critical thinking.

I really enjoy the analysis on the value church & doctrine has on encouraging prosocial behaviors and it’s application to secular society (agape restaurants!). The idea of secular communion is especially appealing. The idea of the shared burden of emotion is useful.

Valuable criticism of neoliberalism regarding the kindness as a personal responsibility vs a governmental one. More theoretical than practical here.