My Year with God

Svend Brinkmann lived quietly as a professor of psychology at Aalborg University until he published Stand Firm which became an overnight bestseller and quickly established him as a leading public intellectual and cultural critic. Winner of the prestigious Rosenkjær prize, Svend travels widely to host events and lecture on the key problems of modern life. In 2019 he published the acclaimed The Joy of Missing Out. He has also appeared in various television documentaries, presented Danish television’s Live Fast! programs and the Meaningful Life series, and currently hosts his own weekly show, Brinkmann’s Couch, on Danish Radio 1.

“If you don’t quite believe your unbelief, if “God”, despite everything, is still an intriguing word, and if you think religion might have a more humane resonance than some of its loudest adherents do, then this is an important book for you.”The Revd Dr Mark Oakley, Dean, St John’s College, University of Cambridge“With candour, openness and eloquence, Svend Brinkmann shares with us the year he spent reflecting on religion and religious experience. As an agnostic wrestling with questions of faith and doubt, he offers up a personal journey that will resonate with everyone who asks what a good and meaningful life might consist in.”Todd May, Clemson University“For a whole year Svend Brinkmann, a secular humanist, goes in search of God. The search is serious, the questions genuine, and the openness propels us into some surprising discoveries about what it means to be religious.”Graham Ward, University of Oxford“My Year with God is interesting, insightful, and enjoyable. In our age of tribal division, I appreciate that professor Brinkmann approaches the big questions of life with charity. Both seekers and believers will be challenged by this book.”Sean McDowell, Biola University and author or co-author of twenty books including Evidence that Demands a Verdict“A capacious survey of a complex subject by a sharp, inquiring mind.” Irish Examiner“A stimulating discussion by an agnostic on life’s most crucial question: whether God exists or not … Brinkmann ought to be congratulated for this endeavour and for undertaking the writing of this book with proper intellectual rigour and honesty. He does so in a refreshing way—not least because he engages with religion on its own terms.” The European Conservative

• Preface January: Why a book about God?February: What is religion?March: Is there a link between ethics and faith?April: Does faith work?May: Can science replace religion?June: Does the soul exist?July: What can we learn from the Bible?August: Could there be multiple gods?September: How does faith affect grief?October: Can humans become God?November: What about doubt?December: What have I learnt?Notes