Topic: New Atheism

Knowles discusses his book, *The Endless American Midnight*, which traces the process of "disenchantment" and the rise of the "woke contagion." He argues that the United States is a "late empire" on the verge of dissolution, similar to 3rd-century Rome. The book is intended as a tool for readers to "break the spells" of the elite and stop viewing themselves as cogs in a machine.

Greg Carlwood posits that the rise of "New Atheism" featuring figures like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins was a coordinated rollout to counter spiritual awakening. Tsakiris adds nuance, suggesting it was also a political reaction to the rise of the religious right during the George Bush era. They discuss how material atheism serves as a tool for disempowerment by making individuals feel like isolated biological accidents.

Author Mark Booth describes his academic background at Oxford University, where he studied philosophy and theology under Jonathan Barnes. He explains how the analytical logic taught at the time eroded his religious beliefs, positioning his mentors as precursors to the "New Atheism" movement led by figures like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. This period of intellectual skepticism led to a phase of professional drifting before he entered the publishing industry.