Alister McGrath’s new book argues belief is essential to being human

Theologian Alister McGrath challenges post-Enlightenment assumptions about faith in his new book, arguing that belief is not the enemy of rationality but its necessary companion, essential to human flourishing 

“To believe is to be human.”

This is the central burden that Alister McGrath aims to establish in his part-apologetic, part-philosophical work, Why We Believe: Finding Meaning in Uncertain Times (Oneworld Publications).

In a post-Enlightenment world, belief and faith are often denigrated and portrayed as having no place in a scientific and rational age. McGrath challenges this assumption, showing that all human knowledge – including science itself – rests on forms of trust and belief. Far from opposing reason, faith is intertwined with it, shaping how we interpret evidence, build relationships, and navigate life’s uncertainties. Belief, McGrath argues, is not the enemy of rationality but its necessary companion.