matthew henderson

Book Review: The Plot to Kill God

Apr 27, 2016

In his book, The Plot to Kill God: Findings from the Soviet Experiment in Secularization, author Paul Froese explains the aims of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party regarding the destruction of religious faith, and reveals their utter failure in attaining that goal. He begins by examining a set of six assertions, developed by a number of philosophers and upheld by Soviet secularist proponents, regarding the nature and origin of religious belief. Each of these assertions are examined in the first chapter, which lays the theoretical groundwork for the reader to better understand the historical record of Soviet attempts to develop supporting policies, whose results were believed would approach a completely atheist state. According to Froese, “the Secularization Experiment tested the extent to which religious vitality or decline are a product of ignorance, ritual activity, social institutions, social rewards, salvation incentives, and church-state relationships” (24).