We of Little Faith

Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (and Maybe You Should Too)

By: Kate Cohen

Narrated by: Kate Cohen

An atheist’s impassioned call for nonbelievers to be honest with themselves and their families about their lack of belief—and help change the American cultural conversation.

Even though a growing number of Americans don’t believe in god, many remain reluctant to say so out loud. Kate Cohen argues that not only is it rewarding for those of little faith to announce themselves, it’s crucial to our country’s future.

As she details the challenges and joys of fully embracing atheism—especially as a parent—Washington Post contributing columnist Kate Cohen does not dismiss religion as dangerous or silly. Instead, she investigates religion’s appeal in order to explain the ways we can thrive without it.

Americans who don’t believe in god call themselves atheists, agnostics, humanists, skeptics, and freethinkers. Sometimes they are called “nones,” based on the box they checked on a survey identifying their religion. And sometimes they call themselves Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist.

Whatever you call yourself, if you don’t believe there’s a supernatural being in charge of the universe, it’s time to join the chorus of We of Little Faith.

©2023 Kate Cohen. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“We of Little Faith is a deeply personal, often funny, and always astute look at what we stand to gain when we question not just the existence of God, but all of the ways in which our societies, cultures, traditions, and tropes assume there's a big man in the sky. A trenchant and thoughtful read, this is the perfect book for people who are atheism-curious, and for those who are religious but open-minded.”—Jill Filipovic, CNN columnist, author of The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness

“This is a wonderful book. While many popular books about atheism are written with a goal of deconverting readers, Kate Cohen takes a welcome detour in We of Little Faith. By sharing her own religious journey, Kate shows us that atheism doesn't come from a place of rebellion, but rather a desire to embrace radical honesty. We of Little Faith is a delightful journey through both the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of atheism.”—Hemant Mehta, the Friendly Atheist podcast

“We of Little Faith is a must-read for every American, whether atheist or Zoroastrian or somewhere in between. Cohen’s witty, compassionate take on America’s religious culture is atheism as it should be, as it truly is: fulfilled, happy, and true to one’s self. This is the quotidian atheism your friends and family may be too timid to discuss, but which Cohen illuminates with absorbing eloquence. If you think about religion, you owe it to yourself to read this book.”—Andrew L. Seidel, author of American Crusade

A must read for the modern atheist

Love it. Finally, an atheist book that talks about current times and events. This book is fun, and is a relief from the intense philosophical approaches of say, Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Two things I took away: 1) when I tell someone I don’t believe in God, I get asked, “so how do you think everything came about?” I’ve struggled with that. Now, just not believing in God is enough. I do not have to be an expert in every imaginable field and explain how things came about. 2) I now look at my kids lying to me a different way. I don’t get so bent sit of shape about it.

Highly recommended

A very well written, clearly explained and relatable description of the thought processes and inner arguments an atheist goes through as they work up the confidence to come out to family, friends and community.

"beautiful"

I so enjoyed reading this book and yet am finding it hard to put into words just what I liked so much about it... To be sure, the reasoning and arguments put forth in it are lucid and insightful, but more than that the word that comes to mind is that it is "beautiful" - the humanism, the wit, the invitations, the confessions - all of it. And, indeed, the audiobook is beautifully read with all the nuances you could wish for by the author herself. Well done Kate Chohen, and thank you.

Comfort in Being an Atheist

I enjoyed Ms Cohen's journey into Jewish atheism. As a 74 yr old 2nd generation Holocaust survivor I struggled with committing to being an atheist & being disloyal to my father, who has since passed away 4 yrs ago. I have raised 3 children who were bar/bat mitzvah & feel strongly about being Jewish as do I, I just don't believe in a god. Ms Cohen's straightforward approach to atheism delivers the honest revelation without apology to being Jewish & atheistic at the same time without the hoops & hurdles of being ritualistic. Bravo and well done!

Encouraging!

Through entertaining and eye opening stories, the author gives excellent reasons for atheists to be open about their non belief and use the word atheist. Loved it!

What we all need to hear.

Felt kinship with that author: my kids also made me an atheist. Thank you for this book.

If you don’t believe in god - don’t be afraid to own it!

This is thoughtful, helpful, logical, friendly, accessible guide for normal people who don’t believe in god. Kate Cohen tells about her experience growing up and then raising a family while being truthful concerning her beliefs. This is a book whose time has come. The author’s voice & style are pleasant and clear. It was a pleasure to spend 7 hours with Kate.

Honest, gently forthright, and very much needed

Finally someone is saying out loud what those of us who stopped believing in a singular all-powerful being have wanted to say for years, but were afraid to admit for fear of repercussions! Thanks to Kate's gentle guidance, I can feel confident – even compelled for the good of all – to say that I am, "actually, an atheist."

Brava, Kate. The chapter about creating your own holidays had me laughing out loud. This book is funny, heartfelt, and Kate's gentle delivery gives you the feeling you're listening to a treasured, wise friend. Highly recommend.

Great read to hear a perspective without feeling an agenda being pushed onto you

This was beautifully written and provides a well thought out perspective without belittling anyone that might disagree. As someone who was raised a strict Christian and never agreed with it..and is currently teetering between agnostic and atheist, this was a great starting point and helped me to feel more empowered in my “disbelief” and I am excited to continue this journey knowing I’m not alone.

So delightful!

I found out about this book from an excerpt in the Washington Post and immediately bought the audio book on Audible. After listening for just over an hour, I also purchased a hard copy of the book because it was apparent that this was a book I wanted in my actual library, not just as sound in the cloud.

I've been an atheist since I was a teenager (I'm 58 now) and so much of the book resonated with me. While on my long commute to work, I found myself listening with a big smile on my face, punctuated with joyful guffaws. My wife and I raised a daughter, so most of the parenting stories resonated with me and, even if they didn't parallel my own experience, I found them captivating.

It's such a heartfelt book and the author's presentation of the material is witty, funny, sometimes heart-wrenching, and always delightful. She is also the perfect narrator for her own material, something that is rare for audiobooks.