Which brings me to my final problem with Thompson’s argument, though not his exposition. When I served on the Broadcasting Standards Council I was struck by how often complainants who had been shocked by airtime given to (say) black magic, satanism or religious ‘cults’, turned out to be serious devotees of a mainstream religion. Damian Thompson does not hide the fact that he is an editor-in-chief of the Catholic Herald and nor does he spare from his lash some of the teachings of his own Church; but he is very hard on Islam. I cannot help wondering whether belief-systems of one colour feel an especially strong sense of alarm at the advance of belief-systems of another. At times Thompson comes close to hinting at a great (albeit unconscious) global conspiracy of falsehood-manufacturers: just the sort of conspiracy-theory he so energetically demolishes in others.

Faiths are in competition, and the author’s distinction between a faith’s scientific claims (contestable) and its spiritual or mystic claims (uncontestable, he suggests) failed to convince me. Intelligent writer that Damian Thompson is, I slightly doubt that he has convinced himself.

Blackwell Bookshop

Purchase your copy here, 10% off RRP