A humble act of hubris? AC Grayling's secular bible

A humble act of hubris? AC Grayling's secular bible

Philosopher AC Grayling has been in the news a lot this week, on account of the publication of his latest work The Good Book: A Secular Bible. It's a bold project, and one that is, not unexpectedly, attracting criticism from religious commentators. Indeed, Grayling himself recognises the scale of ambition involved in putting together a non-religious bible, and he discusses it with Matthew Adams in an interview for the New Humanist website:

"I acknowledge the fact that it does look tremendously hubristic, but it’s certainly done – and I don’t want to come across as a sort of Uriah Heep here – in a spirit of great humility. After all, most of what’s in it comes from really great writers. Most of it isn’t me.”

So, is Grayling's Good Book an act of hubris or humility? Take a look at the full interview and see what you think (although you will, of course, need to pick up the book yourself to properly decide).

The release of The Good Book coincides with the news that Grayling will be taking over the presidency of the British Humanist Association from July, succeeding Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee, who has held the position since 2007.