My views on the central theme of my book have changed - how do I bring in that nuance?

Question

I've been working on a fantasy story that explores the creation and evolution of religion. But I'm struggling with what I'm fundamentally trying to say regarding religion.When I first began, I was much more militantly atheist than I am now, and my original plan was to build toward a grand exposure of a particular religion, as being merely an exaggerated, much-embellished portrayal of an event from ancient history.But since then my own views have evolved. I'm still non-religious, but I better understand why some people have a faith, and the original conclusion to my story lacks the depth I desire.Now I'm at a loss. I'm thinking of building the story as focusing on several characters who each view religion in different ways, following their growth. But I'm not sure how to do that, and I'm not even really sure what I'm trying to say. I've tried listening to speakers discussing the philosophy of religion, to try and find something that clicked for me, but that was no help.Where do I go from here, and how can I finish my story?

Answer 1

If youre building a story around a sophisticated conception of religion from an atheists point of view then you may find Tim Crane's book "The Meaning of Belief" helpful. It has a rich discussion of the view that you've come to reject and offers alternative views of religious phenomenon from an atheist point of view that may help you see how to structure your narrative to give it more depth. I think you're looking in the right place by turning to philosophy of religion, you just may not have read the right literature yet. I think this might help you clarify your own view better, which should help clarify the form of your narrative