“An intellectually compelling and insightful journey into the debates concerning religion and spirituality. Both ardent atheists and devoted believers will find this book throught-provoking and rationally stimulating.

The artwork adds an important dimension to the book’s philosophical substance, creating a unique experience for the reader. A truly immersive book!” Read more

Elisa Aaltola
Philosopher and activist, PhD

 

“They used to say that boxing is a gentleman’s sport, but when the fight begins in today’s world, gentlemen are few and far between. It is therefore with great delight that I have read Kaisa and Christoffer Leka’s new book, for here the gloves do come off in a gentlemanly way – with dignity and respect for the opponent, but nevertheless delivering some mighty punches. Such a match is all the more enjoyable as the opponent is the positivist materialism that today so often goes unchallenged.

The outcome is perhaps not a knockout, but at the very least the Lekas manage to wipe that arrogant sneer off their opponent’s face, showing that while not everybody dares take up the fight, materialism is not the only contender out there to be taken seriously.” Read more

Måns Broo
University lecturer, Åbo Akademi, PhD

 

“This book moved me both intellectually and emotionally, to the verge of tears. Religion, science, philosophy and philosophy of science are rarely written about in this manner: intelligently and with great feeling.

The Gloves Come Off  really is a passionate defence of religion. And what a defence it is! 
The passion here is not religious fanaticism, but intellectual pursuit that does not let the reader off easy.

Just leafing through this book, it’s immediately clear that this is not a light-hearted monologue. On the contrary.  The  Gloves Come Off  is the result of extensive reading, personal experience and long-term reflection, perhaps as a reaction to the current anti-religious climate of secularisation.
Even though the philosophical expedition is long and sometimes meandering, the Duck’s reflections are ultimately about—well, nothing more and nothing less than the ultimate existential questions. What is the relationship between matter and spirit? What do naturalism and physicalism mean as scientific orientations, and what is their significance in the world view of Western people? Where are the boundaries of science, knowledge and language? What falls outside these boundaries? And of course (perhaps the most tantalising question): what is consciousness? The Duck’s unmatchable sense of humour alleviates his deep reflections on the limits of a materialistic worldview and modern science.” Read more

Maija Butters
Postdoctoral Researcher, 
University Lecturer, University of Helsinki

“From the first sentence (‘Joining a cult was the best thing I ever did’) to  the last one (‘Thank  you!’), it’s a train-of-thought that almost reads like Wittgenstein’s famous Tractatus. We are being taken on a well-reasoned, well-informed, well-articulated journey – we travel from one philosopher to another, and from one refutation to another, until we eventually arrive at a point of no return. It’s  impossible  to argue with this duck – he outsmarts us all.” Read more

Experimental Jetset

“This duck is angry! Faced with the constant banter from atheist intellectuals he has had enough. As a member of what he just refers to as ‘a cult’, he is fed up with the half-baked and frankly silly arguments that certain scientists, philosophers, and public intellectuals flaunt as rational proofs against any belief based on spirituality and religious convictions.

Kaisa and Christoffer Leka’s graphic essay takes you headfirst into a reflection about some of our most pivotal existential questions, this is a highly recommended read!” Read more

Antony Fredriksson

Assistant professor, Centre for Ethics as Study in Human Value, 
University of Pardubice, PhD

“Brilliant, deep and important.” Read more

Risto Isomäki
Author, activist

“Here’s one frustrated and fearless duck.

He is frustrated by the different prejudices against and lazy criticisms of religion. He fearlessly confronts them and enters a long argument in defense of religion, faith, and his own understanding of the world and the human condition.

The seriousness of the discussion and the argument, drawing on several sources, from St Anselm to Dead Kennedys and from the Bhagavad Gita to Karl Popper, is intellectually compelling. The questions addressed are none the less than what is the purpose of our lives, what’s real, how can we know it?

I may not always agree with the duck’s discourse or be convinced by his argument, but I respect his frustration and plea to be taken seriously and admire his fearless wish to address profound existential questions and critique our knowledge and belief systems. And I love the fact that this duck, at times fierce, sometimes funny, always engaging, is given the space of several hundreds of comics pages to unfold his argument.” Read more

Ralf Kauranen
Researcher, DsocSci

If you’re the kind of person who likes to think – think about life and what the purpose of living it is, then you will likely enjoy spending some time with this simple yet uniquely cerebral book. Such a clever and entertaining way to intimately enter the mind of a writer! Profound reading has never been easier. Read more

Kaustubha Das
Senior Educator
The Bhakti Center, New York

“The ingredients are deep and heavy, and the combination may seem challenging, but the result is surprisingly fresh and well thought out. The Gloves Come Off contains a wonderful set of short meditations on really important, topical, and consequential subjects.

The authors are unusually well versed on both philosophy of religion and philosophy of science, but the ideas are expressed in a manner that is both fun and entertaining.

So don’t let appearances deceive, although expressed by a mildly ludicrous cartoon-duck, the ideas themselves come from a very deep and learned pond of philosophical reflection. Highly recommended – for almost anyone!” Read more

Kimmo Ketola
Researcher, PhD

“The Gloves Come Off is simultaneously hilarious and serious reading. Philosophical musings by a duck provide extended argument for a critical assessment of a materialistic worldview and a shrewd introduction to perennial philosophical questions.” Read more

Jyri Komulainen

Docent, University of Helsinki, 
Faculty of Theology

“I’ll begin by stating that this is something of a masterpiece. In the beginning I thought that the book would be a biographical monologue, but stealthily it evolved into an ever deeper contemplation over the nature of reality and the justification for belief. The dialogue carries its weight all up to the end as the imaginary arguments presented to the reader have their equivalents in real life.

This was truly a pleasurable read, and as I pored over the text I enjoyed a genuine feeling of discovery. At the end of the book I found myself hoping it would never end.” Read more

Janne Kontala

Researcher, PhD

“Every now and then, someone publishes a popular science book containing dialogues between dignitaries of science and religion. Most of them are abhorrent. On one side is usually someone whose identity is so staunchly built on atheism and science that their main message becomes their total blindness to anything beyond their own understanding. On the other side, the religious scholar who, forced into this firmly worldly debate, cannot even convince believers of the existence of Heaven.

However, The Gloves Come Off manages to be popular without being embarrassing. It begins by dismantling the usual arguments against religion and spirituality, one by one.

Overall, the book is a healthy reminder of the limitations of science. Indeed, it’s been almost 400 years since the Scientific Revolution, and we still live in a world of mystery!” Read more

Anna Kontula

Member of parliament, DsocSci

“The Socratic method was dialogical, and in a peculiar way, the Duck’s inexhaustible monologue in the book sounds like a dialogue. This authentic philosophical inquiry brings me much joy and pleasure.

I believe that within every duck, there is a philosopher, and within every philosopher, there is a duck.” Read more

Tero Liukkonen

Author, PhD

“Truth by far exceeds that which can be proven. Building on this attitude, the protagonist delivers a defense of religiosity, aiming to show that the scientific and philosophical arguments that can be delivered against religiosity have their limits.

In the pages we meet all the classical philosophers from Descartes, Nietzsche and Marx to Horkheimer, Popper and Wittgenstein, each having something to say about how we interpret the world and whether there is a role for divine in it.

The book does not preach but offers one way of navigating human life, while acknowledging ‘the limits born out of our inherent insignificance.” Read more

Frank Martela
Philosopher, PhD

“The Gloves Come Off is an invitation to serious discussion with the philosophy of religion and science. It asks the perennial question: Is there something beyond the intellect of humans? We are led to a journey guided by an angry and frustrated duck.

The duck with a rosary wants to make us think and he puts ready-made answers to the test. Through the pages we meet numerous familiar and unfamiliar great thinkers, as well as the somewhat surprising Dr. Spock.” Read more

Tuomas Martikainen

Professor in the Study of Religion, PhD

“The Gloves Come Off by Kaisa and Christoffer Leka shows a sophisticated understanding of religion and doesn’t settle for superficiality or stereotyping. The protagonist is a profoundly irked duck who doesn’t go easy on his invisible interlocutors or his readers.

Whether one agrees with the articulate duck or not, the reader is compelled to reflect upon their world view and evaluate their prejudices about religion.” Read more

Juha Meriläinen

Church Historian, Nonfiction Writer, 
Docent, University of Helsinki

“The narrator’s voice is intellectual and analytical, and the comic book can be warmly recommended to readers interested in growth, the power of reflection, and unique insights.
here are no simple answers to complex questions, but this book can inspire you to think about issues independently and from bold new perspectives.” Read more

Rebekka Naatus
Head of communications,
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

“The Gloves Come Off is a fearless and philosophically uncompromising account of a topic whose urgency and topicality will perhaps only grow in these confused times. Christoffer and Kaisa Leka take their readers far beyond clichés and conventions to where reflection and dialogue can begin.” Read more

Antti Nylén
Author

“Christoffer and Kaisa Leka’s book asks uncomfortable questions about the ways we explain humanity, existence and consciousness. When the Duck turns the claims of great thinkers into a new position even a non-religious natural scientist-artist gets excited.

The key messages of the work are here: Think better and more carefully. Question. Look behind the words. And at least don’t believe those who claim to be certain. One can never pin down the truth, but one has to search for it persistently.

Books like these are important because our time tends towards hasty thinking and superficial discussion.” Read more

Tiina Raevaara

Author, science journalist, PhD

“In its essence The Gloves Come Off is an antidote to unwarranted pride — I would go as far as to call it an anti-fundamentalist manifesto!” Read more

Jari Tamminen
Journalist & culture jammer

“Have you ever felt tangled up in webs of (more or less) philosophical ideas and abstractions, like ‘positivism,’ ‘modernity,’ and ‘materialism’? Did this tangle make you feel like you’re choking on words words words?

What better way to get disentangled from all such confusions than with the help of a Web-Footed Friend, a certain Wise and (possibly) World-Weary duck? This graphic-novel-style journey into and then beyond garden-variety two-dimensional thinking (inside the proverbial box) to the multi-
dimensional realm of non-material possibility (outside the box) is a delight for the mind, the intellect, and the discerning eye for art-duck (not to be confused with Art Deco).

Although ducks generally don’t bite, you will find that the bite-sized style of Ultimate Reality Talk in these pages will get you swiftly out of the thought-jungle’s undergrowth and out to the big sky of clear thinking (where ducks fly faster than you think—or that you think you think).” Read more

Kenneth Valpey (Krishna Kshetra Swami)
Research Fellow of the Oxford Centre 
for Hindu Studies, PhD

“Here, in the most simplified form, is the most fundamental of all questions: the nature of reality. Thousands of years of thinking have not brought up an answer – or rather, there are so many answers that everyone is bound to find one they like.

Christoffer and Kaisa Leka are also unable to give an answer, but time after time, they manage to remind us that if there are no certain answers, it would behove us to show a little more humility, as well as understanding and acceptance of those who think and believe differently. One would think that even a Homo Sapiens could get their head around this truth.” Read more

Esko Valtaoja

Professor emeritus, University of Turku, PhD

“Kaisa and Christoffer’s work leads their fellow travellers to subtly ask themselves whether now might be a good time to stop waffling and live out a conviction that respects life. The reality perceived through words and theoretical models is getting away from us if it hasn’t already. Scientists and lay people are wary of talking about important issues. The Duck gives the reader permission to discover and speak out.

Plato advised that humans would do well to know themselves. A person is not a god, not even with all the knowledge in the world at their disposal. Indeed, there are more things in Heaven and on Earth than we humans can even imagine, let alone know. Hence, the Duck’s message that we can find a way to live that is good for both us and the world.” Read more

Ville-Matti Vilkka

Philosopher, PhD

“The Gloves Come Off is a creative and humorous take on the life and philosophies. It uses a conversational comic format, incorporating cartoon characters and witty dialogues/monologues, to provide insights into the journey of an individual embracing a new religious identity. The book covers various aspects of religion and philosophy, such as its core beliefs, practices, and cultural significance, all presented in a light-hearted manner.

One of the book’s strengths is its ability to make complex religious and philosophical concepts accessible and entertaining. Additionally, the conversational tone and humour make the book enjoyable to read, even for those unfamiliar with the topic.

Overall, this graphic novel offers a unique and entertaining perspective. Its blend of humour and insightful commentary makes it a valuable resource for those interested in learning about the complex philosophical and religious concepts in an accessible and engaging way.” Read more

Rupesh Vyas
Associate professor, 
Aalto University, PhD