Free Christianity For Modern Pagans: PASCAL's Pensees Edited, Outlined, And Explained Ebooks To Download
Peter Kreeft believes that Baise Pascal is the first post-medieval apologist. No writer in history, claims Kreeft, is a more effective Christian apologist and evangelist to today's uprooted, confused, secularized pagans (inside and outside the Church) than Pascal. He was a brilliant man--a great scientist who did major work in physics and mathematics, as well as an inventor--whom Kreeft thinks was three centuries ahead of his time. His apologetics found in his Pensees are ideal for the modern, sophisticated skeptic.
Paperback: 341 pages
Publisher: Ignatius Press (September 1, 1993)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0898704529
ISBN-13: 978-0898704525
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.2 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #105,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #48 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age & Spirituality > Wicca, Witchcraft & Paganism > Paganism #57 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Philosophers #315 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Theology > Apologetics
I am a fan of both Kreeft and Pascal. I think some other reviewers have hit on many of the same reasons I like this book, but here's my own take. First of all, there was a philosophical movement in Europe at the turn of the 18th century called the Enlightenment. No single wave of thought can take as much credit for influencing the modern world as the Enlightenment. That movement was a tidal wave that swept up every major philosopher for the last three hundred years. Pascal was one of the only thinkers not swept up in the powerful riptides of that "revolution." One of my favorite quotes in the book is that Enlightenment tries to do "life itself as a science." Yet Pascal knew that man was not the measure of all things, but a twisted contradiction of greatness and wretchedness. Herein I believe, lies much of his insight; he is not a strict Enlightenment idealist. Rather, Pascal is a philsophical and theological realist who brought his bluntness and passion to the fields not only of philosophy, but science and math. Pascal was fortunate enough to brandish insights in all of these disciplines. My favorite parts of his thought, however, correspond to his philosophy. These insights were the "Pensees," his thoughts. I think every Christian should know "The Wager" argument by heart. It is brilliant. Everything to lose and everything to gain; life often revolves around the choices we make and the corresponding benefits or harms that result. Pascal is almost what you get when you try to blend the strengths of Augustine and Aquinas; a passionate minister (Augustine) mixed with the masterful logic of the Summa (Aquinas) rolled into one neat package. He was not a Cartesian dualist who saw mind and body as separate.
Where to begin? Kreeft spends the introductory chapter providing some historical background on Blaise, which is laudable, since few know much of him besides his being a 17th century mathematician. Kreeft reorders the Pensees from what is believed to be Pascal's intended order, but I think the decision makes sense, since Kreeft explains the structure and his reasons for it. The book is arranged into 28 chapters, varying in length, that build upon each other very naturally. There are a very few instances when Kreeft's commentary seems somewhat off the direct intent of Pascal's thought, but these are rare. By and large, however, Kreeft is tremendously helpful in providing the historical, literary, or philosophical background necessary to unveil the genius of Pascal. Pascal is so subtle, shrewd, and thorough, and his overall insight into human nature is startling and silencing. Several of his longer essays leaving you grasping for superlatives. His thoughts on the sinful, wretched nature of human beings was particularly incisive, since we seem to view sin in increasingly external terms, i.e. things that we do, actions we take. The subtle, internal sins (the sin that we ARE?) are nearly forgotten, but Pascal shines brilliant light on them, to the point where you just stop and sit sheepishly. Pascal possesses such a rare honesty, and just insight, insight, insight, ad nauseum. He SEES so much, and we should be ashamed at how shallow our handling of life, truth, and belief so often is. Would that we all face and ponder the realities of our existence so squarely, but even here, Pascal is unpacking why we do not. Folks looking for philosophical proofs and arguments will not find as many as they hope, but the reason becomes clear the further one travels in the book.
Christianity for Modern Pagans: PASCAL's Pensees Edited, Outlined, and Explained Pensees (Penguin Classics) Drawing Down the Moon : Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences: A Comprehensive & Cross-Referenced Resource for Pagans & Wiccans (Llewellyn's Complete Book Series) HITTESDORF CORBA/IIOP CLEARLY EXPLAINED (Clearly Explained) Christianity and Western Thought: Journey to Postmodernity in the Twentieth Century: 3 (Christianity & Western Thought) The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Future of Christianity Trilogy) How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity (Early African Christianity Set) Comparing and Assessing Programming Languages: Ada, C and Pascal (Prentice-Hall software series) Learning to Program in Pascal and Delphi (GCE Computing) Learning to Program in Pascal and Delphi (A Level Computing) 1st (first) Edition published by Payne-Gallway (2003) Mastering Pascal and Delphi Programming (Palgrave Master S) Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940 (Naomi B. Pascal Editor's Endowment) The Age of Louis XIV: A History of European Civilization in the Period of Pascal, Moliere, Cromwell, Milton, Peter the Great, Newton, and Spinoza, ... Book 8) (Story of Civilization (Audio)) Learn Object Pascal with Delphi Solos for the Flute Player. With piano accompaniment. [By Bach, Beethoven, Berlioz and others.] Selected and edited by L. Moyse. [Score and part.] The Complete Solfeggi / Transcribed and Edited for Trombone and Other Bass Clef Instruments Handel/Halvorsen - Passacaglia - Violin and Cello - Score and Parts - edited by Frieda R. The Book of Jubilees: Or the Little Genesis; Translated From the Editor's Ethiopic Text and Edited, With Introduction, Notes and Indices (Classic Reprint) Galamian Ivan Scale System Vol1 Cello arranged and edited by Hans Jorgen, Jensen Schirmer Edition
