Making Sense of It All Pascal and the Meaning of Life

Rating:
Summary: Depth and Substance
Review: I love Pascal. I probably quote him in my own theological work more than anyone else. Thus, I figured I would either love this book or absolutely hate it. I feared Pascal would get butchered and misconstrued as he so often does. Well, I loved it. Dr. Morris captures the essence of Pascal's thought and deftly weaves it with the insights of other great thinkers and also into practical application for our lives. This book will enrich your mind and spirit, deepening your walk with God.

Rating:
Summary: Depth and Substance
Review: I love Pascal. I probably quote him in my own theological work more than anyone else. Thus, I figured I would either love this book or absolutely hate it. I feared Pascal would get butchered and misconstrued as he so often does. Well, I loved it. Dr. Morris captures the essence of Pascal's thought and deftly weaves it with the insights of other great thinkers and also into practical application for our lives. This book will enrich your mind and spirit, deepening your walk with God.

Rating:
Summary: an excellent and well reasoned presentation of pascal
Review: I would highly recommend this to those who's quest for the truth brings them to ask the tough questions about Christianity. For fans of C.S. Lewis, Morris lays out a Christian argument through the writings of Pascal's Pensees. Although only 200 pages, It will take time to reflect upon Morris's comments. Morris weaves his considerable knowledge of apologetics with the deceptively simple yet insightful positions of Pascal. As Morris states, "In this book I want to explore with Pascal those most important questions for getting our bearings". A must read.

Rating:
Summary: typo in previous review
Review: In a review dated 9 May 2000.... "Pascal was a Jansenist, the Roman version of a Catholic...."

I am reasonably certain that he intended to say, "of a Calvinist." The Calvinists claimed, as did the Jansenists, that their view of sin and grace, free will and election, had the backing of St. Augustine. The proposed amendment makes the said review (and replies to the review) much clearer.

For a discussion of the theological issues here involved, I refer the reader to C S Lewis, Poetry and Prose in the Sixteenth Century (formerly English Literature in the Sixteenth Century Excluding Drama) pages 32-44, 162-165, 177-180, 181-192, 438-463.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: In this work aimed at a popular rather than scholarly audience, Morris presents an apologetic for the Christian faith using Pascal's arguments and extensive quotes from the Pensees. The first half of the book, a polemic against and analysis of the modern indifference toward matters of eternal significance, is quite simply brilliant, both insightful and very well-presented. After driving home the need for thinking about eternity and the afterlife, Morris addresses the most common arguments against the existence of God, both of which rest on evidentialist premises. Pascal, and Morris, does away with these objections with the use of his Wager, showing that it is indeed rational, though not coercively so, to believe in God. Morris spends the rest of the book tracing the contours of a Christian worldview including its views on human nature, human action, etc. Morris generally succeeds in his goal of popular apologetics. Making Sense of it All is set squarely in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer. Morris endears himself to the reader with his conversational style, humorous and relevant illustrations, and sincerity. I have only one gripe with Morris: he fails to uphold the integrity of the Christian vision that Pascal presented. Pascal was a Jansenist, the Roman version of a Catholic, and much of his apologetic had its foundation in the traditional Augustinian beliefs in total depravity, irresistible grace, and absolute sovereignty. Insofar as Morris moderates these emphases, he compromises the Christian faith and weakens the strength of Pascalian apologetics. In toto, though, Making Sense of it All is worth reading. Indeed, I think it wouldn't be a bad book to give someone who is seriously considering Christianity.

Rating:
Summary: Great book for understanding those hard questions
Review: Morris explains and expounds upon Pascal's thought in an easy to read manner. A apologetic work in the line of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis.

Pascal is an example of a brilliant scientific mind who found it very reasonable to believe in God, or more specifically a Christian God. Morris, through Pascal, shows that faith and reason can take you farther than either can alone. A great thought provoking book for the person seeking understanding of those hard questions.

One addendum to the reviewer of May 9, 2000 who said "Pascal was a Jansenist, the Roman version of a Catholic":

Jansenism is named after Cornelius Jansen, who was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ypres in the early 17th century. His main work, Augustinus, was published after his death. In this work, he claimed to have rediscovered the true teaching of St. Augustine concerning grace, which had been lost to the Church for centuries.

Jansenism was never approved of by the Roman Catholic Church, and while Pascal had several Jansenist friends, and wrote in support of their cause, it is questionable whether he himself was a Jansenist. Morris addresses this issue in pages 8 & 9 on this book.

Rating:
Summary: Pascal's "Thoughts" Make Sense of Life - Morris makes it Fun
Review: There comes a point in almost everyone's life when they ask themselves, "What does it all mean?" Blaise Pascal, the French scientist, mathematician, and philospoher reached this point at the age of thirty-one, when he converted to Christianity, and began writing down a number of his thoughts on the meaning of life and the defense of his new-found faith. Pascal died before he could organize and publish his Pensees ("thoughts"), but fortunately for us modern readers, many fine editions have been edited and published through the years.

Tom Morris, a former philosophy professor from Notre Dame, examines Pascal's thoughts on the meaning of life, utilizing his witty and entertaining sense of humor. Morris writes for the everyday man, not just philospohers and theologians, making this book especially useful for high school and college age persons who are examining their lives and seeking to make sense of it all.

So go ahead, take Pascal's wager and bet on Morris's little book to bring you both enlightenment and joy.

[Other excellent editions of Pascal's Pensees are offered by Os Guinness (The Mind on Fire) and Peter Kreeft (Christianity for Modern Pagans) - both are recommended if you want more perspectives on Pascal.]

Rating:
Summary: Pascal's "Thoughts" Make Sense of Life - Morris makes it Fun
Review: There comes a point in almost everyone's life when they ask themselves, "What does it all mean?" Blaise Pascal, the French scientist, mathematician, and philospoher reached this point at the age of thirty-one, when he converted to Christianity, and began writing down a number of his thoughts on the meaning of life and the defense of his new-found faith. Pascal died before he could organize and publish his Pensees ("thoughts"), but fortunately for us modern readers, many fine editions have been edited and published through the years.

Tom Morris, a former philosophy professor from Notre Dame, examines Pascal's thoughts on the meaning of life, utilizing his witty and entertaining sense of humor. Morris writes for the everyday man, not just philospohers and theologians, making this book especially useful for high school and college age persons who are examining their lives and seeking to make sense of it all.

So go ahead, take Pascal's wager and bet on Morris's little book to bring you both enlightenment and joy.

[Other excellent editions of Pascal's Pensees are offered by Os Guinness (The Mind on Fire) and Peter Kreeft (Christianity for Modern Pagans) - both are recommended if you want more perspectives on Pascal.]