Kim Gentes

Pensées is a collection of thoughts, from French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal. In many ways Pascal was an early post-modernist thinker, perceiving and challenging (successfully) not only principles in mathematics and physical sciences, but in the philosophical and religious realms as well. The Pensées (which literally means “thoughts”) is not a completed book, but a point-style outline of important thoughts, that read more like proverbs than treatise.  The work was published posthumously and is missing a readable flow from thought to thought.

However, the concepts presented in Pensées are quite clear- they are a philosophical apologetic for the Christian faith. In Section III of the work (titled “the necessity of the wager”) Pascal clarifies his intention to speak directly to a specific group of people:

A letter to incite to the search after God. And then to make people seek Him among the philosophers, sceptics, and dogmatists, who disquiet him who inquires of them.[1]

From this point, Pascal lays out a logical progression of deconstructing arguments against Christianity.  However, Pascal is not saying that logic or reason as the answers to finding God. In fact, his premise is that reason will not be able to lead you through its processes to knowledge of God.  He uses philosophy and reason to counter the notion that reason is a singular tool to concluding God exists- this dichotomoy is not lost on Pascal and he tries to reconcile this by such paradoxical renderings as :

Submission.--We must know where to doubt, where to feel certain, where to submit. He who does not do so, understands not the force of reason.[2]

and

If we submit everything to reason, our religion will have no mysterious and supernatural element. If we offend the principles of reason, our religion will be absurd and ridiculous.[3]

In the midst of his musing about reason and heart (the contrast of the two), Pascal famously pens the phrase “The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know.”[4] But he winds that discussion eventually around to a simple, clear and understandable summation: “Heart, instinct, principles.”[5]

He tackles a number of topics including integrity of searching for God to the seriousness of eternity and the scope of human lifespan. At almost every turn, Pascal uses the insights of a scientific mindset (along with its proofing mechanisms) to first examine a topic and then lead you to a conclusion.  This progression is sprinkled generously with several “proverb-like” sentences in which he levels basic human truths in seeming juxtaposition to the more straightforward point-building scheme of proofing his opinions.  Occasionally, he also uses a dialogical counterplay of asking us to imagine things about one position and then asking questions about himself, all the while inferring an obvious point toward the validation of the Christian position as a logical premise. 

But it is the punctual proverbs that surprise most readers, for example:

Instability- it is a horrible thing to feel all that we possess slipping away. 213 Between us and heaven or hell there is only life, which is the frailest thing in the world.[6]

One of the most well known portions of Pensées is an argument that is popularly called “Pascal’s Wager”. This proposal is basically a logical explanation for why it would be unreasonable to not believe in God. Through using his wager, he hopes that intellectual people will consider believing in God to be a proper “wager” to take.

In a summary of proofs on believing in God the author gives yet another dailogical possibility:

Two kinds of persons know Him: those who have a humble heart, and who love lowliness, whatever kind of intellect they may have, high or low; and those who have sufficient understanding to see the truth, whatever opposition they may have to it.[7]

Pascal comes to this point, saying that people may come to God through the mind or the heart, and both are acceptable and not to be shunned.

Amazon Product Link: http://amzn.to/rFEhfy

Review by Kim Gentes

[1]Blaise Pascal, “Pascal's Pensées ”, (Public Domain Books, Kindle Edition), Pg. 53

[2]Ibid., Pg. 78

[3]Ibid., Pg. 79

[4]Ibid., Pg. 80

[5]Ibid., Pg. 81

[6]Ibid., Pg. 63

[7]Ibid., Pg. 83

Studying is different than experiencing. One normally studies to gain knowledge, while experience leads to something slightly different- understanding. Understanding is the signature of Thomas Cahill's now iconic book "How The Irish Saved Civilization". One enters into it hoping to learn something, but one leaves it with understanding. This happens because Cahill becomes not only a wordsmithing instructor in our class on the ancient world, but an articulate story-teller of the larger narrative of western civilization.

Beginning with the 5th century (and weaving back and forth through time as necessary), Cahill explores the foundations of the fall of the Roman Empire, including the sentiment and arrogance of a Roman leadership, fat from centuries of literal world-wide conquest. From there, we learn the common practice of slavery (through banditry and outright capture) that was rife through Europe. This quickly leads to an introduction to the Irish and their war parties that scourged the coast of Britain, capturing thousands of slaves for its tribal societies back on Ireland. Briefly, we hear of one such slave that was brought from "civilized" Roman camped Briton to the wiles of Irish clans- the young Patricius. Of course, he will become a central player in this story, but not yet.

The book then detours back to continental Europe and delves extensively into the foundations of Christian apologetic thinker and literary giant Augustine of Hippo. After a few foundational discussions on his Greek influence via Plato and Socrates, we are taken on a brief survey of the Greek classical writers Homer, Virgil and Cicero. Cahill does all this seeming meandering to establish one thing- a lens (via Augustine) through which he can paint his picture of the ancient world. Once he thinks you have gotten this, the book moves on to explain the destruction of the Roman empire. He explains how wave after wave of barbarian tribes ransacked Rome (and its power centers) not only of its gold, grain and able-bodied workers, but washed its culture, science and literacy into oblivion. Cahill puts it poignantly:

As Roman culture died out and was replaced by vibrant new barbarian growths, people forgot many things—how to read, how to think, how to build magnificently...[1]

But he quickly points out that amidst this destructive scene, one thing did stand- the church:

There was, moreover, one office that survived intact from the classical to the medieval polis: the office of Catholic bishop.[2]

Cahill's Europe is taking shape, and we see that while governments were failing, the religious institution of the Catholic church was maintaining a sense of sovereignty, and almost untouchable preeminence. At this point, the book turns back to Ireland and we get a full chapter of history on the Celts- ranging back to 300-500 BC and brought forward through recitation of their literature (mostly extensive quotes from the Tain) and some wide assortment of lore and nuance to the uniquely Irish persona.

By the time we are caught up on the Irish story, we are reintroduced to Patricius, who by now has been explained as the slave who eventually escaped his Irish captors. In a tremendous revelation from God, he re-envisions his life as a missionary to the homeland of his former captives. He returns to Ireland and almost single-handedly converts the entire country (made up of several tribal "kingdoms") to Christianity. The most profound implication of this, for Cahill, becomes the marked change of the Irish (and its Patrician monks in particular) from lives of barbarism to cultured thinkers, readers, and most of all, scribes.

Cahill is clear that Christianity received the Irish (who never gave up their unique historical, cultural and psychological imprint) through the vehicle of Patrick, and in doing so retained its unique identity as Irish. But it became, at just the right time, the center for collection, reclamation and copy of nearly all western classical literature, whether it be religious, cultural or scientific. The Irish monasteries became the information databases of western civilization, at a time when the Roman world was being decimated by the constant infusion of military campaigns from the previously pummelled peoples of neighboring states. Patrick gave Christianity and classical literacy to the Irish, and Irish in turn, kept it for safe-keeping until the destruction of the Roman world was complete. Once it was, according to Cahill, the Irish monasteries and its monks flooded the British, Gaulish and continental coasts of Europe to bring that literature back to the western world.

Cahill's work is undeniably impressive. Both as historical comprehension (which the rest of us can appreciate and understand without the lifetime of historical research it would require), and as narrative art, "How The Irish Save Civilization" is a monumentally riveting book. It is story, history, and yarn, all wrapped well into a brilliant thesis.

For certain, Cahill pontificates on his personal soapbox throughout, and as he wraps up, his book. A fair warning is also given to Cahill's seeming supposition that he must use the F-word at least once in each of his books, which he complies with (though in high style, if you can imagine) here.  Like, his book "Mysteries of the Middle Ages", Cahill has a couple of axes to grind and he isn't shy about brandishing his blade when the right sharpening stone comes along. However, this should not deter any reader from reading his exceptional insights. He takes the time to point out injustice, conflict and modern problems that could well learn from the lessons of antiquity pointed out by his book. These brief, though regular, interjections in the story are easy to spot and easy to agree with (or not, should the reader dissent).

The trail that the book weaves through history and your mind feels a bit mythical, while at the same time far more human than I have ever heard from any stories of antiquity I've read elsewhere. It's a gorgeous balance. One doesn't leave this book without feeling the impact of Cahill's intention to both teach history and hope the present to be changed by it.

A marvelous book.

Product Link on Amazon: How the Irish Saved Civilization

Review by
Kim Gentes

[1]Thomas Cahill, "How The Irish Saved Civilization", (New York, NY: Anchor Books 1995), Pg 60
[2]Ibid., Pg 60

The Real Controversy about "The Shack"

A culture of change has become the pervading surety of our modern (and post-modern) society. The old adage rings truer than ever- "The only thing constant is change". A couple weeks back, I was stuck in a Wal-Mart at midnight, looking for some power cabling for my laptop. While I waited for someone, I was browsing the book selection. I found an interesting looking title called The Shack (Book). Little did I know it was the current "buzz book" in the church in the last year. I am not a fast reader, so it took me a couple weeks to get through it. It was a delight.

The Shack (Book)