Monday, May 14, 2007

Dawkins, Hitchens, and Kreeft Oh My!

I just finished god is not Great - How Religion Poisons Everything, by Christopher Hitchens. I am now listening to The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. I am also reading Yes or No - Straight Answers To Tough Questions About Christianity, by Peter Kreeft. Part of me would really like to say that the first two books caused my doubts, but the fact of the matter is that every book I've ever read defending Christianity has caused my doubts. If God is the beginning of all things, would He not be the MOST real, the MOST tangible? Yet, we are required to have faith that He exists. I don't have to practice the presence of broccoli, there is no doubt that broccoli exists and is good for me, but Brother Lawrence would have me Practice The Presence of God. I've loved that book for many years. I used to read Josh McDowell as well. In years past, I've had such strong faith. There was a time when I liked nothing more than a good theological argument. To, as Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 10:5 "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Those days are long gone. I now know that I argued out of my own arrogance and fear, not out of some sincere desire to bring people to Christ.

2 comments:

Doubting Foo said...

How was the Kreeft book? I haven't heard of it.

Mike aka MonolithTMA said...

Kreeft is always an entertaining read. He loves Socrates and uses Socratic method quite a bit. Of course the thing about Socratic method is that your foundational premises determine the outcome. My favorite book by him was Socrates Meets Jesus. He also did a lecture on the philosophy of religion which was one of the most fair and balanced (Fox makes it difficult for me to use that phrase now.) treatment of religions and atheism.

Yes or No - Straight Answers To Tough Questions About Christianity didn't answer any of the questions I had, but it was still an entertaining read and gave a good overview of Christianity. He tends to write in the style of the dialogues of Plato.

The lectures on the philosophy of religion were called

Faith and Reason the Philosophy of Religion (The Modern Scholar Great Professors Teaching you) and I don't think they are currently available.