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True Paradox: How Christianity Makes Sense of Our Complex World
Foreword Review's Annual INDIEFAB Book of the Year Finalist How do we explain human consciousness? Where do we get our sense of beauty? Why do we recoil at suffering? Why do we have moral codes that none of us can meet? Why do we yearn for justice, yet seem incapable of establishing it? Any philosophy or worldview must make sense of the world as we actually experience it. We need to explain how we can discern qualities such as beauty and evil and account for our practices of morality and law. The complexity of the contemporary world is sometimes seen as an embarrassment for Christianity. But law professor David Skeel makes a fresh case for the plausibility and explanatory power of Christianity. The Christian faith offers plausible explanations for the central puzzles of our existence, such as our capacity for idea-making, our experience of beauty and suffering, and our inability to create a just social order. When compared with materialism or other sets of beliefs, Christianity provides a more comprehensive framework for understanding human life as we actually live it. We need not deny the complexities of life as we experience it. But the paradoxes of our existence can lead us to the possibility that the existence of God could make sense of it all.
176 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2014
32 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
David Skeel
5Ìýbooks3ÌýfollowersDavid Skeel (JD, University of Virginia) is the S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is the author of The New Financial Deal, Icarus in the Boardroom and Debt’s Dominion. Skeel has received the Harvey Levin award three times for outstanding teaching, the Robert A. Gorman award for excellence in upper level course teaching and the Lindback Award for distinguished teaching. He has been interviewed on The News Hour, Nightline, Hardball with Chris Matthews (MSNBC), National Public Radio and Marketplace, and has written for such publications as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Books & Culture and the Weekly Standard. Skeel is a frequent speaker at Veritas Forums and is an elder at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. He blogs at trueparadoxblog.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 2, 2015
Summary: David Skeel argues that far from being a problem for Christians, the complexity of the world is in fact something best explained by the Christian faith. This book is helpful both for the person considering whether it makes sense to become a Christian as well as for Christians looking for ways to articulate how Christian faith makes sense of life's deepest questions.
Many people consider that Christians are "simple minded" and that anything that is complex or poses intellectual challenges is problematic to the Christian believer. David Skeel takes an approach that is different from the very logical appeals of many apologists who appeal to cosmological arguments and arguments from design to demonstrate the case for Christian faith. Skeel argues that Christianity's explanatory power to deal with the intangibles and paradoxes of the world as we actually experience it is greater than the materialist explanations that are the major alternative on offer
Following his introduction where he lays out this basic premise, he discusses five aspects of life for which this is so:
1. Ideas and our Idea Making Capacity. Our idea of a cosmos ordered by God is far more than evolutionary survival alone warrants. He observes the interesting phenomenon of the unreasonable usefulness of mathematics, where equations end up mapping the physical world. There is also in this the challenging question for a true religion of articulating ideals of universal applicability and transformative power that transcends the world of particulars and difference. Skeel argues that the testimony of Christians from every culture is powerful argument for its capacity to handle this kind of complexity.
2. Beauty and the Arts. Skeel contends that the appreciation of beauty and art as an accidental consequence of evolution is profoundly dissatisfying. Beauty points beyond the world, which often also has a certain ugliness, a sense of the world not being as it should. Christianity deals with the complexity of world not as its supposed to be and our longing for and sense of beauty.
3. Suffering and Sensation. No where do we have a greater sense of a world not as it ought to be than in our experience of pain and suffering. Yet materialist explanations simply say that suffering is. Here, Skeel writes touchingly of his friend Bill Stuntz, with whom he planned to write this book, and Bill's struggle with terminal colon cancer. He concludes the chapter with Stuntz's words of God's longing for the sufferer: "God is the Lover who will not rest until his arms enfold the beloved. . . .So I have found in the midst of pain and heartache and cancer" (p. 107).
4. The Justice Paradox. David Skeel is a lawyer and here he observes that every society creates a justice system to bring about a more just social order--and all fail in varying degrees. Marxists thought they would eliminate greed when the working class gained control. After Civil Wars, Constitutional Amendments and Civil Rights legislation, racism remains a reality in America. Christian faith understands the limits of law to deal with human imperfection, that law serves best with a "light touch" and that reconciliation in Christ may accomplish what law cannot in the fabric of human relationships.
5. Life and Afterlife. Here Skeel explores both our longing and disdain for heaven. True Christian hope brings earth and heaven together in a renewed creation where the beauties we have created and the justice we have pursued carry over with us and are perfected with us in this new creation.
He concludes with a word for the person willing to explore Christianity further, commending further reading, participating in Christian community, seeking the counsel of a thoughtful Christian about one's questions, and finally, reading the Bible itself.
What I most appreciated about this book is Skeel's approach of lifting the "case for Christianity" out of the realm of philosophical argument and evidence-based discussion. These have their place but what Skeel does is explore the large and complex canvas of life and his contention that Christianity in fact has the greatest capacity to cope with the complexity of that canvas.
An interesting back story to this book is that it was discussed and edited with the help of an atheist post-doctoral student, Patrick Arsenault, who is mentioned in the Acknowledgments. The story of this dialogue was covered in a recent New York Times . My only critique is the thought that it would have been interesting to see the dialogue between the two more directly reflected in this book, which is only in Skeel's voice. Otherwise, I found this an account that by turn was thought-provoking, eloquent, and tenderly human in its exploration of life's big complexities and the life of faith.
Many people consider that Christians are "simple minded" and that anything that is complex or poses intellectual challenges is problematic to the Christian believer. David Skeel takes an approach that is different from the very logical appeals of many apologists who appeal to cosmological arguments and arguments from design to demonstrate the case for Christian faith. Skeel argues that Christianity's explanatory power to deal with the intangibles and paradoxes of the world as we actually experience it is greater than the materialist explanations that are the major alternative on offer
Following his introduction where he lays out this basic premise, he discusses five aspects of life for which this is so:
1. Ideas and our Idea Making Capacity. Our idea of a cosmos ordered by God is far more than evolutionary survival alone warrants. He observes the interesting phenomenon of the unreasonable usefulness of mathematics, where equations end up mapping the physical world. There is also in this the challenging question for a true religion of articulating ideals of universal applicability and transformative power that transcends the world of particulars and difference. Skeel argues that the testimony of Christians from every culture is powerful argument for its capacity to handle this kind of complexity.
2. Beauty and the Arts. Skeel contends that the appreciation of beauty and art as an accidental consequence of evolution is profoundly dissatisfying. Beauty points beyond the world, which often also has a certain ugliness, a sense of the world not being as it should. Christianity deals with the complexity of world not as its supposed to be and our longing for and sense of beauty.
3. Suffering and Sensation. No where do we have a greater sense of a world not as it ought to be than in our experience of pain and suffering. Yet materialist explanations simply say that suffering is. Here, Skeel writes touchingly of his friend Bill Stuntz, with whom he planned to write this book, and Bill's struggle with terminal colon cancer. He concludes the chapter with Stuntz's words of God's longing for the sufferer: "God is the Lover who will not rest until his arms enfold the beloved. . . .So I have found in the midst of pain and heartache and cancer" (p. 107).
4. The Justice Paradox. David Skeel is a lawyer and here he observes that every society creates a justice system to bring about a more just social order--and all fail in varying degrees. Marxists thought they would eliminate greed when the working class gained control. After Civil Wars, Constitutional Amendments and Civil Rights legislation, racism remains a reality in America. Christian faith understands the limits of law to deal with human imperfection, that law serves best with a "light touch" and that reconciliation in Christ may accomplish what law cannot in the fabric of human relationships.
5. Life and Afterlife. Here Skeel explores both our longing and disdain for heaven. True Christian hope brings earth and heaven together in a renewed creation where the beauties we have created and the justice we have pursued carry over with us and are perfected with us in this new creation.
He concludes with a word for the person willing to explore Christianity further, commending further reading, participating in Christian community, seeking the counsel of a thoughtful Christian about one's questions, and finally, reading the Bible itself.
What I most appreciated about this book is Skeel's approach of lifting the "case for Christianity" out of the realm of philosophical argument and evidence-based discussion. These have their place but what Skeel does is explore the large and complex canvas of life and his contention that Christianity in fact has the greatest capacity to cope with the complexity of that canvas.
An interesting back story to this book is that it was discussed and edited with the help of an atheist post-doctoral student, Patrick Arsenault, who is mentioned in the Acknowledgments. The story of this dialogue was covered in a recent New York Times . My only critique is the thought that it would have been interesting to see the dialogue between the two more directly reflected in this book, which is only in Skeel's voice. Otherwise, I found this an account that by turn was thought-provoking, eloquent, and tenderly human in its exploration of life's big complexities and the life of faith.
April 23, 2015
"True Paradox" by David Skeel is a sort of pre-apologetics apologetic. Instead of delving deeply into philosophical arguments, Skeel looks briefly at 5 different issues and simply asks which religion/worldview has the most explanatory power. In other words, what makes the most sense of reality? Looking at human thought and our idea-making ability, our response to beauty and the arts, suffering, justice systems, and the afterlife, Skeel clearly shows that Christianity is more reasonable than other world religions, but particularly materialism--the reigning paradigm in the West.
Skeel's focus does not seek a definitive, courtroom type of proof for Christianity; indeed he argues this approach is often counterproductive and sets the wrong expectations. So while it lacks some of the intellectual sucker punches that other books use to demolish atheism (etc.), the tone is very reasonable and engaging.
Skeel's focus does not seek a definitive, courtroom type of proof for Christianity; indeed he argues this approach is often counterproductive and sets the wrong expectations. So while it lacks some of the intellectual sucker punches that other books use to demolish atheism (etc.), the tone is very reasonable and engaging.
Want to read
August 15, 2017Louis Markos reviews it .
September 17, 2014
This one is different, but fun. When I think of apologetics, I generally think of logical arguments to prove the existence of God. Skeel is a lawyer, so he doesn’t think in straight lines. He dances around unexpected topics, letting us build a feeling about the truth of Christianity rather than bludgeoning us with hokey evidence.
It’s apologetics with a twist. Soft arguments in contrast to hard science or logic. I like it.
The two topics which most intrigued me were (1) the mystery of beauty and (2) the paradox of justice. The discussion of both was interesting and engaging, if not fully convincing. His goal is not only to defeat materialism but to lift Christianity above other religions as the best fit, and I didn’t quite get there. Yes, Christianity matches our observations of the world, but the fact that Christianity built its belief systems around observations should hardly surprise us. (The universe is beautiful, so a good God must have made it. The world’s justice systems are lacking, so a good God will one day swoop in and make everything right.) Nevertheless, Skeel’s approach leaves us feeling hopeful that something magnificent is behind life on earth, even if we haven’t figured it all out yet.
Skeel is a different kind of Christian than I am; I felt that immediately. He writes often of what “Christians believe� (not this Christian, David) and seems to use the word “faith� in a different manner than I do. This leads to a discussion about heaven in the closing chapter which felt like it just didn’t belong. But again, I realize as I come to the close of the book that I’m not supposed to be drawing equations, but feeling. Skeel is right about this: it feels like there must be more to life than birth and death and purposeless pain in between. There has to be more.
Intervarsity Press, © 2014, 175 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8308-3676-5
It’s apologetics with a twist. Soft arguments in contrast to hard science or logic. I like it.
The two topics which most intrigued me were (1) the mystery of beauty and (2) the paradox of justice. The discussion of both was interesting and engaging, if not fully convincing. His goal is not only to defeat materialism but to lift Christianity above other religions as the best fit, and I didn’t quite get there. Yes, Christianity matches our observations of the world, but the fact that Christianity built its belief systems around observations should hardly surprise us. (The universe is beautiful, so a good God must have made it. The world’s justice systems are lacking, so a good God will one day swoop in and make everything right.) Nevertheless, Skeel’s approach leaves us feeling hopeful that something magnificent is behind life on earth, even if we haven’t figured it all out yet.
Skeel is a different kind of Christian than I am; I felt that immediately. He writes often of what “Christians believe� (not this Christian, David) and seems to use the word “faith� in a different manner than I do. This leads to a discussion about heaven in the closing chapter which felt like it just didn’t belong. But again, I realize as I come to the close of the book that I’m not supposed to be drawing equations, but feeling. Skeel is right about this: it feels like there must be more to life than birth and death and purposeless pain in between. There has to be more.
Intervarsity Press, © 2014, 175 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8308-3676-5
November 4, 2015
I bought this book excited to see how the author would compare Christianity to other worldviews (religions and philosophies) across a range of vital topics. I was sorely disappointed and cannot recommend this book.
Among the several problems I had with this book:
Throughout, Skeel misses opportunities to draw substantive distinctions between Christianity and other worldviews; and often he simply omits a worldview completely (or, oddly, keeps hanging on worldviews that no one today subscribes to, such as Gnosticism). For example, Islam is mentioned very few times in the book, as is Judaism, and I only counted one mention of Hinduism and no mentions of Buddhism. Nothing on Chinese worldviews like Confucianism or Taoism. How can this be in a book that has the premise of comparing Christianity to other religions and worldviews? (I thought I may have misunderstood the purpose of the book, so I went to re-read the Introduction, and here it is: "We will find, I think, that Christianity is considerably more plausible (and materialism and other systems of thought somewhat less) than you may think." OK; so we *will* compare and contrast.)
In other places Skeel relies too heavily on C.S. Lewis, for me. But I have to say, I'm not a huge C.S. Lewis fan. He is OK, but when a book like this relies so heavily on one other Christian author, I question how widely read that original author is. In other places Skeel sets up and knocks down a current popular Christian philosopher--William Lane Craig, whom he does not name by name in the book but merely in an endnote--by cherry picking from.the full body of Craig's work. (Odd, I thought, when in other portions of the book he's name dropping current thought leaders left and right. I have read Dr. Craig's book Reasonable Faith. I have watched a large number of his debates and lectures and also listened to several of his podcasts. I think Craig would say--and I am saying--that Skeel misrepresents Craig's work on the Kalam cosmological argument. Do a search with google on "Kalam cosmological argument" to see for yourself.)
And in other places Skeel brings up a topic as if to help it support his thought, but then he simply lets it hang. This happens time and time again. Very frustrating.
Other substantial issues I had with this book:
The chapter Suffering and Sensation has no discussion on Buddhism's approach to suffering. None. Astonishing. Did Skeel think not one of his readers ever heard of the Buddha's teaching on human suffering? How can you hope to claim Christianity has a better explanation for suffering than other worldviews when you don't compare it to those other worldviews that *do* have an explanation for the very thing you're talking about?
I found the section "The Problem of Evil" in this chapter to be criminally inadequate. Skeel writes: "In the end, I do not think Christianity can give a complete explanation of *why* there is suffering and evil in the world." (p. 94). I almost dropped the book right there and stopped reading. Of course Christianity provides a complete explanation of why there is suffering and evil in the world. There is suffering and evil in this world because of Satan and because we are not fighting against flesh and blood "but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). There.
Another mistake I think Skeel makes is that he relies heavily on the Old Testament book Job to try to make sense of suffering in the world. I've known other Christians and non-Christians cite Job, too, to grapple with the concept of human suffering. To me, this is like relying on ground-based telescopes to view the sky when the Hubble Space Telescope is now available. In other words: Why rely on the Old Testament when the New Testament now prevails? At best this is immature, at worst, it is misguided and misleading.
In the chapter The Justice Paradox there is no discussion of Islam. Well, there is one mention if you consider actually naming the religion by name and leaving it there. I'm completely baffled by this, unless Skeel was afraid of addressing the concept of justice in Islam. For anyone who is interested, simply google "Justice in Islam" and you'll find many good source materials for study. It will blow your mind. It's a shame Skeel didn't take the opportunity to address this in his book. He had/has a platform, and he didn't take up the fight.
The author attempts to tackle some enormous topics in five chapters: Ideas and Idea Making, Beauty and the Arts, Suffering and Sensation, The Justice Paradox, and Life and Afterlife.
In the chapter The Justice Paradox he never defines the term "justice" or "just society". I'm widely read so I understand what he is getting at, but I don't think the average reader will. That's a shame. The other shame is that Skeel seems to project his personal beliefs about the law (obviously, he's a lawyer by trade) and its uses onto all of Christendom. If you're not a careful reader with a broad understanding of history and philosophy, you'll be easily misled.
In addition, to state that Jesus' trial was a failure of two legal systems is to be blind to the fact that it was a triumph of Jesus' purpose here on earth.
Skeel rightly mentions a Christian influence on the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights (but to what extent is left to your own research and study). But, here again, Skeel makes no mention of Muslim country's objecting to the Judeo-Christian basis of the Declaration and, indeed, the 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, which affirmed Islamic sharia law as its sole source. Anyone can look this up using a google search. Why wouldn't Skeel include it in this book? Again, Skeel had a platform but refused to use it to teach about the distinct differences between Christianity and Islam.
I admit that I merely skimmed the final chapter on heaven. Up to this point I found Skeel's work so full of missing information, missed opportunities, and outright errors from scripture that I didn't want to do a word-by-word reading to find even more. I might go back and review; might not.
This is the kind of book that happens when you're not well-versed (or, worse, ill-versed) in your source materials. I won't give this book a 1-star rating because Skeel does pose some fascinating questions, and also there are some truths here, they're just buried and you'll need a very keen and discerning eye and mind and spirit to tease them out. To me, in the end, the ride wasn't worth it.
PS: In several points in the book Skeel bemoans the fact that there are no/few Christian artists in various public forums espousing the truths of Christianity from their perspective. I couldn't agree more. I'm a Christian, and a poet and novelist. I'd welcome the opportunity to share with a wider audience my artistic worldview. :)
Did not like
2/5 on Amazon
1/5 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ
July 19, 2017
I rate this for what it is, not an end-all, be-all work of apologetics, but instead a work of pre-apologetics, or pre-evangelism. Skeel, a law professor, simply shows that Christianity makes sense of the complexities of life. Christianity explains what other worldviews, such materialistic naturalism, have a hard time explaining. My favorite chapter is probably the one on beauty. Skeel notes that we all long for beauty, yet when we observe beauty, we often have an accompanying feeling of sadness, and that is because beauty is fleeting. We can't hang on to it. But why do we want something that we can't have, at least not permanently? "This perception that beauty is real and that it reflects the universe as it is meant to be, but that it is impermanent and somehow corrupted, is the paradox of beauty." Any atheistic view of the world cannot explain this paradox. But Christianity can, because it explains that we were made to know God, who is beautiful and the source of all beauty, but that we also live in a fallen world, one that is corrupted, one whose beauty isn't permanent, one in which we find decay.
I think this would be a wonderful book to give to non-Christians to give them a taste of the explanatory power of the Christian worldview. It's not a slam-dunk case for Christ. And that's fine. It might be enough to make someone interested in learning whether Christianity is true because, upon reading of how Christianity makes sense of life, that person may want Christianity to be true.
(Finished reading on April 16, 2015.)
I think this would be a wonderful book to give to non-Christians to give them a taste of the explanatory power of the Christian worldview. It's not a slam-dunk case for Christ. And that's fine. It might be enough to make someone interested in learning whether Christianity is true because, upon reading of how Christianity makes sense of life, that person may want Christianity to be true.
(Finished reading on April 16, 2015.)
March 1, 2020
The author sets out to not defend Christianity, but to positively show that the Christian Worldview as seen from the perspective of the Bible makes the most sense out of the complex world that we live in. This has always been the most compelling reality about Christianity to me. No other system of thought gives a more balanced explanation of the why the world is the way it is and why we are the way we are. This is an excellent resource to introduce these ideas, which the author admits is his goal in the book. Some way not appreciate how brief the author is in introducing the other systems of thought, but this should not be to the discredit of this work because he admits as much and offers many resource to explore the ideas in greater detail.
The most interesting topic covered was humans capability of ideas and idea making that has confounded many materialist. The most powerful chapter was The Justice Paradox. This book is a short read and definitely worth the time!
The most interesting topic covered was humans capability of ideas and idea making that has confounded many materialist. The most powerful chapter was The Justice Paradox. This book is a short read and definitely worth the time!
March 12, 2019
University of Pennsylvania Law professor David Skeel gives a different style of an apologetic for Christianity. His approach is one of presenting the ideas of Christianity rather than any rational explanation of it. It was full of great insights. His chapter on justice was especially fascinating. It was brief (that’s why the 3 stars) and it appears to only make an effort to begin a conversation or spark some questions. It’s a quick read and is worth your time.
I do believe his approach to apologetics is much more helpful than a rational approach, although he does build up a little bit of a straw man with the William Lane Craig figures in modern times.
I do believe his approach to apologetics is much more helpful than a rational approach, although he does build up a little bit of a straw man with the William Lane Craig figures in modern times.
June 25, 2023
The three-star rating is more due to my familiarity with the discussion. Many of the books David drew on and cited I’ve been able to dive into over the years, and thus the book felt too subtle and high-level most of the time. Certainly a good book, though, and a good fit for those first beginning this kind of conversation, whether Christian or not. This book sets the framework for conversations that ought to be happening more often, inside and outside of the church. I’m grateful for David’s work.
January 15, 2024
David Skeel is a law professor. The thesis of his book is that many of the world's explanations for humanity's deepest and most precious experiences are too simple - and that Christianity's account best dignifies our experience.
The chapter on the paradox of justice - that we continue to hope for justice yet consistently find that expressions of law fall short - was stand out (and nudged the overall rating up to four stars). The author's expertise and deep reflections on the value and limits to law were excellent. I'd recommend it to everyone. The rest of the book was mixed in value.
The chapter on the paradox of justice - that we continue to hope for justice yet consistently find that expressions of law fall short - was stand out (and nudged the overall rating up to four stars). The author's expertise and deep reflections on the value and limits to law were excellent. I'd recommend it to everyone. The rest of the book was mixed in value.
May 6, 2020
Skeel covers a lot of ground and touches on a number of theological and philosophical discussions, but never goes too deep on any of them. The result is a book that manages to feel like an actual paradox: thought-out, but also incomplete. The lack of substantial supporting research means most readers likely won’t be swayed one way or the other. This is a quick read that didn’t leave much impression on me, despite the inherent significance of the subject matter.
December 3, 2020
Simultaneously accessible and intellectually rich. Skeel does a great job laying out the basic philosophical questions that define major schools of thought (both religious and non-religious) then undertakes to describe how each system fails or succeeds at answering these questions. It’s apologetics for nerds.
A great read for those who like CS Lewis or Tim Keller.
A great read for those who like CS Lewis or Tim Keller.
March 18, 2021
This is the one of the more honest, up front apologetics books I’ve read. He examines various elements of belief/challenges to belief and evaluates whether Christianity addresses it well or not (sometimes not). I really enjoyed this and have been looking for a book like this for a long time.
December 30, 2023
Written by a legal scholar who is a Christian, this book looks at how Christianity's paradoxes can make sense of many paradoxical aspects of the world. I thought the author did a good job of explaining complex ideas in relatively simple language that would be of interest to the lay reader.
January 23, 2024
A decent pre-apologetics book setting out how Christianity can better align to our often nuanced and complex intuitions on areas from justice to beauty and suffering. Nothing groundbreaking but helpful introduction into some of these themes.
August 25, 2017
Overall felt like he made too many plain assertions rather than backing up his ideas with examples and proofs.
May 6, 2018
just interesting, and OK
December 5, 2018
This book makes a good case that Christianity accounts for our experience of complexity by way of paradox.
March 4, 2017
David Skeel's book is an attempt to look at different "paradoxes"—realities of the world we experience like beauty, morality, and suffering—and help explain them in the context of the Christian faith. The questions are authentic questions, and Skeel does them justice by not attempting to settle for easy answers or provide criticisms rooted in a straw man.
Indeed, one of the marks of this book is the respectful, collegial tone that it sets. It attempts to engage with difficult questions that are often lodged at Christianity in good faith, and does so with a winsome attitude as he attempts to provide answers. This isn't a book that attempts to provide radically new perspectives on these questions, but he does speak in a lucid form that will resonate with many readers.
Indeed, one of the marks of this book is the respectful, collegial tone that it sets. It attempts to engage with difficult questions that are often lodged at Christianity in good faith, and does so with a winsome attitude as he attempts to provide answers. This isn't a book that attempts to provide radically new perspectives on these questions, but he does speak in a lucid form that will resonate with many readers.
July 12, 2015
I rather liked this book.
The primary reason I am a Christian is because it is the only religious system (and 'religious' for me covers a lot of ground)I know of whose mode of thought is based on paradox. Christianity answers all the big questions paradoxically. Philosophically, it is very sophisticated; psychologically, it is very adult. One reason I have a hard time reading most atheist writers and pontificators is that they don't deal with paradox at all. Many of them don't seem even to realize it is a thing to deal with. So a book that approaches the Faith from a standpoint of paradox is a real joy for me.
Skeel did not write the perfect book. He starts out of a line of thought and, though he always deals with what he begins, he sometimes doesn't go far enough with his thinking, and sometimes doesn't seem to notice even deeper levels of paradox and sophistication in the areas he deals with. But although I say this book is not perfect, I am happy to report that it is very good.
He begins by stating that he wants to talk about complexity and how Christianity is well-suited to explain the real complexity of the universe we live in. I appreciate this. I cringe when I hear Christians say, "Christianity is so simple, even a four year old can understand everything perfectly!" I believe that the person who first said that had a meaningful, necessary point to make and the statement was completely true, but now, after so many repetitions by so many people who seem to think it is the final word, it has become garbage. Christianity, since it deals with God, Life the Universe, and Everything, is infinitely complex, and it although -- since it is so complex -- it is well-suited to persons who can understand only a simple thing, it is large enough for the greatest human mind to grasp only a tiny part of. Its explanations and big picture describe the world as it is very well, and no good service is done by denying that complexity.
He addresses five areas of paradox:
1. Our ability to form ideas;
2. Beauty;
3. Suffering;
4. Justice;
5. Our hope for an afterlife.
When he talks about beauty and justice, he focuses on the paradoxes inherent in the fact that we humans even care about such things in the first place. Good work. As a law professor, he especially enjoys dealing with our attitudes toward justice and various paradoxes involved, things I would never have thought of.
I wish he had dealt with this paradox: If the materialists are right, then the world and all in it is essentially meaningless. If that is the case, O Materialist, then what is my reason for listening to you? The internal logic of their argument seems to say that they shouldn't bother making the argument in the first place, or I shouldn't waste my energy paying attention to them.
I recommend it for anyone who has a hint of how philosophically satisfying the Christian Faith really is, or for somebody who doesn't but would like to catch a glimpse. The book offers only a glimpse, but it is a good glimpse.
The primary reason I am a Christian is because it is the only religious system (and 'religious' for me covers a lot of ground)I know of whose mode of thought is based on paradox. Christianity answers all the big questions paradoxically. Philosophically, it is very sophisticated; psychologically, it is very adult. One reason I have a hard time reading most atheist writers and pontificators is that they don't deal with paradox at all. Many of them don't seem even to realize it is a thing to deal with. So a book that approaches the Faith from a standpoint of paradox is a real joy for me.
Skeel did not write the perfect book. He starts out of a line of thought and, though he always deals with what he begins, he sometimes doesn't go far enough with his thinking, and sometimes doesn't seem to notice even deeper levels of paradox and sophistication in the areas he deals with. But although I say this book is not perfect, I am happy to report that it is very good.
He begins by stating that he wants to talk about complexity and how Christianity is well-suited to explain the real complexity of the universe we live in. I appreciate this. I cringe when I hear Christians say, "Christianity is so simple, even a four year old can understand everything perfectly!" I believe that the person who first said that had a meaningful, necessary point to make and the statement was completely true, but now, after so many repetitions by so many people who seem to think it is the final word, it has become garbage. Christianity, since it deals with God, Life the Universe, and Everything, is infinitely complex, and it although -- since it is so complex -- it is well-suited to persons who can understand only a simple thing, it is large enough for the greatest human mind to grasp only a tiny part of. Its explanations and big picture describe the world as it is very well, and no good service is done by denying that complexity.
He addresses five areas of paradox:
1. Our ability to form ideas;
2. Beauty;
3. Suffering;
4. Justice;
5. Our hope for an afterlife.
When he talks about beauty and justice, he focuses on the paradoxes inherent in the fact that we humans even care about such things in the first place. Good work. As a law professor, he especially enjoys dealing with our attitudes toward justice and various paradoxes involved, things I would never have thought of.
I wish he had dealt with this paradox: If the materialists are right, then the world and all in it is essentially meaningless. If that is the case, O Materialist, then what is my reason for listening to you? The internal logic of their argument seems to say that they shouldn't bother making the argument in the first place, or I shouldn't waste my energy paying attention to them.
I recommend it for anyone who has a hint of how philosophically satisfying the Christian Faith really is, or for somebody who doesn't but would like to catch a glimpse. The book offers only a glimpse, but it is a good glimpse.
July 5, 2015
Overall, Skeel offers a great defense of Christianity. He looks at many of the postmodern objections to the faith and offers convincing reasons as to why we should commit to following Jesus. Of particular insight was the section on Ideas and Idea Making, in which Skeel discusses the human mind and how it has the ability to process, think, and challenge ideas. He rightly pointed out that materialists have a hard time coming up for an evolutionary reason for this development in humanity. Besides covering this topic, Skeel also considers how the arts and appreciation for beauty show support for a divine figure. Then he explores the paradox of suffering, looking closely at God's gift of Christ in the midst of suffering. Of particularly importance in this chapter are the two biographies of terminally ill individuals he considers. Following this Skeel considers the need for justice in our world and how we cannot, under any human system, reach complete justice for all peoples. Only through the grace and love of Jesus Christ can true justice be realized. The final chapter deals with the afterlife. This is where the largest flaw in this text comes. Skeel deals beautifully with heaven and the longing for heaven in the human heart. But for some reason he does not deal with the theology of hell. One of the primary rejections that many humanists and materialists have for Christianity is that they cannot comprehend how an all loving God can even conceive of something like hell. Skeel should have discussed this and at least looked at some of the dominate theological approaches to hell and eternal separation from God.
October 15, 2014
This fresh entry into discussions among Christians and atheists asks questions that neither group is paying much attention to but which could be illuminating. Three topics in particular animate Skeel's discussion--Where does out idea-making capacity (consciousness) come from? How is it that we are able to appreciate and desire beauty? Why do we all have a sense of what justice is? As a lawyer he especially has interesting insights into the legal system.
Another plus for this book is the very respectful and appreciative way he interacts with other worldviews. He emphasizes the strengths of pantheism, stoicism, Islam, naturalism and other viewpoints and is honest when Christianity seems weak, even though on the whole he thinks Christianity has more to offer. Very refreshing. (Disclosure: I work for the publisher.)
Another plus for this book is the very respectful and appreciative way he interacts with other worldviews. He emphasizes the strengths of pantheism, stoicism, Islam, naturalism and other viewpoints and is honest when Christianity seems weak, even though on the whole he thinks Christianity has more to offer. Very refreshing. (Disclosure: I work for the publisher.)
July 8, 2015
My experience has been that Christian apologetics books suck. They're cheesy, support bad arguments, and rely on rhetorical ploys that make sense to believers but not to anyone else.
This book doesn't take shortcuts. Skeel addresses tough issues head-on (apply directly to the forehead) and discusses how Christianity compares vis-Ã -vis other religions.
I found it to be a candid, refreshing approach to apologetics, but I suspect it will resonate with the same type of people who love reading law review articles by Ivy League law professors. If that isn't you, you may find this to be a little cerebral and theoretical.
This book doesn't take shortcuts. Skeel addresses tough issues head-on (apply directly to the forehead) and discusses how Christianity compares vis-Ã -vis other religions.
I found it to be a candid, refreshing approach to apologetics, but I suspect it will resonate with the same type of people who love reading law review articles by Ivy League law professors. If that isn't you, you may find this to be a little cerebral and theoretical.
March 5, 2015
A wonderful defense of Christianity based on Christian theology's ability to explain some of our deepest longings (why do we tend to intuitively feel as though there are higher ideals of justice, when the world often feels like such an unjust place? How can we explain beauty?)
Imagine "Mere Christianity" if CS Lews was a corporate law professor. The writing/argumentation reflects the author's legal background. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it, and it certainly appealed to my way of thinking.
Imagine "Mere Christianity" if CS Lews was a corporate law professor. The writing/argumentation reflects the author's legal background. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it, and it certainly appealed to my way of thinking.
July 29, 2015
This book is good for discussion. It seems to have been written for people who are less familiar with Christianity. It is written by a lawyer who became a Christian later in life, which I think is a plus for those who are looking into Christianity or new to it. His writing style is very academic, but still a pretty easy read. He looks at materialism, pantheism, and Christianity and how they compare. It's an interesting read, but he doesn't bring up anything I didn't learn in college.
April 19, 2016
This is a very good book. Mr. Skeel makes a very good case for the plausibility of the Christian faith in how we experience our being-in-the-world. He cogently demonstrates that historic Christian faith has good answers to the perplexing questions in life. His tone is irenic and balanced. There is not a shred of dogmatism nor relativism.
May 1, 2015
Good, readable book arguing that the Christian faith makes the most sense of the world. Comparable to Bill Edgar's The Face of Truth.
June 30, 2015
I wasn't impressed. Kept waiting for the interesting part. It never came. Didn't learn anything new or interesting.
May 23, 2015
The chapter on the paradox of justice was pure gold.
December 22, 2015
No stronger argument against Christianity than reading smart people try to intellectually defend it
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