Sunday
Feb172008
Book: Escape from Reason
Sunday, February 17, 2008 at 7:12AM
Book: Escape from Reason
I read this book in a single day, which should give you a feel for its length. Nonetheless, Francis Schaeffer covers some significant ground in just a few pages.
If you've ever wondered about the evolution of philosophy over the last 8 centuries or so, this seems a tight summary. This isn't a subject I have much familiarity with, so I can't speak to its accuracy (though Schaeffer is highly respected in this area).
The main way that this process is presented is by considering - for each significant period of time - what was considered knowable, and what was in the realm of faith. This division makes all the difference to the way that the world is understood.
It's a little sad to watch the idea of God move from the realm of the un-knowable to the realm of the knowable; for people to then decide that there is no God, and then ultimately to decide that believing in the idea of God is important for a person's well-being, while at the same time knowing that there can't be a God.
Schaeffer has an easy to read style given the subject matter: I would think that anyone who's reading at an undergraduate level would have no problem with this book: it might be beyond the reach of high schoolers.
I read this book in a single day, which should give you a feel for its length. Nonetheless, Francis Schaeffer covers some significant ground in just a few pages.
If you've ever wondered about the evolution of philosophy over the last 8 centuries or so, this seems a tight summary. This isn't a subject I have much familiarity with, so I can't speak to its accuracy (though Schaeffer is highly respected in this area).
The main way that this process is presented is by considering - for each significant period of time - what was considered knowable, and what was in the realm of faith. This division makes all the difference to the way that the world is understood.
It's a little sad to watch the idea of God move from the realm of the un-knowable to the realm of the knowable; for people to then decide that there is no God, and then ultimately to decide that believing in the idea of God is important for a person's well-being, while at the same time knowing that there can't be a God.
Schaeffer has an easy to read style given the subject matter: I would think that anyone who's reading at an undergraduate level would have no problem with this book: it might be beyond the reach of high schoolers.
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Reader Comments (2)
Hi Dave, the first line of this post makes me laugh...... if i remember correctly, didn't you read the final Harry Potter book in one day?? if so, this book could really be anywhere up to a house brick in size :) michelle
I should point out that I read it in two plane trips; actually, the ones to visit you and trev... so it's not quite a housebrick.
but that's a good point.