OFF THE SHELF BELIEF Edited by Francis S. Collins HarperOne Reviewed by David O’Hara Nearly a millennium ago, St. Anselm of Canterbury wrote his famous Proslogion, in which he argued that God’s existence is self-evident. Anselm’s book has met with mixed reviews in the intervening centuries, but the reviewers often miss something important because they think Anselm was trying to reason his way into faith. I think it’s the other way around: He already had faith (after all, he begins the book with a prayer), and now he was trying to help his head catch up with his heart. His book is an example of fides quaerens intellectum — faith seeking understanding. Francis Collins’ new book, Belief: Readings on the Reason for Faith, is an example of why that distinction matters so much. Collins has compiled 32 short readings from great writers across the ages, all of which give reasons for belief. This book is not so much a tool to talk you into believing as a nutritious and
enjoyable read for those who either already believe or are seriously contemplating belief. It may seem strange to have Collins make this compilation, since he’s a scientist, not a philosopher or theologian, and Collins humbly acknowledges this peculiarity. Readers who are looking for philosophical or theological rigor should probably look for it elsewhere. This is definitely not a textbook, nor is it a book that tries to take into consideration all the possible arguments against God’s existence. That may sound like harsh criticism, but I think that Collins’ book is nevertheless quite good, taken in the right way. Like Anselm’s Proslogion, Collins’ Belief arises out of his own attempt to help his powerful mind catch up to the faith that has been growing in his heart. Collins gets full marks for his selections and organization, because the result is a book that is easy to read but still intellectually stimulating. It includes a selection from Anselm, and also the passage from Augustine that Anselm was almost certainly modifying when he wrote Proslogion. In addition to ancient and medieval writers, he includes some fine passages from contemporary theologians like Keith Ward and N.T.Wright, and some well-chosen chapters from a number of non-Christians as well, including Plato, Elie Weisel, and the Dalai Lama. I was especially pleased to see that Collins included some women’s voices in the book, including a terrific passage from Madeleine L’Engle. Collins identifies three aims in writing this book: to strengthen evangelical minds; to be entertaining and helpful for all sorts of thoughtful people; and to “engage” the “New Atheists.” As they say, “Two outa three ain’t bad.” From my perspective Belief will do the first two very well, but I’m not so sure about the third — for a number of reasons, but mostly because I don’t think PRISM 2010
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many of the “New Atheists” are listening to arguments. What a book like this can do well is help those who are already listening to listen better. Like Anselm’s Proslogion, this book will be misunderstood if it is taken to be a sledgehammer that can crumble atheism, but it will be well received by all who are looking to become better, more faithful thinkers in the company of those who, like Anselm of Canterbury, have trod that road before them. Q David O’Hara (ohara@augie.edu) is a Jane and Charles Zaloudek Research Fellow and the director of the Philosophy Program at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S. Dak.
WHY JESUS CROSSED THE ROAD By Bruce Main SaltRiver Reviewed by Mae Elise Cannon When I first read the subtitle — Learning to Follow the Unconventional Travel Itinerary of a First-Century Carpenter and His Ragtag Group of Friends as They Hop Fences, Cross Borders, and Generally Go Where Most People Don’t — I suspected this book was going to be a Christian version of Chicken Soup for the Soul. But with its numerous tales of unidealized personal encounters with the urban poor, Why Jesus Crossed the Road turned out to be more like a hot beef stew — a nourishing reminder of God’s desire for his children to take risks, step out of our comfort zones, and engage in the world around us. To do this, Main taps into the wisdom and resources of such diverse thinkers as existential philosopher Albert Camus,theologians NicholasWolterstorff and Miroslav Volf, and psychologist M. Scott Peck — all while rooting his ideas in meaningful relationships and real-life