A rambling, disappointingly undisciplined religious argument.
An attempt to prove the existence of God with both experiential and scientific evidence.
Debut author Kearns writes that he started finding evidence for the existence of God in 1980, at the age of 25. One night, while living in Florida, he says he woke to a feeling of a “very heavy weight” on top of him that he interpreted as a demon’s attempt to possess him. After two more similar experiences, Kearns says, he woke and saw the image of Jesus Christ on the cross reflected in a mirror. He interpreted this vision as a divine miracle and proof that Jesus was his savior; he says he later heard the voice of God asking him, “Whom will you follow, and / whom will you serve?” The author also provides what he considers to be “irrefutable” scientific proof of God’s existence. First, he endorses a version of the teleological argument, which avers that the world’s complexity can only be explained as the intentional creation of an intelligent being; to this end, he provides a cursory overview of contemporary science, including the Big Bang theory and thermodynamics. He also critiques evolutionary theory, concluding that it’s either poorly evidenced or essentially a hoax. These arguments emerge against the backdrop of a spiritual memoir of sorts, though Kearns insists that he didn’t want to include too much personal information. The prose is clear and accessible and communicates even complex arguments in a breezy, familiar style. However, the book lacks a tight, coherent structure, eclectically comprising poems, prayers, impassioned exhortations to trust in God, and a chart representing 61 biblical prophecies related to Jesus. While the author’s conclusions will fall short of persuasive for most, he raises neglected questions about the probative value of subjective experience as a basis for religious belief. The principal problem, though, with his endeavor to rationally defend his religious worldview is its undemanding view of verification. For example, he says that his claim of hearing God’s voice is proven, in part, by the fact that his then-roommate can verify that he told him about it. Kearns also seems convinced, in this book, that no rational person could possibly draw inferences other than his own. There’s a rich tradition in Christian philosophy of finding common ground between reason and faith, but this work furnishes a series of tendentious declarations of unearned certitude.
A rambling, disappointingly undisciplined religious argument.Pub Date: March 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5127-3279-5
Page Count: 186
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: July 8, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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