Escape From Reason

...a quick review of a book I read this week.

Escape From Reason - Francis Schaeffer, IVP

Schaeffer offers a concise yet penetrating overlook of philosophic thought from the time of Thomas Aquinas through the 20^th Century. Written in 1968, Schaeffer had such an insight into the thinking of his day that 40 years later, the things he saw are finally making their way into mainstream ways of thinking. He was writing brilliantly about postmodern thought 30 years before I ever even heard of it.

I won’t lie, this book, though short and sweet, put my intellect to the test. He moves through 750 years of philosophy at breakneck speed. He does not adequately encapsulate any of the thinkers he writes about but more shows the movement of thought through different eras. I found it to be quite helpful in understanding how the current science vs. faith debate came into being. Essentially, Schaeffer argues that for the Christian to fall into the modern (and postmodern) way of thinking about a dichotomy between reason and faith leaves us without legs to stand on in either category. It’s a very compelling yet challenging read.