Beyond the Wager: The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal

“I have been reading Blaise Pascal's writings as well as other contemporary writers and apologists who have discussed Pascal and his ideas for at least three decades. Beyond the Wager: The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal is one of the finest introductions to this amazing Christian thinker available. Douglas Groothuis's fine book is both substantive and accessible―a must-read for all of us contemporary Pascalians.”

“This is a stunningly good and meticulously researched yet lively look at the work of the pioneering Christian thinker Blaise Pascal. Groothuis masterfully does for a new generation what needs to be done over and over, introducing this creative mind anew to show the importance of his tremendous insights for our time, and all times.”

“Philosopher Douglas Groothuis has devoted decades to studying, teaching, and writing about Blaise Pascal, and it shows. Groothuis skillfully addresses Pascal's fascinating life, scientific achievements, theological controversies, apologetic efforts, and more. His adept presentation of Pascal's unique anthropological argument for Christianity is particularly superb. Beyond the Wager is an excellent resource for seasoned Pascal readers and those new to the compelling insights gleaned from the works of the French polymath.”

“A fine introduction to the breadth of Pascal's apologetics, Douglas Groothuis's Beyond the Wager is accessible without oversimplification and careful without pedantry. It includes intriguing discussions of little-known or overlooked arguments and ideas in Pascal's thought, such as those concerning the status of messianic prophecies as evidence for the truth of Christianity and the rational appraisal of non-Christian religions.”

“Blaise Pascal is a genius for the ages, though he's often misunderstood and sometimes maligned. Douglas Groothuis's treatment is admirable―one of the ablest philosophers of our day writing on one of the ablest of all time. No thoughtful defense of faith today can afford to avoid engagement with the brilliance and the passion of Pascal's Pensées.”