What influences the decision to become a Christian? In the seventeenth century the famous scientist Blaise Pascal viewed this as a game, with truth our adversary. Pascal argued that we are in the game whether we like it or not. Christianity is either true or not, and we have to weigh the two alternatives. According to Pascal’s Wager we have everything to win and nothing to lose by taking a leap of faith and becoming a Christian. In this book Ola Hossjer extends Pascal’s Wager and argues that we respond to the Christian message very differently. There are three main attitudes among people: the first group follows Pascal’s advice, even if evidence before the decision is incomplete; the second group requires convincing evidence at first; and members of the third group will not become Christians regardless of evidence. Hossjer contends that the decision consists of three components: a religious disposition from birth, evidence, and a willingness to act. Although we weigh evidence and will differently, our priorities may change after a life crisis so that we either reevaluate evidence or become more positive toward Christianity. This is illustrated by a number of people who became Christians.
About the author
J. P. Moreland is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, and Director of the Center for Christian Worldview and Spiritual Formation. He has authored, edited, or contributed papers to 30 books with publishers ranging from Oxford University Press, Routledge, Wadsworth, and Prometheus to Inter Varsity and Zondervan. Among his books are Christianity and the Nature of Science, Does God Exist? (with Kai Nielsen), The Creation Hypothesis, and Philosophical Naturalism: A Critical Analysis and Body and Soul. He has also published over 30 magazine articles in such publications as Christianity Today and Christian Research Journal, and over 60 journal articles in venues such as Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, American Philosophical Quarterly, Australian Journal of Philosophy, Meta Philosophy, Pacific Philosophical Quarterly, Southern Journal of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Faith and Philosophy.
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