Works by Blaise Pascal
- Memorial
Description: On November 23, 1654, Pascal had an intense religious vision; later that night, he wrote himself a note detailing the experience. Until his death, he kept this note sewn into whichever coat he wore, and only by chance did a servant discover it. In it, Pascal claims to have had a personal encounter with Christ rather than the abstracted God of philosophy. As a result, he felt his faith reinvigorated, and he began his first major work on religion, the Provincial Letters.
Kathleen O'Bannon
CCEL Staff
- Pensées
Description:
The Pensées is simply the compelling "Thoughts" of mathematician, physicist,
and religious thinker Blaise Pascal. Originally intending to publish a book
defending Christianity, Pascal died before he could complete it. The thoughts
and ideas for his book were collected and complied, posthumously, and then
published as the Pensées. Pascal's thoughts are as powerful as they are
comprehensive. He discusses with great wonder and beauty the human condition,
the incarnation, God, the meaning of life, revelation, and the paradoxes of
Christianity. He passionately argues for the Christian faith, using both
argumentation and his famous "Wager." His ideas and arguments are sometimes
developed and intricate, at other times, abrupt and mysterious. Consequently,
the Pensées is a startling and powerful book--with each successive read,
one discovers new profound insights. Anyone curious about the Christian faith,
or simply looking for an impassioned defense of it, should look no further than
Pascal's Pensées.
Tim Perrine
CCEL Staff Writer
- Provincial Letters
