The Provincial Letters

It was written in the 's which is why it deserves 4 stars -- he was a very deep thinker for his time and I am sure his thoughts were well discussed by those who had the wherewithal to purchase a co First off I will admit I did not read the Provincial Letters part of the book. It was written in the 's which is why it deserves 4 stars -- he was a very deep thinker for his time and I am sure his thoughts were well discussed by those who had the wherewithal to purchase a copy of his book.

Onsi rated it it was amazing Nov 26, Ilka rated it it was amazing Jan 05, Chuck rated it it was amazing Jul 06, Tika rated it really liked it Jul 02, Nathan rated it really liked it Mar 22, Evelyn Michael rated it really liked it Feb 07, Laura Trussell rated it it was amazing Nov 02, James rated it it was amazing Feb 22, Kasiek rated it really liked it Jan 03, Michael Stanfill rated it liked it Aug 02, Claudio rated it it was amazing Nov 25, Stark rated it it was amazing May 17, Randall Gwin rated it it was amazing Aug 22, Todd Ford rated it liked it Aug 01, Charlie rated it really liked it Feb 24, Ruth Rocklin rated it really liked it Jun 28, Samuel Ellemor rated it it was amazing Apr 07, Sean Strnad rated it really liked it Nov 28, Ahmad Shuhib rated it really liked it Apr 28, Tony rated it really liked it Oct 23, Frbernard Mulcahy rated it really liked it Feb 17, There are no discussion topics on this book yet.

He and Thomas Hobbes lived in Paris at the same time including the year Hobbes published his famous Leviathan Together with Pierre de Fermat , Pascal created the calculus of probabilities. A near-fatal carriage accident in November — less than eight years before his death — persuaded him to turn his intellect finally toward religion. The story goes that on the proverbial dark and stormy night, while Pascal was riding in a carriage across a bridge in a Paris suburb, a fright caused the horses to bolt, sending them over the edge. The carriage bearing Pascal survived.

Pascal took the incident as a sign and devoted himself to theology. It was at this point that he began writing a series against the Jesuits in called the Provincial Letters. Pascal is perhaps most famous for his Wager 'Pascal's Wager' , which is not as clear in his language as in this summary: The Jesuits supposedly were attempting to update the Christian doctrine to satisfy the lax morals of the modern world.

In an attempt to "widen the pipe" to heaven, the Jesuits developed "modern" church doctrine while ignoring traditional church doctrine, and the scriptures to compensate for societies lax morals. Pascal, defender of the faith, effectively ridicules their doctrines and shows their errors. A word of caution, the letters are difficult going with respect to discussions on the finer theological points of view how far we have fallen regarding knowledge of our faith.

A good introduction will orient the reader to the conflicts and provide information regarding many of the theological discussions the edition I used did not have an introduction; this one may. However, Pascal's writing is so humorous and engaging that I continued reading even when I was lost in the argument.

Bestselling Series

I am on record in another review as stating that religion should be updated to reflect our modern view of the world. However, these letters point out the danger of attempting to do that. I need to reconsider that approach. Pascal's witting style has been a major influence for most shining in irony writers, and the "Provincial Letters" - although Pascal didn't give the title - addressed to "the reverend fathers" the Jesuits are the best proof.

However, the book as published by NuVision Publications contains no comments, nor information about the background of the dispute it does have contents, nevertheless. Not even a single paragraph for Pascal's life born? It seems that the body of the letters was taken from a website there are many containing all letters and printed exactly as appeared, justified and page-numbered.

I think that the price is too high considering the work it took to be published, or the rights the publishers did not pay. So, 5-star rate for the Letters, and 1 for the book. Anyway, not everyone appreciated Pascal's humor. If you want a second opinion for Pascal, try "Men of Mathematics" by the reputable E. Bell, who wrote that "among other things which Pascal totally [sic] lacked was a sense of humor". What a bummer, eh?

See all 4 reviews.

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway. Set up a giveaway. What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? The Provincial Letters Paperback. Pensees Penguin Classics Paperback.

There's a problem loading this menu right now. Many We are typically loath to read any work from four or five hundred years ago that is heavily immersed in theological argument, firstly because there are few who could follow a close argument, and secondly, because there are few who would care.

Pascal's sister was a nun at Port-Royal, which was under fire by the Jesuits were acceding to the "heresies" of Jansenius, Bishop of Ypres. Pascal felt, and rightly so, that the Jesuits had no case: Rather, they felt threatened by the puritanical strain of the Jansenists, because it confused men and women of power and wealth who had been following the softer road to Salvation delineated by such Spanish Jesuits as Antonio Escobar y Mendoza and his numerous followers.

The first half of The Provincial Letters is brilliant journalism, consisting of interviews with unnamed Jesuits on various subjects relating to faith and morals. At times it verges on satire, to such an extent that even Voltaire felt it was brilliant. If you read only the first half, it would probably be sufficient.

There I go, sounding like one of Pascal's Jesuits. The second half, on the other hand, is a bit of a trudge and adds nothing more to what contemporary readers can get out of the book. I don't think Pascal would have approved, because one of his arguments against the Jesuits was that they condoned dueling and even murder for certain reasons. Oct 30, David Bennatan rated it liked it Shelves: As someone for whom the disputes in the book were irrelevant, I have to say that I found Pascal's methods of argument very impressive.

It's just hard to believe that the Jesuits could have been as malevolent as portrayed by the author. Even if one has no interest in religious doctrines this book is important as a historical record of what was going on in the Catholic church after the Reformation. The religious issues had religious and political importance.

It was a life and death matter if a cer As someone for whom the disputes in the book were irrelevant, I have to say that I found Pascal's methods of argument very impressive. It was a life and death matter if a certain party was condemned as heretical. I don't know if Pascal could have been in danger from the Jesuits but things could have gone bad for him in a big hurry.

It doesn't seem to have mattered to the Jesuits that his arguments were stronger than theirs.

If they could have pulled the right political levers he might have been condemned by the secular authorities as well. I'll have to look up Jansenism and see if there was a price to pay because they held different views than the established Church. It's Pascal's point that the views of theirs that he presents were orthodox but I think they did differ on some doctrine.

In any case it's interesting to read the arguments of someone who argues so well. It was impressive to see that he explicitly defends Galileo against the condemnation of the Church, though I don't know if the Church had reversed its stand on a stationary earth by the time of this work. Pascal was both a man who understood theology very thoroughly and a man of science. I think that is a good combination. Found the style of writing a challenge. Apr 20, Jim rated it it was amazing.

Pascal goes after the Jesuits, and it ain't pretty. In the end, he makes a strong case for humility and Christian unity.

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes. I tend to think that Pascal is a kindred spirit of Kierkegaard. First, they both strongly object to the academics of their time who substitute abstraction and speculation for the con Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.

• The Provincial Letters, by Blaise Pascal.
• Womble and the Double Honey Trap.
• Japan Style: Architecture + Interiors + Design.
• Morte a Pemberley (Omnibus) (Italian Edition).
• How to Play Basketball: A Guide to Getting Better By Playing Pick-up Games The Blog.
• Pensees and the Provincial Letters.

First, they both strongly object to the academics of their time who substitute abstraction and speculation for the concrete and specific moral demands of Christianity on the individual. Second, they both employ irony to great effect, following the tradition of Church Fathers such as Tertullian and Augustine.