Didactic, Yet Sometimes Enlightening | Socrates Meets Jesus: History's Greatest Questioner Confronts the...

"Socrates" "proves" KREEFTianity | Socrates Meets Jesus: History's Greatest Questioner Confronts the Claims of Christ | Peter Kreeft

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	• Socrates Meets Jesus: History's Greatest Questioner Confronts the Claims of Christ Peter Kreeft InterVarsity Press, 2002 - 182 pages average customer review:based on 24 reviews view larger image
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Highly entertaining introduction to Christian apologetics

If I were reviewing on nothing more than entertainment value, Kreeft would get five stars and then some. I read the book in one sitting and can honestly say I was disappointed when it was finished. If, however, I were reviewing on nothing more than content and apologetical value, Kreeft would get three stars. The book starts very strongly, but the longer it goes, the more polemic and less socratic Socrates actually becomes. His glorious conversion in the last chapter leaves a lot to be discussed. The change from a questioning Socrates to a preaching Socrates is startling and almost breaks the flow of the story.

With that said, I would still recommend the book to aspiring apologists. If you've tried to pick up _Mere Christianity_ and have gotten a bit boggled, _Socrates Meets Jesus_ will probably be just what you are looking for. This, along with a bit of Lewis and Strobell, should make for good preparation for more heavyweights in the field like Craig, Moreland, Frame, and Habermas.

Given the book's introductory nature, I would only cautiously recommend it to non-Christian friends. As the reviews here have made clear, it is not a sophisticated application of the Socratic method to Christian theology. To someone even slighly educated in philosophy, that might be more of a hindrance than a help. Otherwise, don't take things too seriously and settle in for an enjoyable evening of a fun story!

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Didactic, Yet Sometimes Enlightening

Years ago, I read Kreeft's book "Between Heaven and Hell," a great idea that pitted C.S. Lewis, Aldous Huxley, and JFK against one another in debate after their untimely demises on the exact same day and year. In searching for that title, I came across "Socrates Meets Jesus."

I was surprised, even amused, by the didactic tone that reflects the 1980's Christian creative landscape. While Peretti was using angels and demons to portray spiritual ideas in fiction (not exactly a subtle approach), Kreeft worked on this title that shows a similar mindset. In other words, Kreeft uses a less sophisticated tone than he probably would've if he'd written this in our modern day. He would've relied more on deep thinking than on clever--or not so clever--wordplay, naming the university, Have-It University, instead of Harvard, and referring to another as Bussed-In, instead of Boston. These seem almost childish now, particularly in view of his serious yet readable attempt to challenge Christianity with the Socratic method of questioning.

That said, I enjoyed the book. We follow Socrates as he attends classes at Have-It, and we hear his reasoning for and against elements of the Biblical account. If you're looking for an exhaustive treatment of philosophy or theology, this is not it. If you're looking for concise and often lucid dialogue between liberal and conservative Christians, you'll find it here. There's no great delving into atheism or Darwinism, but there are passages that raise valid questions about the character of Jesus and his influence on the past two thousand years.

While Socrates "conversion" does seem somewhat sudden and easy, I do appreciate what Kreeft was trying to do here. This is a book worth mining for questions of ethics, philosophy, and religion. These questions, in keeping with the Socratic method, might have had more impact if left with possibilities still bouncing around in readers' heads instead of tacking on definitive answers from the great questioner himself. Instead, we get an entertaining, even enlightening book, that might resonate more with current readers if it were to be updated and revised.

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"Socrates" "proves" KREEFTianity

The alleged proof hinges upon the following claim: significant events must have causes that are no less significant (?!). "Therefore", since Christianity has been one of the major forces in history, the Gospels have to be true.

The first claim is too dumb for the real Socrates to utter. Suffices to think of many natural phenomena with chaotic development, e.g. weather changes, or of major events in human history strongly affected by chance, e.g. the effect of random sea wind patterns on the outcome of the naval battles at Salamis during Persian invasion of Greece.
The second claim can equally be (mis)applied to the other major religions of the world. It is akin to claiming that "the truth is whatever the majority thinks is true", since it amounts essentially to "the truth is whatever the majority (or the largest minority) has lived according to"

I would only give 1.5 stars for "philosophy" and argumentation in the book. However, I have found instructive and amusing its humorous criticism of the current trends in the academia, such as political correctness at the expense of factual correctness, fake "cool dude"-ness of the Professors, and their paranoic fear to express their own opinions.
The book also models a healthy look at the modern society from an outsider.

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Another Great one by Kreeft

This is another in a series by Kreeft that has Socrates reappearing in a modern day setting to challenge people with what they believe or why the live the way they do. So, much like his other books The Best Things In Life and The Unaborted Socrates, the names of people and places in this book are a series of puns and jokes. In this book, Socrates wakes up from what he assumed was his suicide in the 'Broadener Library at Have It University', which is supposed to be a renowned hub of learning in 'Camp Rich, Massachusetts'. Sound familiar?

It appears that he has been registered at the Have It Divinity School. The characters he interacts with are varied and interesting. The first student he meets is Bertha Broadmind, then Thomas Keptic, Professor Flatland who teaches 'Science and Religion'. Then Socrates encounters Professor Shift who teaches 'Comparative Religions'. Next Socrates encounters the claims of Christ in Professor Fesser's 'Christology' seminar. This is the purpose of the book - to have Socrates encounter the claims of Christ. The rest of the book takes place around these seminar classes.

Kreeft has a very interesting book here, in that he tries to answer the question of what would happen if Socrates of Athens were to reappear today and interact with a modern university crowd. Socrates has not changed much from dying and reappearing somewhere and some time else. He is still the ultimate questioner and his questions will challenge what people believe and why they believe.

The first time I read Kreeft's Socratic style, a book written directly as dialogue, I was not all that enthusiastic about it. But now that I have read a few books in this style, I really enjoy it. It makes the reading of philosophy very quick and painless. That, combined with Socrates method of asking questions, lets you read more serious philosophy in an easier-to-approach method.

Kreeft is known as a great scholar who specializes in apologetics (the defense of the faith), also C.S. Lewis and Socrates. This book brings together two of those passions of his academic life and highlights them in a fun, uncomplicated way. Kreeft has a knack for taking very difficult topics and making them far more approachable.

This is a great book to encounter the claims of Christ and the modern academic setting. Though a little kitschy with all the puns, that just makes it more fun and memorable.

So pick up this book and join history's greatest questioner as he confronts and challenges the claims of Christ and the modern academic environment - especially in religious schools, colleges or seminaries. My recommendation would be to give it a try even if you just want to broaden your knowledge of Christianity or to learn how to ask the right questions to get the answers you are looking for. A great scholar, Dr. Peter Frick, once said, 'Life is not about knowing all the answers but about learning to ask the right questions.' This book will help you learn how to do that. Therefore, I can only say this book is definitely a 'Love It'.

(First Published in Imprint as 'Love It' in the 'Love It / Hate It' book review column 2007-05-04.)

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What would happen if Socrates--yes, the Socrates of ancient Athens--suddenly showed up on the campus of a major university and enrolled in its divinity school?What would he think of human progress since his day?How would he react to our values? To our culture?And what would he think of Jesus?Peter Kreeft, Christian philosopher and longtime admirer of the historic Socrates, imagines the result. In this drama Socrates meets such fellow students as Bertha Broadmind, Thomas Keptic and Molly Mooney. Throughout, Kreeft weaves an intriguing web as he brings Socrates closer and closer to a meeting with Jesus. Here is a startling and provocative portrayal of reason in search of truth.In a new introduction to this revised edition, Kreeft also highlights the inspiration for this book and the key questions of truth and faith it addresses.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5