Pascal

by Jean Steinmann, Martin Turnell (Translator)

A biographical and critical study of Blaise Pascal. "The Abbe directs the reader's attention to the main themes of his thought and expounds them: the mentality of the unbeliever, the nature of man, the use of thought, the infinite, the meaning of faith, the Bible, and Jesus Christ. He does not, hwoever, neglect the drama of Pascal's life, his gifts of mathematical discovery, his conversion, the decisive role he played in the Jansenist controversy and Port Royal, his ordeal by illness, his saintliness." (from the jacket)

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interestingly written and lively account of Pascal's life, together with a criticism of his religious and spiritual writing. His reading of the "Memorial" was particularly helpful for me. Generally, Steinmann makes the curious mixture of humor, mathematical formalism, and near-medieval spirituality in Pascal's writing explicable, and treats the controversial texts with good-natured dispassion.
"...he was able, while using the simplest words, to avoid leaving out anything of the most poignant of human dramas: tears, blood, weariness, the calamity of that dark night in which two agonies met: the agony of the Saviour and his onw." (p. 94)
"...in fact, the Pensees celebrate the union between genius and human wretchedness. Form and content harmonize and by a sort of miracle the style itself retains a living contact with sickness." (p. 226)

[Kody Dibble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting look at Pascal his life and times and his agony throughout his entire life. His dedication to God, and his challenges in the Church and more.