Customer Reviews

The Journey: A Spiritual Roadmap for Modern Pilgrims

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This is a great little book. It is enjoyable, imaginative and delightful. It is an allegory in the style of Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan or Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis. It follows Peter Kreeft and Socrates on a journey out of the Cave and into conscious decision-making. They are in search of true knowledge and knowledge of truth - if we can know truth. Kreeft is a professor of philosophy at Boston College, a popular lecturer and author, and this is one of his best books.

This book is written around 10 dialogues with 12 historical figures: Epicurus, Protagoras, Diogenes, Gorgia, Democritus, Thrasymachus, Xenophanes, Pharmenides, Aristotle, Moses, Joshua and C.S. Lewis. Each of these men represent a school of thought, or a philosophy that has resurfaced again and again throughout history.

Through those 10 dialogues each answer a different question and each question leads to others. They are:
1. Shall I question? Shall I go on this quest for truth at all?
2. If I question, is there hope of answers, or should I be a skeptic? Is there objective truth?
3. If there is any objective truth, is there objective truth about the meaning of life?
4. If there is an objective truth about the meaning of life, is it that life is meaningless, "vanity of vanities"?
5. If life has real meaning, is it spiritual and not merely material?
6. If it is spiritual, is it moral? Is there a real right and wrong?
7. If there is a real right and wrong, a real moral meaning, is it a religious meaning? Is there God?
8. If there is a God, is God immanent (pantheism) or transcendent (deism), everywhere or nowhere?
9. If God is both immanent and transcendent (theism, creationism), are the Jews (who first taught this idea of creation) his prophets, his mouthpiece to the world?
10. If the Jews are God's prophets, is Jesus the Messiah?

Each one of these choices is momentous and life changing. They will either lead you into relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or the rejection thereof. This book puts forward all the popular theories for why not to believe at each step along the way.

This is a great little book either to help you know why you believe what you believe or to lead you into a faith based relationship with God.

This is a wonderful little book giving a brief overview of a number of worldviews - skepticism, cynicism, nihilism, materialism, relativism, atheism, pantheism, judaism, and Christianity - seeking to show Christianity as the True worldview. The literary technique the author uses to achieve his goal is the allegory, much like John Bunyan or C.S. Lewis before him. It is a fairly quick, easy and enjoyable read. However, it is not a deep, wordy philospohical text - in fact, that is what makes the book so enjoyable and useful. Sure, there are books out there that deal with comparing and contrasting worldviews in much more detail, but those are not widely accessible to indivuduals who are just begining their journey seeking the truth. This book is a great roadmap to begin such a journey. I recomend it to one about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. It makes a great gift, especially to recent graduates.

I read this book while taking a Socratic Dialogue class with Dr. Kreeft at Boston College. He is a superb lecturer, a clear thinker, and he sets forth his ideas very well in many of his books.

"The Journey" is a summary of various proposed philosophies of life (connected to their mostly Greek progenitors) and their percieved problems. Although not recommended for detailed study of these ideas, it is meant as a "casual" summary and spurs one into much thinking about life. It is extremely fluid reading, and can be finished in one sitting. Worth reading for all but scholars of Greek philosophy.

The apparent length of this book is deceptive, and if you rush through it chances are that you will not catch most of what the author is saying throughout. This is a book that requires a lot of thinking, and is therefore not for everyone, however, if you take the time to really go through this book and understand what you are reading it truly is a marvelous, and insightful book that can help you in your journey to uncover truth. I tip my hat to Peter Kreeft.

This is a delightfully light read which is deep in meaning. Peter Kreeft makes philosophy exciting.

Unlike Kreeft's earlier dialogs, this one is written in a richer prose. Instead of just alternating statements, this book is literarily narrated by the persona on the journey. The journey is one through a plethora of worldviews by means of-of course-questioning. Each chapter deals with a different question, often a leading Socratic question which contains the answer in the question itself. Just check out this Table of Contents and I think you'll find it irresistible.

1. THE BEGINNING: To Question Or Not To Question, That Is The Question.

2. THE SKEPTIC: Is It True That There's No Truth?

3. THE CYNIC: Can't We Be Cynical About Cynicism?

4. THE NIHILIST: Is The Meaning Of Life That Life Is Meaningless?

5. THE MATERIALIST: what's The Matter With "Nothing But Matter"?

6. THE RELATIVIST: Is It Really Wrong To Think There's A Real Right And Wrong?

7. THE ATHEIST: Can There Be A Moral Law Without A Moral Lawgiver?

8. THE PANTHIEST AND THE DEIST: Is God Everywhere Or Nowhere?

9. THE JEW: Could His-Story Be A Non-Prophet Organization?

10. THE MESSIAH: Is Jesus Lord, Liar Or Lunatic?

The book also has a great Epilogue.

Enjoy!

By the way, if you click on JOHN H. MORRISON's link and look at his book reviews, it's obvious he's a narrow-minded bigot who can't see past his own naturalist presuppositions (and I accept evolution as God's handiwork).

This is a book you can give to anyone who is begining to wrestle the claims of Christianity. A wonderful, non-threatening read that is enjoyable to pick up and read as a novel. Written in the same vain as a C.S. LEwis or Tjolkien. Enjoyed thoroughly.

The Journey by Peter Kreeft is a sort of philosophical roadmap for truth seekers. This allegorical tale which is something akin to Pilgrim's Progress is a practical tool for travelers. It is a practical guide to help them choose a life philosophy. The author is quick to remind readers that every person has a philosophy. Even a "n0n-philosophy" is a philosophy! Ten questions are stated in advance by the author:

1. Shall I question? Shall I go on this quest for truth at all?

2. If I question, is there hope of answers, or should I be a skeptic? Is there objective truth?

3. If there is any objective truth, is there objective truth about the meaning of life?

4. If there is an objective truth about the meaning of life, is it that life is meaningless?

5. If life has real meaning, is it spiritual and not merely material?

6. If it is spiritual, is it moral? Is there a real right and wrong?

7. If there is a real right and wrong, a real moral meaning, is it a religious meaning? Is there a God?

8. If there is a God, is God immanent (pantheism) or transcendent (deism), everywhere or nowhere?

9. If God is both immanent and transcendent (theism, creationism) his prophets, his mouthpiece to the world?

10. If the Jews are God's prophets, is Jesus the Messiah?

Socrates accompanies the pilgrim throughout this allegorical journey. He reiterates the point made above, "Remember - you do not have a choice between some philosophy and no philosophy, only between good philosophy and bad philosophy."

The traveler encounters a wide variety of philosophers, one of which is Protagoras the Sophist. He maintains, "Truth is subjective, not objective ... Whatever you believe is true, is true for you. Man is the measure of all things." Thus Protagoras promotes the lie of relativism so prevalent in American culture.

The next traveler on the path is Diogenes who admits that there is some absolute truth. He also admits that "it is self-contradictory to say otherwise." Socrates confronts the cynicism of Diogenes by showing the futility of the "proving is believing" model.

Gorgias emerges next on the path who represents a nihilistic worldview. He summarizes his worldview: "First, nothing is really real. Second, if it were, we could not know it. Third, if we could we could not communicate it."

Next, the traveler and Socrates come face to face with Democritus the materialist (Darwin, Marx, and Freud's predecessor). Socrates makes mince meat of Democritus' arguments and "unquestioned faith." The author (who speaks through the Socratic character) clearly delineates the reason for the popularity of materialism as a worldview: "It offers exculpation from guilt ... only a self can be guilty, because only a self can be morally responsible. If we are nothing but clever apes, as Darwin says, or pawns of our economic system, as Marx says, or bundles of sex urges, as Freud says, then there is no free moral agent to blame, and no one to feel guilty. Morality becomes a myth."

The thoughtful friends continue their philosophical journey and eventually encounter the relativistic worldview of Thrasymachus. His worldview that embraces the notion that "there is no natural law of good and evil" is immediately exposed.

Xenophanes is the next philosopher to appear on the trail who magically transforms into Nietzsche, the quintessential atheist. The travelers are unimpressed with the antics of Nietzsche, so they scurry down the path.

Parmenides, who some consider to be the first philosophical pantheist appears next alongside Aristotle, the "first philosophical deist" (Kreeft compares him to John Locke and Immanuel Kant).

The travelers continue their philosophical quest and bump into Moses who quickly turns the discussion Godward! He reveals the essence of man's problem: "Sin. Rebellion against God, and his will, and his law. Sin blinds the mind. Sin makes us forget God, and his will, and his law. It makes us rationalize instead of reasoning."

Moses directs his new friend to the creative power of God: "Our God gave the universe not just its shape or its motion but its very existence. He created it out of nothing, not out of something. Matter itself is his creation, not just form."

The journey ultimately leads to the foot of three old crosses. The middle cross pointed to the "King of the Jews." C.S. Lewis appears and reveals that his responsibility is to point people to the truth. Lewis turns the attention of the traveler to the Messiah: "His claim on you is to be more than your teacher, like Socrates, and more than your prophet, like Moses. His claim is to be your God." Lewis continues his dialogue with the traveler and unpacks the gospel message in a way that is theologically correct and philosophically pleasing.

Kreeft brings the journey to an end in an epilogue that finds its culmination in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He points readers to Christ, the true source of freedom and forgiveness!

Most people would immediately turn away upon seeing some of the philosophers presented in Kreeft's book. And people are generally intimidated by emerging worldviews. However, Kreeft's work enables readers to interact with ancient worldviews that have surfaced in our culture and effectively dismantles erroneous arguments and unbiblical presuppositions. His narrative forces readers to choose between worldviews when faced with a fork in the road. As usually Kreeft's work earns high marks for creativity and clarity. The book is both educational and witty. Postmodern pilgrims (and college students) need Kreeft's book in their arsenal, especially in the difficult days ahead.

4 stars

I have several of Peter Kreeft books and not one has disappointed me. This book takes you on a journey of the different philosophies of life. Well written and witty. By the time you have finished the book, you will have dog-earred, written notes on the side and highlighted points of interest! Loved it.

This story describes a journey out of Plato's Cave (of ignorance and illusion) toward the Truth. Accompanied by Socrates, the narrator encounters a number of forks in the road. These forks tempt him with false ideas and sophistry that would divert him from the true path, and he has to resist the temptation. His choice is not very difficult to make, and he typically sees right afterwards the ugliness behind the tempting choice.

In reality, this book itself is a dangerous, tempting diversion from the search for understanding. The danger to the young reader who is just starting out his journey for understanding, is that he may read this book, and the arguments may sound so logical that he may not look further at the ideas presented as wrong temptations. Those temptations, as the author presents them, are mere strawmen opponents.

The author's dismissal of Darwin, Marx, and Freud in chapter six is a case in point. His portrayal of them is superficial, vacuous, and misleading. A much more serious representation of the temptation of Darwinism would be "How the Mind Works" by Steven Pinker, any book by Richard Dawkins, or a book by Charles Darwin himself. Not only do they make persuasive and careful arguments (unlike Peter Kreeft), but most of their arguments are correct.

In chapter six, he also supposedly proves from pure logic that there have to be moral laws. In chapter seven, on the Atheist, subtitled

"Can There Be a Moral Law Without a Moral Lawgiver?" I was expecting him to argue what the subtitle argues. It's possible that he realized how that argument would contradict chapter six, because he didn't make that argument. In fact, he abandoned all rational argument for an impressive showing of the elements (a reference to something in the Old Testament that culminates in a "still small voice"). Now, if one actually went through that, one might be persuaded that God existed.

However, it would not be amiss to wonder whether the experience was a major special-effects illusion, an epilepsy attack, or just natural phenomena.

Near the end of the book, he seems to abandon Plato's theme of underground being dark, illusion, ignorance; and above ground being light, reality, knowledge. Some of the temptations near the end appear to be precisely those he found at the start, in the cave.

The reader should seriously ask the question: is the man on his

journey following images rather than reality?