The apologetics of joy. Lewis's argument from desire, Jr. ; foreword by Mark Linville : a case for the existence of God from C.S. Lewis's argument from desire

Throughout human history the question of God's existence has been highly contentious. In his impassioned work, Joe Puckett Jr. considers C.S. Lewis's Argument from Desire to explore the relationship between mankind and God at a profound level of human experience. Puckett explains that belief in God is a natural urge, in the same way as are hunger, love and need for security. Although most human needs can be fulfilled in this material world, the inexplicable longing for something that is beyond this earth can only find satisfaction in a figure who belongs to a transcendent world. Puckett asks: why do we desire God? Nietzsche and Freud see Him as the projection of the human quest for safety. Puckett explains that this theory trivializes human souls. It does not take into account the human craving for something deeper than security, something more than anything this earth has already provided for. In an academic discussion of the many classical thinkers who have engaged with this dogmatic issue Puckett evaluates and builds upon Lewis's argument to demonstrate the truth of divine presence in the world. The author addresses his work to anyone seeking to explore the roots of their faith by considering the defence of God's existence. Joe Puckett Jr. (MLitt, Faulkner University) is pulpit minister for the 16th Ave. Church of Christ in Sterling, Illinois. He is currently working toward his PhD in Humanities from Salve Regina University in the area of the philosophy of mind. 'This is a unique piece of scholarship, the only book I know of that is wholly devoted to the most interesting argument in the world. It's clear and persuasive, and I strongly recommend it.' Peter Kreeft, author of Heaven: The Heart's Deepest Longing Dedication Contents Foreword Preface • Mark D. Linville Introduction Part 1: C. S. Lewis and the Argument from Desire 1 The Argument as Presented in Selected Works of C. S. Lewis 2 Defining “Joy” as Sehnsucht 3 Plantinga and Lewis: Balancing the Mystical and the Natural in Sehnsucht 4 A Word on the Different Forms that the Argument Can Take Part 2: Examining Beversluis’s Objections to the Argument 5 Does Lewis “Beg the Question”? 6 Does the Quality of Sehnsucht Lack Innateness? 7 If “Joy” Is So Natural and Desirable Then Why Did Lewis Run Away from It? 8 Does the Concept of Sehnsucht Contradict the Bible? 9 Why Do Some People Never Experience what C. S. Lewis Calls “Joy”? Part 3: Haunted by Desire 10 Echoes and Evidences of the Second Premise 11 Imagination and the Heart’s Deep Need for a Happy Ending 12 In the Defense of Beauty 13 Lewis, Leisure, and Sehnsucht Part 4: Concerning the Conclusion of the Argument from Desire 14 The Evolutionary Objection 15 Is there a Human Gene for Sehnsucht? Conclusion Appendix: The End of Human Desire Bibliography Among all the arguments for the existence of God there may be none more personal and intimate than C. S. Lewis’s Argument from Desire. This book attempts to explain what the Argument from Desire is and why we believe that the argument is an inductively strong one. In the spirit of C. S. Lewis, Augustine, and Pascal, this book invites both the head and the heart of the reader to consider the case for God’s existence. While many arguments look out to the external world for evidence of God’s existence, this book calls the reader to look inward to the human heart. While learning from classical thinkers (particularly C. S. Lewis) The Apologetics of Joy will bring both intuition and experience together to demonstrate the truth of divine presence in the world. The reader will walk away with either a newfound faith or a reinforced conviction that has a strong intellectual and experiential dimension. Annotation Among all the arguments for the existence of God there may be none more personal and intimate that C.S. Lewis's argument from desire. This book attempts to explain what the argument from desire is and why we believe that the argument is an inductively strong one A thorough defense of C.S. Lewis' Argument from Desire that expands and updates an often neglected argument for the existence of God.