Glimpsing the Face of God: The Search for Meaning in the Universe

By Alister E. McGrath

Book Overview

Humankind has always been fascinated by the glories of the universe, whether in its microscopic detail or its vast extent. From time immemorial this has posed questions about origins, purpose and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802839800
• ISBN13: 9780802839800
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

a thoughtful read

here is a rather fascinating little work, about 130 pages, of what may be called a sort of "natural" theology. McGrath takes a look at the human mystery of seeking our place and our meaning in the face of the cosmos. He samples various thinkers and writers highlighting man's quest for understanding the ultimate, and then McGrath works around to tying it in with a Christian view of God, Christ and biblical redemption. a unique little book, very good food for thought and well worth reading, it will help raise one's thoughts towards the transcendent. as an added bonus, there are some nice pictures in it as well- who ever said philosophical learning wasn't visual as well as mental?

Good introduction

There are a great many books that are meant to serve as brief introductions to Christian apologetics. Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of them. They tend to be simplistic and contain maudlin conversion stories. So, I was quite surprised when I came across this new book by Anglican theologian Alister McGrath. This is an introductory work explaining how the various mysteries of life and the universe point to the existence of God and the truth of the Christian faith. Take for example the fact that the universe appears to be "fine tuned" for the existence of life. In addition, why is that the human mind seems capable of explaining the universe in terms of mathematical equations. The best explanation for this is the existence of a sovereign God. OK, we've heard all this before, but it's nice to see it in one place. (There is also a good section on truth, which would be effective in arguing against those who think truth is just a matter of one's perspective, class, or whatever. )Then book isn't very long and contains lots of nice, full-color pictures. I would say you could easily read it in one or two sittings. Prof. McGrath has treated these issues in more detail in his work, Intellectuals Don't Need God.