The Apologetics of Joy: A Case for the Existence of God from C. S. Lewis’s Argument from Desire

by Joe Puckett; Mark Linville

Publisher:

Wipf and Stock

, 2012

Overview

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 Argument from Desire 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.

Praise for The Apologetics of Joy

”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

“Puckett’s book is a rich, multifaceted exploration of the argument from desire. . . . It calls us to a recovery of joy, awe, mystery, and miracle, which ultimately directs us toward God--the true object of our deepest human longings."
--Paul Copan, author of Is God a Moral Monster?



"C. S. Lewis . . . argues that the best explanation for the human experience of joy and the accompanying longing for the transcendent and permanent is found in the Judeo-Christian creation narrative. . . . Until now, Lewis’s interesting argument has largely been neglected by apologists making a case for Christian theism. But I believe the argument from desire has a rightful place within a comprehensive, cumulative-case argument for theism, and I am delighted that Joe Puckett’s The Apologetics of Joy fills this gap by developing the argument and defending it against its detractors. The Apologetics of Joy is, to my knowledge, the first book-length treatment on Lewis’s argument, and I am happy to commend it to its readers."
--Mark Linville, contributor to The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology and coauthor and coeditor of Philosophy and the Christian Worldview

"I am delighted to see this work published. . . . You will learn much from and enjoy this book. Read it slowly and think along with Puckett on the trail of God."
--Daniel T. Primozic, author of On Merleau-Ponty

"Among the various arguments for the existence of God through the centuries, perhaps the most neglected and unknown is the argument from human desire. . . . Puckett presents the salient elements of the argument and engages the key contributors and critics. He does so with a fervency and deftness that serves to re-present this important argument for the existence of God to our age."
--Michael R. Young, co-editor of The Journal of Faith and the Academy

Product Details

• Title : The Apologetics of Joy: A Case for the Existence of God from C. S. Lewis’s Argument from Desire
• Authors:
  • Puckett, Joe, Jr.
  • Linville, Mark
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Publication Date: 2012
• ISBN: 9781621899617

About the Authors

Joe Puckett Jr. (MLitt, Faulkner University) is pulpit minister for the 16th Avenue 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.