The following comes from a November 3 Christian Newswire news release:
Father Robert Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D., uses physics, cosmology, psychology, neuroscience, NDE studies and contemporary philosophy to reveal the truth of our spiritual nature in his new book, The Soul’s Upward Yearning: Clues to Our Transcendent Nature From Experience and Reason.
Since the early 20th century, scientific materialism has so undermined our belief in the human capacity for transcendence that many people find it difficult to believe in God and the human soul. The materialist perspective has not only cast its spell on the natural sciences, psychology, philosophy and literature, it also has enthralled popular culture, which offers very little to encourage the “soul’s upward yearning.”
Ironically, the evidence for transcendence is greater today than in any other period in history. In The Soul’s Upward Yearning, Spitzer shows that we are transcendent beings with souls capable of surviving bodily death; that we are self-reflective beings aware of and able to strive toward perfect truth, love, goodness and beauty; and that we have the dignity of being created in the very image of God. If we underestimate these truths, we undervalue one another, underlive our lives and underachieve our destiny.
Dean Koontz, a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, has provided glowing praise of The Soul’s Upward Yearning: “An intellectual triumph. Those who think faith is a matter of emotion and self-delusion could not intelligently defend that position if they read this book with an open mind and comprehended its arguments. Magnificent.”
Sounds like an interesting book. But I’m curious how he uses contemporary philosophy to make his case. I’ve found modern philosophy to be underpowered in the face of scholastic metaphysics.
Father Spitzer is one of the great Jesuit thinkers whose genius can be enjoyed on EWTN. His book is doubtless as delightful as his televised presentations and proves yet again that being a Jesuit priest does not have to mean anti-Catholic, as so many automatically assume today when hearing those two words together.
Fr. Spitzer is an intellectual and spiritual gem. He knows his way around the “ologies” and “osophies.” The old saying; “lost as a Jesuit in Holy Week” does not apply to him.