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Title: The Question of God: Library Edition by Armand, Jr Nicholi, Robert Whitfield, Armand M., Jr. Nicholi ISBN: 0-7861-9251-8 Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks Pub. Date: April, 2002 Format: Unknown Binding Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (14 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Bias in the Eye of the Beholder
Comment: I find it interesting to see such a wide assortment of takes on Nicholi's alleged bias in this book. I am of the non-believer persuasion and I thought Nicholi did a great job of keeping things very balanced, but an atheist colleague of mine, to whom I recommended the book, said he came away from the book feeling that Freud had the stronger voice in the book. So I guess what one must keep in mind is that on such a powerful topic, it is hard for any of us, whether writer or reader, to keep a straight face. Our experiences and our own opinions necessarily taint how we view the author's presentation.
Rating: 4
Summary: Okay to be biased, shameful to hide it
Comment: There seems to be a fairly even split of reviewers who see the book as being one-sided (the non-believers) and those who see it as fair and balanced (the believers). Maybe this split provides evidence in itself of the appearance of bias. I believe it is consistently and thoroughly, although subtly, biased; the shame is not in that bias exists (it always does and Nicholi acknowledges the fact once at the beginning of the book), but that the marketing presents it as being unbiased.
Unlike Nicholi, I will state my "worldview" and put a scarlet A on my shirt designating me as a non-believer for this party. All believers who prefer not to be exposed to sinful writing can go ahead and stop reading now if dissenting opinions are just a waste of your time.
The title of the book was my first clue that this was targeted toward converting non-believers...the premise being that believers don't even question their supreme being. Those with questions, not just warm-fuzzy answers, would be most likely to pick up a book bearing a title that suggests that there is even a Question of God. While reading this book, a few possible alternative titles came to mind that might be worth considering in future reprints:
* You Can Die a Happy Christian or a Sad Atheist in 21 days
* Prosyletizing for Dummies
* See Freud. See Freud Frown. Don't Be a Freud.
* How C.S. Lewis Got His Groove Back
I'll admit that 3/4 of the way through the book, after encountering several repeated passages that made me wonder if the book inspired deja vu, I went ahead and jumped to the end of the book to see who-dunnit. When I saw that Nicholi's final argument consisted of:
1. Freud didn't examine the evidence
2. Lewis examined the evidence and was converted
3. The evidence starts in the bible
4. Go read the evidence before it's too late
...I felt that I was right on target that Armand Nicholi, despite his honors, awards, and prestigious experience, was just another Christian trying to do his duty and bring others to Christ. I finished reading the last quarter of the book to see if Nicholi ever presented Freud's worldview without a caveat about how unhappy he was, but it remained consistent.
Dr. Nicholi obviously has a wealth of research presented here and has done what I trust to be a thorough presentation of what he believes represents the subjects' lives and worldviews as accurately as he perceives him. The subtle bias is throughout the book in his short conclusions and judgments of the happiness or sadness of each subject, particularly in Lewis before and after his conversion. I believe the larger bias initially resides in his choice of subjects. Are we to conclude that all nonbelievers are introverted, angry, and/or paranoid? Are all believers outgoing, happy, and successful? Is it possible that despite Nicholi's rationale of choosing Freud and Lewis to compare based on their prolific writings, especially in personal letters, that an unhappy Atheist vs. a happy used-to-be-Atheist-and-now-Christian serves as convenient playing field for the home team?
The photographs on the cover really do seem to support the bias that I interpreted in the book (i.e. Freud brooding; Lewis inviting). The classic photo of Einstein sticking out his tongue would have looked great on the right side of the cover if he had been replacing Freud as a subject.
I would still recommend this book to believers and nonbelievers; it was very entertaining, possibly because I felt like I was watching a magic show and could see the magician's hands reaching into his pocket.
Rating: 4
Summary: let the chips fall where they may.
Comment: Prior to reading this book I knew very little about Sigmund Freud, and already quite a bit about C.S. Lewis. To be honest, my initial interest in purchasing and reading the book was based on my shameless/addictive quest to own and read everything I possibly can, about LEWIS.
Having said that though, I am glad to have learned so much about Freud in the process. I think that the author does a good job of presenting the viewpoints of each man, with respect to their opinions on such topics as Creation, Conscience, Religious Conversion, Happiness, Sex, Love, Pain, and Death.
Big issues. Worthy of big, deeply felt convictions. And each man had them.
So many reviewers here have speculated that the author does not write this book from a disinterested stance, that he in fact, favors Lewis, and presents him as being a more consistent and (for lack of a better word) healthy individual. I agree that Lewis does come off as being such. But what is most important to me (as a reader of the information) is... is it TRUE? Is this slant toward Lewis as a more self-actualized person fair? Or is it fabricated? Is it manufactured? Is Lewis deliberately favored?
Hmmm...
Dr. Nicholi has studied the philosophical writings of both men for over twenty-five years, and teaches a course at Harvard based on an examination of these two worldviews. Somehow, I do not imagine this present book as some latent "hate-on" for Freud finally making itself known in printed form. It did not appear that way for me, although yes, Lewis does come across as being someone who lived a more personally fulfilled, whole life.
I believe that the quotation marks speak for themselves. This is a well-researched book, I do not feel that Dr. Nicholi is really putting words or ideas INTO the mouth and mind of either figure. Over thirty-five pages of endnotes! In my opinion, this is one of those "let the chips fall where they may" type things!
As is stated in the Prologue, the philosophical speculations (the worldviews, if you will) of these two men are not at all ambiguous. "One of them begins with the basic premise that God does not exist, the other with the premise that He does. They are, therefore, mutually exclusive - if one is right, the other must be wrong. Does it really make any difference to know which one is which? Both Freud and Lewis thought so. They spent a good portion of their lives exploring these issues, repeatedly asking the the question 'Is it true?'"
Both men are presented as having troubled childhoods... both being touched with profound losses, alienations, disillusionments, etc. One of the main things that becomes clear in this book is that one of these men discovered the possibility of transcending this pain and disconnectedness experienced in childhood, and the other, quite frankly, did not.
Neither of them were ever perfect, and neither of them were ever perfect[ed]. Both men made great contributions to the fields for which they were formally trained (English Literature / Psychology)... yet both dabbled in these philosophical areas where they each OUGHT to have been out of their depth. This is what makes them so interesting to us.
My one criticism of TQOG is that there is a bit too much repetition of previously mentioned actual stories and/or quotes. But overall, I was impressed with the wealth of information and the dovetailing of ideas. It really IS as though these dudes are debating. I agree with Peter Kreeft, who said "It is as exciting as a novel, and we must supply the ending."
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Title: The Most Reluctant Convert: C. S. Lewis's Journey to Faith by David C. Downing ISBN: 0830823115 Publisher: Intervarsity Press Pub. Date: April, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis ISBN: 0060652969 Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco Pub. Date: 05 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis ISBN: 0156870118 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 23 March, 1966 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life by Armand M. Nicholi Jr. ISBN: 0743202376 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 02 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis ISBN: 0156329301 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 29 September, 1971 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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