Since we can't know with absolute certainty that God exists, each of us in a sense makes a bet. If we believe in God and are right, the benefits include eternal life. If we are wrong, the downside is limited. On the other hand, we might not believe in God. If we are right, then we will have lived in line with reality. If we are wrong, however, the consequences could be eternally disastrous. This was the challenge posed by the French philosopher Blaise Pascal over three hundred years ago. But Michael Rota contends that Pascal's argument is still compelling today. Since there is much to gain (for ourselves as well as for others) and relatively little to lose, the wise decision is to seek a relationship with God and live a Christian life. Rota considers Pascal's wager and the roles of uncertainty, evidence and faith in making a commitment to God. By engaging with themes such as decision theory, the fine-tuning of the universe, divine hiddenness, the problem of evil, the historicity of the resurrection and the nature of miracles, he probes the many dynamics at work in embracing the Christian faith. In addition, Rota takes a turn not found in many books of philosophy. He looks at the actual effects of such a commitment in three recent, vivid, gripping examples-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jean Vanier and Immaculée Ilibagiza. Like Pascal, Rota leaves us with a question: What wager will we make?
"Rota, a skilled analytic philosopher, provides an engaging and compelling case for taking Pascal's wager. The precision of the points is manifest on every page. But what makes this book even more profitable is its accessible prose. Inviting, charitable, and provocative-this is the sort of book that one could heartily give to a believer, agnostic, or even an ardent atheist. A home-run for Christian apologetics."
Chad Meister, Christianity Today, The 2017 Book Awards
"The conventional wisdom is that Pascal's wager has been completely discredited: it is excessively self-interested, intellectually dishonest and stands in opposition to real faith. But Michael Rota shows that the conventional wisdom is wrong. In Taking Pascal's Wager, Rota confronts the usual objections to the wager and argues that they all miss the point. For those who say that 'more evidence' is needed before Christianity can be considered rational, Rota provides a solid response.But he also goes beyond the head and appeals to the heart. This is a book that should be read by any honest, thoughtful skeptic and that will also answer many of the questions of believers who are questioning their faith. As Rota shows, Pascal's wager can be as powerful an evangelistic tool today as it was in the seventeenth century."
