The Logic of Love: Finding Faith Through the Heart-Mind Connection

Katzen, a ""recovering lawyer,"" writes his views on discovering faith from an agnostic viewpoint, dissecting the basic tenets of faith and re-examining them from every angle. He first assumes a position of nonbelief and next tries to intellectually dissuade readers from that position. According to Katzen, definitive statements about God boil down to one simple premise: defining God does not make God exist. He goes to great lengths to describe love, logic, free will and God, starting from the premise that love holds the highest value in our lives. Through short stories and poetry, Katzen introduces his arguments, then continues to refine the topic using logic and reasoning. Emotions, while beneficial, are not the foundations on which to build any reasonable faith, he says. This text addresses choosing a faith to last a lifetime, overcoming imperfection and obstacles to faith, examining competing paradigms, making the leap of faith despite past hindrances, examining the word ""Father"" for God and understanding the emotional side of believing. Katzen packs a lot of legalese into his short treatise, wallowing in semantics and rehearsing arguments that are often redundant and confusing. Logicians may appreciate this, but general readers should steer clear. (Nov.)