A key part of the book is its identification of the purpose and role of logic in life. For example, Lesson 3 gives some guidelines for knowing “When it is Dumb to Argue.” In this way, some rhetorical concerns, such as audience, types and appropriateness of conversation, are woven into the book.
One criticism of the book, however, is that it does not delineate clearly or explicitly enough the role of logic in relation to Christian apologetics. This comes up especially in Lessons 6-8, in which beliefs are challenged and the book leads the reader through ways to examine, articulate, understand, and defend a particular belief.
So in Lesson 6 we read, “To understand a belief, we need to understand the reasons that point to it. We keep track of our reasons in our heads, even though we may not be aware we’re doing this.”
Lesson 7 leads us beyond stating positive reasons for a belief to examining what in epistemology are called “defeaters.” The book states, “It is not good enough to have convincing reasons for the things you believe. If you want to have a strong position, then you need to anticipate opposing arguments and prepare counter arguments.” Strictly within the realm of logical argumentation, this is certainly true. But is it more broadly applicable?
Indeed, it could lead someone to believe that it is not possible to know something or it is inappropriate to believe something unless we have explicit and expressed (and sufficiently good) reasons for doing so. This would be something akin to epistemological evidentialism or foundationalism, views the Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga has done much to combat in his series on warrant and Christian belief.
If this were the sort of role that the Bluedorns were advocating for logic and reason in the Christian life it would be very problematic. The book leaves the verdict somewhat ambiguous in my opinion, but their comments elsewhere clear up any mysteries.
“Just because someone is very intelligent and is very logical, it doesn’t mean that they have the truth,” says Hans in an interview. This gets at an appropriately circumscribed Christian view of logic and reasoning, as articulated by G. K. Chesterton, for example.
Article comments
1 - Warren
Excellent review of this book -- I'm 80% through my own copy, and have had similar reactions.
The strength of the book, I think, is that while it's geared toward a Christian audience, the principles in it are useful to anyone who wants to be a more critical thinker.