Is Belief Believable?: Reasoning About God from Plato and Aquinas to C. S. Lewis and Jordan Peterson

by Christopher Kaczor, Robert Barron (Foreword by)

Overview

Is faith just wishful thinking, or can belief in God stand up to reason? In Is Belief Believable?, Christopher Kaczor challenges the idea that faith and reason are incompatible. Drawing from philosophy, theology, and psychology, Kaczor offers clear and compelling arguments that address skepticism head-on. Whether you’re wrestling with doubts, seeking answers to life’s biggest questions, or looking to strengthen your understanding of faith, this book provides a thoughtful and accessible guide to the rational foundations of belief and the removal of obstacles to belief.

In Is Belief Believable?, Kaczor presents a bold and intellectually satisfying promise: Belief in God is not only a matter of faith; it’s a rationally defensible proposition. For anyone who has wrestled with questions of faith because of skepticism and materialism, this book offers a roadmap back to belief, especially for those challenged by the New Atheism of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. Kaczor tackles major impediments to faith and reveals their inherent contradictions, as well as explaining how philosophical reasoning is compatible with faith. From first principles to belief in the biblical God, Kaczor builds a ladder of robust arguments with insights from philosophers, theologians, and intellectuals, including:

• Aristotle’s principle of noncontradiction
• Thomas Aquinas’s five ways to prove God’s existence
• Eleonore Stump’s narrative answer to the problem of evil
• Jordan Peterson’s analysis of the psychological significance of the Bible
• C. S. Lewis’s explanation of the life of Christ as more than a myth
   

With decades of teaching experience and a rich academic background, philosophy professor Kaczor draws on his conversations with renowned thinkers like Peter Kreeft, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Jordan Peterson to craft a book that is both profound and practical. Is Belief Believable? stands apart as a must-read for anyone eager to explore the intersection of reason and revelation, offering fresh insights and timeless wisdom for those who seek to make belief more than just a matter of faith.

Whether you’re a devout Catholic, a lapsed believer, or simply someone who enjoys exploring the depths of human reason and divine mystery, this book will be a transformative read that equips you to both challenge your own doubts and confidently engage in meaningful conversations about faith and reason.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646804276
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	08/22/2025
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Christopher Kaczor is the Honorary Professor for the Renewal of Catholic Intellectual Life at Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire Institute, a professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University, and a visiting fellow at the University of Notre Dame.

Kaczor graduated from the Honors Program at Boston College and earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. A Fulbright Scholar, he completed postdoctoral work as an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation German Chancellor Fellow at the University of Cologne. He was appointed a corresponding member of Vatican City’s Pontifical Academy for Life, a fellow of the Center for Christian Thought at Biola University, and a William E. Simon Visiting Fellow in the James Madison Program at Princeton University.

Kaczor, the winner of a John Templeton Foundation grant, has published more than 120 scholarly articles and book chapters. An award-winning author of seventeen books, Kaczor has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, National Review, NPR, BBC, EWTN, ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, MSNBC, TEDx, The Today Show, and The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast.

Kaczor lives with his wife in Los Angeles, California.

Bishop Robert Barron is the bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester and the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. 

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Drawing on sources contemporary as well as classic, this book helps believers and skeptics alike think through the most important philosophical and spiritual questions of our day.” —From the foreword by Bishop Robert Barron

“Christopher Kaczor provides a compelling account of why believing in God—and the God of the Bible, revealed in Jesus Christ—makes sense. He does so by uncovering much terrain, from philosophy, science, psychology, and even contemporary figures like Jordan Peterson. Kaczor is clear and insightful, especially when engaging the objections that afflict modern man’s heart, such as the problem of evil and the apparent hiddenness of God. This book is sure to become a staple for those of faith and for those who are seeking—highly recommended!” —Andrew Swafford, author of Lunatic, Liar, or Lord: Unveiling the Truth of Catholicism with C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity

“Christopher Kaczor was one of the best students I have had at Boston College. Kaczor’s book in defense of Christianity is simple and popular, not complex and technical, and deals with all the really important issues, arguments, and objections so fairly and reasonably and clearly that the reader has to pity the poor atheist.” —Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College

“Among the virtues of this fine book are Christopher Kaczor’s clarity of expression, ability to bring a personal touch to otherwise abstract philosophical arguments, and treatment of ideas that are important and historically influential but unjustly neglected in too much contemporary apologetics.” —Edward Feser, professor of philosophy at Pasadena City College