Blaise Pascal · 1 of 1

Pascal's Memorial

Introduction

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), known in his day and ours as a mathematician and scientist, was also a spiritual writer. His Provincial Letters (1656-1657) defended his Jansenist friends at Port-Royal against their Jesuit critics. His Pensées, never finished, and published posthumously in 1670, present Pascal's apologia for the Christian faith, addressed to the intelligent skeptic. This work includes his famous "wager" regarding the existence of God. Pascal's most intimate religious work is the Memorial. This scrap of paper, which records Pascal's experience on one unforgettable night in 1654, was found in the lining of his coat after his death, for he carried this reminder about with him always.