In Depth:  Paul Helm

It has been suggested that, in a situation of great uncertainty over a vital issue, we should adopt Blaise Pascal’s strategy. Pascal famously argued that, in a situation in which it could not be proved either that God exists or that he does not exist, with the evidence for and against the question broadly speaking balanced, the rational thing to do is to gamble on his existence. If we win we shall escape judgment, and if we lose there won’t be a judgment to escape. Whereas if we gamble on his non-existence, we shall suffer punishment if we are wrong and be obliterated if we are correct, and we have a 50-50 chance of being wrong.

So, perhaps, in Pascalian fashion, in a situation of radical uncertainty, coupled with the possibly dangerous consequences of inaction, we should gamble on the global warming ‘scientific consensus’ being correct.

One of the great pleasures of reading is to come across a book which, quite unexpectedly, puts into words things that the reader believes, but which he has never thought out for himself.

A recent example of this, in my case, is the reading of Gaius Davies's 'Genius, Grief and Grace' (2nd edition, Christian Focus Publications, 2001). This book has already been favourably reviewed in EN (April 2002) by Peter Comont. But its interest and importance merit further reflection.

It is a modern paradox that the electronic revolution has not, as some predicted, heralded the 'paperless society'. It has only served to make books more popular. The permanency, portability and physical companionship of books will never be replaced by floppy disks and CD-ROMs.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the work of the Evangelical Library. Now more than 50 years old, the Library is in central London at 78a Chiltern Street, a couple of minutes' walk away from Baker Street tube station.