Kolakowski presents a new interpretation of a centuries-long debate in Christianity: how to reconcile the existence of evil in the world with the goodness of an omnipotent God. He approaches this paradox as an exercise in theology as well as in revisionist Christian history based on philosophical analysis. He argues that the teachings of Jansenius and Augustine reflect the very principles and spirit upon which the Church was founded, and that to reject one is to reject the other. His central thesis--that by condemning Jansenism, the Church also found a way to abandon its thousand-year adherence to the doctrines of Saint Augustine--is nothing short of a revolutionary interpretation. Kolakowski continues with an examination of Pascal, whose moral philosophy has roots in Jansenism. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.