Existential Reasons for Believing in God

Forthcoming from IVP Academic in 2010

The Wisdom of Kierkegaaard: A Collection of Quotations on Faith and Life

Wipf & Stock, 2009

Tucked away in the complicated prose that fills many of Soren Kierkegaard's books are numerous insightful declarations. They arrest the reader with their depth of understanding. They often are expressed in a lilting and lyrical manner. Encountering them makes working through the intricate prose eminently worthwhile.

The Wisdom of Kierkegaard contains two hundred fifty such passages, chosen partly because of their ability to be understood apart from their context and partly because of their ability to provoke an "Ah! That's true" response. Many of them contain a "twist" that imparts an incisive jab. Some are on themes for which Kierkegaard is well known, but many are on a variety of other significant themes. The passages are organized in alphabetical sections, which are introduced by a brief essay.

“Here Clifford Williams, who is himself a fine philosopher, has judiciously selected a host of insightful, provocative, and sometimes humorous quotations from Kierkegaard. A fine introduction to Kierkegaard's thought and a wonderful resource even for those who know Kierkegaard's writing well. Williams reminds those of us who love Kierkegaard why we continue to do so."

—C. Stephen Evans
University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities
Baylor University

The Divided Soul: A Kierkegaardian Exploration

Wipf & Stock, 2009

Soren Kierkegaard's Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing is an astute analysis of inner
dividedness. In this striking little book, Kierkegaard gently yet incisively specifies the
precise forms it takes. Like many of Kierkegaard's books, however, Purity of Heart
contains a good deal of formidable prose.

The aim of The Divided Soul: A Kierkegaardian Exploration is to make Kierkegaard's
scrutiny of our inner terrain in Purity of Heart accessible and inviting. With clear, direct
prose, Clifford Williams lays bare Kierkegaard's discerning descriptions of the tension
between a desire for goodness and resistance to goodness. Williams then reflects on
themes arising from Kierkegaard's conception of faith.

"In this beautifully written little book, full of apt illustrations, Cliff Williams has made
the riches of Kierkegaard's thought about the divided self come alive for the ordinary
reader. No one can read it without meeting him or herself again again in its pages."         
                —Robert C. Roberts, Distinguished Professor of Ethics, Baylor University

The Life of the Mind: A Christian Perspective

Baker Academic, 2002

"Clifford Williams offers just the sort of calm, insightful discussion of ‘thought’ that all students need as they begin their college careers. But because The Life of the Mind so effectively tackles truly big questions such as meaning, popular culture, death, and personal coherence, the book will be useful far beyond the classroom. For thoughtful Christian readers, this volume is a pause with true intellectual refreshment." 
    — Mark Noll, author of The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind

"Williams captures the allure of learning in fresh and revealing ways. From decades of teaching experience, he reflects on the importance of an inquiring mind and how it can contribute to the development of faith and character in our anti-intellectual culture."              — Arthur Holmes, author of The Idea of a Christian College

"While affirming the usefulness of thinking and learning for Christians, Williams dares to propose that thinking and learning also have intrinsic value, that delighting in knowing the way things are is a way of loving God with our minds, analogous to delighting in the beauty of a landscape. Such a message needs to be heard in our highly pragmatic and utilitarian American culture, including our Christian subculture." 
    — Harold Heie, director, Gordon College Center for Christian Studies

Contents

Chapter 1 Why Do We Like to Think?
Chapter 2 Is Thinking Good for Its Own Sake?
Chapter 3 The Effects of Thinking
Chapter 4 Tensions between the Life of the Mind and Christian Faith
Chapter 5 Is the Life of the Mind at Odds with Culture?
Chapter 6 The Crowd and the Community
Chapter 7 The Hermit and the Explorer

Reviews:

"To engage in the life of the mind, for Williams, is to become an intellectual explorer who feels, acts, and thinks; who ‘maximizes goodness’ (34) and demonstrates love for God. Williams is passionate about his subject, and he makes a persuasive case." 
    — Debra Mubashshir Majeed, Teaching Theology and Religion

"In less than 90 pages, professor Williams manages to take us on a tour through the excellencies of the mind, the joys of thinking and learning, what exercising of the mind does to us and how to engage in such an exhilarating life—the life of the mind. The overall purpose of the book is: ‘to explain the value that thinking and learning have for Christians. The answer: Possessing intrinsically valuable knowledge is a way of loving God’ (36-7)." 
    — Ylli Doci, Denver Journal

"The opening quote from Nathan Hatch summarizes the book by saying, ‘Our danger has not been too much thinking, but not enough.’" 
    — Charles Dunahoo, Equip for Ministry

"Williams argues against a spirituality that is mindless and for one that engages the mind as part of a balanced life." 
      — Terry L. Cross, Religious Studies Review

Personal Virtues: Introductory Essays

Palgrave-Macmillan, 2005

"Generosity of Spirit" by Joseph Kupfer
"Gratitude and Justice" by Patrick Boleyn-Fitzgerald
"Humility" by Nancy E. Snow
"The Practice of Pride" by Tara Smith
"The Cognitive Structure of Compassion" by Martha C. Nussbaum
"Reasons for Love" by Robert C. Solomon
"The Value of Hope" by Luc Bovens
"Patience and Courage" by Eamonn Callan
"Forgivingness" by Robert C. Roberts
"Trust as an Affective Attitude" by Karen Jones

One More Train to Ride: The Underground World of Modern American Hoboes

Indiana University Press, 2003

"Something in us wants to hike away from all these enormously complicated arrangements and head for the west side of town and hop an empty boxcar heading for the coast. One More Train to Ride is a memorial to that urge to roam free and to the men and women who've made that hike and taken the ride. It's . . . elegant and satisfying."  — Garrison Keillor

"One More Train to Ride is a riviting tale of the American hobo of today, drawn from intimate interviews with fourteen contemporary "knights of the road." The experiences of these men and women touch the very core of American freedom and individualism. Williams does a splendid job of capturing the words and tone of his subjects, providing a wonderful and often moving insight into the daily life and philosophy of the modern hobo."  — Errol Lincoln Uys, author of Riding the Rails: Teenagers on the Move During the Great Depression

Singleness of Heart: Restoring the Divided Soul

Eerdmans, 1994; Regent College Publishing, 2001; Wipf & Stock, 2008

A recent review by Eric Costa at "Reformation Theology": http://www.reformationtheology.com/2009/12/book_review_singleness_of_hear.php#more

Free Will and Determinism: A Dialogue

Hackett Publishing Company, 1980