This is a philosophically profound and spiritually enlightening meditation on the ideas and ideals of two of the most compelling figures in Western consciousness. Socrates comes to us in Plato's philosophical drama called dialogue and Jesus in the story of faith revealed in the four Gospels. Gooch, who teaches philosophy at the University of Toronto, believes that both men are exemplary martyrs who refused to deny their faith. That is their witness. Both men taught by indirection and reverenced silence as the limit of language.
Gooch marvels at the tough independence of Socrates, a man who lived in quest of moral goodness. But he finds Plato's hero less human than the Jesus of the Gospels whose death draws out our empathy and passionate engagement. In a crucial chapter on obedience and creativity, Gooch meditates on the self-control of Socrates and Jesus's emptying of self in obedience to the Father. This is a profound and unusual book which illustrates how philosophical tools can be used in service of faith.