Review of "Even Angels Ask" by Dr. Jeffrey Lang

I must admit that this reflection comes rather late. For years I had heard of Dr. Jeffrey Lang’s Even Angels Ask, yet only recently found the opportunity to read it. Now, having done so, I can say without hesitation that it is a profoundly enriching and intellectually invigorating work.

Though its subject lies outside mathematics, Lang approaches faith with the same rigor and precision one might expect from a scholar of Algebra and Algebraic Geometry. He raises bold, penetrating questions and pursues their answers with the meticulous care of a mathematician proving a theorem — leaving no gaps, no unstated assumptions, no fragile leaps of logic. Reading him, one feels as though one is sitting in his graduate Algebra or Algebraic Geometry classes — sensing the very clarity and discipline he must have brought to his teaching.

A central theme Lang emphasizes is Islam’s profound reliance on intellect and rational inquiry. He repeatedly asks: How can the human mind be convinced if the demands of rationality are not met? Any argument that collapses under intellectual scrutiny, or retreats into irrationality, risks being dismissed as mere delusion. Lang forcefully — and persuasively — defends the position, shared by both classical and contemporary scholars, that Islam not only accommodates reason but fundamentally requires it. Indeed, he notes that the Qur’an repeatedly censures those who refuse to use their intellect.

One of the most moving moments in the book is his conversation with his friend Grant:

“I read the Qur’an — I struggled with it, I wrestled with it, and in the end, I surrendered to it. Through reading the Qur’an, I surrendered to the only God I could know and trust.”

Lang chose the Qur’an as his direct teacher, engaging it without intermediaries and allowing it to confront his assumptions, questions, and preconceptions with complete intellectual honesty.

As he guides the reader through his journey — his doubts, his discoveries, his reconciliations — he offers a narrative that is both deeply personal and intellectually compelling. It is a remarkable work for anyone encountering Islam for the first time, and equally illuminating for those revisiting the Qur’an with fresh eyes. The book serves as a reminder that the human mind cannot rest while its rational questions remain unanswered.

In short, Even Angels Ask is a courageous, thoughtful, and rigorously argued exploration of faith — certainly a book that deserves to be read, reflected upon, and returned to.