The Spiritual Dimension: a review

Mark Vernon in TPM Online reviews The Spiritual Dimension: Religion, Philosophy and Human Value by John Cottingham

Was it not Descartes who pointed out that someone needs to be in the right position to receive truth, as well as have the right arguments? Did not Hume discuss a kind of passive cognition that happens to us? In other words, to merely intellectualise about religious truth claims is, in a sense, to evade them. Any intuitive understanding needs to be tested and given shape, of course. Reason is an ally to right religion, since not any old religion will do. But as Pascal knew (though given the usual presentations of his wager you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise), reason is but a point of embarkation on the religious quest; it helps steer a course; but it cannot be the destination when what is sought is God who is not God if not unknown.