The Spiritual Dimension
Religion, Philosophy and Human Value

Philosophy and religion are often seen as opposed, but Cottingham illustrates how they can be reconciled.

John Cottingham (Author)

9780521604970, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 15 September 2005

200 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.2 cm, 0.32 kg

'… a very recommendable book. It is rich in analysis, observations and reflections, and it is clear in argument. It is not only for professional philosophers, but for theologians and students as well. … by introducing themes close to psychology like dependency, vulnerability, personal growth and self-insight as part of the repertoire of philosophy of religion, he advances a position that is in content very similar to parts of the continental (and phenomenological) philosophy of religion, but nevertheless his is an understanding of religion firmly based in the post-Wittgensteinian, Anglo-Saxon tradition. As such, this book could be seen as a bridge-builder between different traditions and academic disciplines.' Ars Disputandi

The Spiritual Dimension offers a new model for the philosophy of religion, bringing together emotional and intellectual aspects of our human experience, and embracing practical as well as theoretical concerns. It shows how a religious worldview is best understood not as an isolated set of doctrines, but as intimately related to spiritual praxis and to the search for self-understanding and moral growth. It argues that the religious quest requires a certain emotional openness, but can be pursued without sacrificing our philosophical integrity. Touching on many important debates in contemporary philosophy and theology, but accessible to general readers, The Spiritual Dimension covers a range of central topics in the philosophy of religion, including scientific cosmology and the problem of evil; ethical theory and the objectivity of goodness; psychoanalytic thought, self-discovery and virtue; the multi-layered nature of religious discourse; and the relation between faith and evidence.

Preface
1. Religion and spirituality: from praxis to belief
2. Religion and science: theodicy in an imperfect universe
3. Religion and value: the problem of heteronomy
4. Religion and self-discovery: the interior journey
5. Religion and language: emotion, symbol and fact
6. Religion and the Enlightenment: modernist and postmodern obstacles
7. Religion and the good life: epistemic
8. Religion and pluralism: which spirituality?

Subject Areas: Philosophy of religion [HRAB], History of Western philosophy [HPC]