The Role of Reason in Religion

Mansel has traced out the logical implications of stressing the transcendency of God. Since God is Absolute-Infinite, then his ways are past finding out. Between man’s wisdom and the truths of God there is a fixed and wide gulf. Mansel has only to pull together the strands of his logical net to prevent successfully any rational crossing of the gap. Man is left in religion with no choice but to depend upon God for a revelation. But in cutting off the possibility of rational criticism, he has also cut off the possibility of rational control. Unfortunately for this position there are many competing revelations, each as authoritative and self-authenticating as any other. Is it only the accident of birth which determines one’s true religion? So it would seem from the discussion thus far. Mansel does not wish to leave the matter thus, and he devotes the last sections of The Limits of Religious Thought to an attempt to establish a positive role for reason in religion.