The Religious Sense

by Luigi Guissani

McGill-Queen’s University Press

The first in a series of three book by Monsignor Guissani, this one is essentially an argument for the existence of God from natural law and personal experience. (The other two books deal with the person of Jesus Christ and the Church.)

Guissani appeals to the head, heart, and soul as he makes his case. But I was particularly struck by many of his insights into human nature and motivation. He deals with some of the deepest issues of the heart--the need for love, despair, search for purpose and meaning-continually amazing me with his insight and ability to put profound thoughts into understandable language. For example:

"It is indeed truly superficial to repeat that religion is born of fear. Fear is not a human being’s first sentiment--it is attraction. Fear emerges only in a second moment, as a reflex to a perceived danger that this attraction may be fleeting. Attachment to being, to life, awe in front of the evidence comes first: only after this is it possible for one to fear that this evidence might vanish, that the presence might not be yours, that the attraction you feel might not be fulfilled. You do not fear losing things which do not interest you. Rather, you fear losing things which have to interest you first" p. 102.