The Fifth Dimension: An Exploration of the Spiritual Realm

by John Harwood Hick

Drawing on mystical and religious traditions ancient and modern, and spiritual thinkers as diverse as Julian of Norwich and Mahatma Gandhi, The Fifth Dimension is John Hick’s eloquent argument for a more complete reality, in which a fifth, spiritual dimension plays a central role. Taking into account recent global crises - including the 9/11 attacks and war in Iraq - Hick addresses a variety of timeless issues, from the validity of religious experience to the science versus religion debate.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Theology, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Science

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Hick work! The philosopher of religion cogently argues that while the dominant and accepted worldview most accepted by educated folk today, the naturalistic one, is reasonable, the alternative--a supranaturalist one--is just as reasonable. In many ways it's more appealing. Pluralism and unity, east and west approaches to the world: it's all great fun for me, culminating in bios of "saints," folks who haven't merely gone to the mystical mountaintops of experience but live out their consequences in lives of love and service; and in a summary of the great faith myths in which we can chose to find meaning in our own lives. Well done. I'll read, and reread, more Hick's works now, for sure!

[Jaime Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I have given this book five stars, I must state that I am not comfortable with John Hick's philosophy of religion. I believe his pluralist hypothesis does injustice to the various religions that we find.
By using the mystical tradition, he alienates himself from the vast majority of religious adherents who follow unique doctrines and rituals. Furthermore, it is important to note that the mystics Hick refers to remain within their respective traditions--one even moved from Judaism to Buddhism. So even though Hick uses mystics to support his pluralist hypothesis, none of them would actually ascribe to it.
Hick's pluralist hypothesis wants to claim "anything goes and everyone's in", but what that leads to is "nothing goes and no one is in". Hick's book claims to give cosmic optimism, but instead only leads to cosmic vapidity.
Finally, Hick is attempting to enter the science and religious discourse by giving reason to reject pure naturalism. But by placing Reality beyond religious and scientific reach (Reality is benign and trans-categorical), Hick misses his opportunity to engage fruitfully with science. He does not address natural evil (theodicy), creation theories such as Big Bang, eschatological theories such as Big Crunch or universal heat death, divine action and natural law theories such as quantum mechanics and chaos theory, and Grand Unified Theories (the Theory of Everything/String theory).
I am aware of Hick's desire for universal salvation, but I can't help asking "Salvation from what? And by whom? And to where?" These are the questions that people look to religion for answers. But Hick's only response would be that we don't need to know the answers to these questions; we just need to know how to live today--love your neighbor as yourself. But if that's all I need to know, then I don't need the fifth dimension to do that. I can just use my own biological impulses (evolutionary development of altruism), and if that doesn't work there is always the impulse of moral/societal laws and their ability to punish. Hick's pluralist hypothesis fails.

[Mats Winther · Rating 2 out of 5]

John Hick (“The Fifth Dimension: An Exploration of the Spiritual Realm”) adopts a pluralist perspective according to which all religions are “true myths”. Religious dogmas should not be absolutized as infallible, as they are all culturally determined expressions of the transcategorial and ineffable reality that is the “fifth dimension”. Thus, they are all different human responses to the same ultimate transcendent reality. Nevertheless, because he views myths as mere “expanded metaphors” he rejects the view that they, through their symbolic content, can express deep truths that cannot be expressed in any other way (ch. 26). How, then, can they express the ineffable? It is a glaring self-contradiction!

The transcategorial ultimate reality, in itself beyond the scope of our human conceptual systems, is central to Hick’s theology. But the transcendent as radical alterity is a view that stems from Eastern mysticism. Most Western theologians, such as Thomas Aquinas, reject this view of the divine. After all, it is a contradiction in terms, to say: “I know that the divine is unknowable!” Despite the fact that he relies on the mystical theologies of Adavaita Vedanta and such greats as Pseudo-Dionysius and Meister Eckhart, Hick concludes that union with God is merely a metaphorically unitive state in which self-concern of the ego has been transcended (ch. 17).

According to the mythic perspective, Jesus as truly God and truly man is only a metaphor, as he was really only a greatly gifted man. Hick hopes that liberal-progressive Christianity can reconfigure itself to this “religiously realistic” view (ch. 26). The practical function of religion lies in promoting spiritual growth (ch. 10). Religion fulfils an ethical function: “What we need to know is how to live here and now. And it is noticeable that whereas the metaphysical questions about which we can only speculate divide the religions, their basic moral principles unite them” (ch. 25). As I see it, Hick tries to convince Christianity to commit suicide. Despite all, I give the book two stars, because it is well-informed and pleasant to read.

[Rasmus Tillander · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fifth Dimension on viisas kirja, vaikka en sen kanssa kaikesta ole samaa mieltä. Hick ajattelee, että nykyisten maailmanuskontojen takana on ajatus kosmisesta positiviisuudesta, jonka hän tiivistää Juliana Norwichilaiselta lainaamaansa "Kaikki kääntyy hyväksi ja kaikki kääntyy hyväksi ja kaikenlaiset asiat kääntyvät hyväksi" -ajatukseen. Tämän näkemyksen pohjalta Hick esittelee suurten uskontojen erilaisia yhteyksiä ja pyrkii kehittelemään ihmiskunnan yhteisen uskonnon ideaa. Monia pohdintoja herättävä ja aika lähestyttävä teos vaikka ehkä itse en olisi tarvinnut ihan niiiiin paljon esimerkkejä.

[Larry Hiday · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to know what many others believe. Author seems to have a grasp of the basics of world religions. Disappointed in the lack of clear logic in some of the author’s philosophical conclusions, specifically regarding the world religion that I’m most familiar with. Rather unrewarding concluding chapter.

[James Chappell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rambling and frankly boring first few parts almost wrecked the book, but the three chapters devoted to Gandhi, and the one on myth saved it from mediocrity. Not one of Hick's best, and while his pluralist hypothesis could be true, his own argument was to messy to succeed.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book pretty much sums up the central idea around which my spirituality orbits -- that religion is a mortal attempt to define and describe ubiquitious divine phenomena for which is has no language. I loved it.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book with an interesting discussion of spiritualism. This book compares different religions as well as different spiritual experiences. It allows for a thoughtful discussion on spiritualism and faith.