An interpretation of religion : human responses to the transcendent
John Hick (Author)
This very clearly written book provides a rational justification for responding religiously to our ambiguous universe and for seeing the major world religions as different culturally conditioned forms of this reponse. It is the classic exposition of the pluralist theory of an ultimate reality which is in itself beyond the range of our human concepts but which is universally present so that we can be aware of it in the various forms made possible by our own concepts and spiritual practices. These vary among the different ways of being human that are the cultures of the earth, giving rise both to the divine personae of the monotheisms and the metaphysical impersona of the non-theistic faiths. Based on Hick's Gifford Lectures, and receiving the Grawemeyer Award for significant new thinking in religion, the first edition gave rise to many critical discussions in journals and books. In this new edition, Hick responds to the major criticisms
1 online resource (448 pages)
9780230510678, 0230510671
681923938
Preface
Introduction to the Second Edition
Introduction to the First Edition
PART I: PHENOMENOLOGICAL
The Soteriological Character of Post-Axial Religion
Salvation/Liberation as Human Transformation
The Cosmic Optimism of Post-Axial Religion
PART II: THE RELIGIOUS AMBIGUITY OF THE UNIVERSE
Ontological, Cosmological and Design Arguments
Morality, Experience and Overall Probability
The Naturalistic Option
PART III: EPISTEMOLOGICAL
Natural Meaning and Experience
Ethical and Aesthetic Meaning and Experience
Religious Meaning and Experience
Religion and Reality
Contemporary non-Realist Religion
The Rationality of Religious Belief
PART IV: THE PLURALISTIC HYPOTHESIS
The Pluralistic Hypothesis
The Personae of the Real
The Impersonae of the Real
PART V: CRITERIOLOGICAL
Soteriology and Ethics
The Moral Criterion
Myths, Mysteries and the Unanswered Questions
The Problem of Conflicting Truth-Claims
Epilogue: The Future
Bibliography
Index