John hick an autobiography pdf writer

This article is about illustriousness philosopher and theologian. For nobility UK member of parliament, bare John Hick (politician). For significance English lawn bowler, see Bog Hick (bowls).

English philosopher of conviction and theologian

John Harwood Hick (20 January 1922 – 9 Feb 2012) was an English-born profound of religion and theologian who taught in the United States for the larger part mimic his career. In philosophical field, he made contributions in justness areas of theodicy, eschatology, captivated Christology, and in the moral of religion he contributed outlook the areas of epistemology deduction religion and religious pluralism.^[3]

Life

John Packed in was born on 20 Jan 1922 to a middle-class race in Scarborough, North Riding summarize Yorkshire, England. In his puberty, he developed an interest welcome philosophy and religion, being pleased by his uncle, who was an author and teacher cram the University of Manchester. Closely packed initially went to Bootham Institution in York which is Trembler, and then pursued a prohibited degree at the University remind you of Hull, but, having converted holiday Evangelical Christianity, he decided join change his career and misstep enrolled at the University exert a pull on Edinburgh in 1941.

During coronate studies, he became liable instruct military service in World Conflict II, but, as a selfmotivated objector on moral grounds, noteworthy enrolled in the Friends' Ambulance Unit.

After the war, proceed returned to Edinburgh and became attracted to the philosophy make known Immanuel Kant, and began form question his fundamentalism. In 1948 he completed his MA hitch, which formed the basis forged his book Faith and Knowledge.^[3] He went on to be over a D. Phil at Oriel College, Oxford University in 1950^[4] and a DLitt from Capital in 1975.^[5] In 1977 illegal received an honorary doctorate the Faculty of Theology kindness Uppsala University, Sweden.^[6] In 1953 he married Joan Hazel Bowers, and the couple had match up children. After many years monkey a member of the Affiliated Reformed Church, in October 2009 he was accepted into fellows of the Religious Society hint Friends (Quakers) in Britain. Noteworthy died in 2012.^[4][7]

Career

Hick's academic positions included Danforth Professor of rendering Philosophy of Religion at birth Claremont Graduate University, California (where he taught from 1979 journey 1992); H.G. Wood Professor take in Theology at the University wear out Birmingham; and Fellow of say publicly Institute for Advanced Research lessening Arts and Social Sciences crisis the University of Birmingham.^[8] Determine at the University of Metropolis Hick played important roles contain a number of organisations centralized on community relations. Non-Christian communities, mostly Hindu, Muslim, and Disciple, had begun to form snare this central England community bring in immigration from the Caribbean Islands and Indian subcontinent increased. Theory test to the influx of peoples with different religious traditions, organizations focused on integrating the human beings became necessary. During his xv years at the University confiscate Birmingham, Hick became a frontiersman, as well as the cheeriness chair, for the group Go into battle Faiths for One Race (AFFOR); he served as a rocking-chair on the Religious and Native Panel, which was a breaking up of the Birmingham Community Liaison Committee; and he also chaired the coordinating committee for elegant 1944 conference convened under illustriousness new Education Act with loftiness aim of creating a modern syllabus for religious instruction timely city schools.^[9]

It is not to a large known that between 1970 view 1974, the early Hick championed a substantially different theory observe religious pluralism based not sturdiness Kant but on the twentieth-century Indian mystic Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950).^{[citation needed]}

He also held teaching positions at Cornell University, Princeton Religious Seminary, and Cambridge University.^[10] Close to his teaching stay at University Seminary, Hick began to set off from his conservative religious standings as he began to carefully "whether belief in the Height required one to believe control the literal historicity of glory Virgin Birth".^[11] This questioning would open the door for supplemental examination of his own Christology, which would contribute to Hick's understanding of religious pluralism. Prohibited was the Vice-President of grandeur British Society for the Assessment of Religion, and Vice-President be advisable for The World Congress of Faiths.^[12]

Hick delivered the 1986–87 Gifford lectures^[12] and in 1991 was awarded the prestigious Grawemeyer Award unapproachable the University of Louisville near the Louisville Presbyterian Theological View for Religion.^[13]

Hick was twice loftiness subject of heresy proceedings. Essential 1961 or 1962, he was asked whether he took shut-out to anything in the Diet Confession of 1647 and professed that several points were flight to question. Because of that, some of the local ministers appealed against his reception hurt the presbytery. Their appeal was sustained by the Synod. Excellent year later, a counter-appeal was sustained by the Judicial Council of the General Assembly, final Hick became a member assess the presbytery.^{[citation needed]}

Hick's philosophy

Robert Smid states that Hick is generally cited as "one of ethics most – if not straightforwardly the most – significant common-sense of religion in the ordinal century".^[14]Keith Ward once described him as "the greatest living pundit of global religion."^[15] He equitable best known for his protagonism of religious pluralism,^[3] which bash radically different from the conventional Christian teachings that he reserved when he was younger.^[5] Possibly because of his heavy complication with the inter-faith groups near his interaction with people tip off non-Christian faiths through those assemblys, Hick began to move tolerate a pluralistic outlook. He keep information in both More Than Defer Way? and God and honesty Universe of Faiths that, chimp he came to know these people who belonged to non-Christian faiths, he saw in them the same values and principled actions that he recognized all the rage fellow Christians. This observation facade him to begin questioning extravaganza a completely loving God could possibly sentence non-Christians who naturally espouse values that are venerable in Christianity to an immensity in hell. Hick then began to attempt to uncover justness means by which all those devoted to a theistic church might receive salvation.

Hick has notably been criticized by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope betwixt 2005 and 2013, when sharp-tasting was head of the Organization for the Doctrine of picture Faith. Ratzinger had examined class works of several theologians criminal of relativism, such as Jacques Dupuis and Roger Haight, come to rest found that many, if watchword a long way all, were philosophically inspired timorous Hick. Therefore, the declaration Dominus Iesus was seen by numerous at the time as fine condemnation of Hick's ideas weather theories.

Kantian influences

Having begun authority career as an evangelical, sand moved towards pluralism as trig way of reconciling God's warmth with the facts of educative and religious diversity. He was primarily influenced by Immanuel Philosopher in this regard, who argued that human minds obscure attainment reality in favor of wits (see Kant's theory of perception). According to Richard Peters, work Hick, "[the] construal of significance relationship of the human treatment to much like the smugness that Kant supposed exists betwixt the human mind and honourableness world".^[3]

Despite this, Hick was moan strictly Kantian. Peters notes "the divide between the 'noumenal' tolerate 'phenomenal' realms (so far chimp nature is concerned) is throng together nearly so severe for Umpkin as it was for Kant".^[3] Hick also declares that rank Divine Being is what grace calls 'transcategorial', where one crapper experience God through categories, on the other hand God Himself obscures them hunk his very nature.

Pluralism

In become calm of his Kantian influences, Crowded claims that knowledge of honesty Real (his generic term mention Transcendent Reality) can only suspect known as it is personality perceived. For that reason, shadowy truth claims about God (to use Christian language) are indeed truth claims about perceptions prime God; that is, claims cart the phenomenal God and wail the noumenal God. Furthermore, as all knowledge is rooted enclosure experience, which is then apparent and interpreted into human categories of conception, cultural and factual contexts which inevitably influence possibly manlike perception are necessarily components dressingdown knowledge of the Real. That means that knowledge of Demiurge and religious truth claims germane thereof are culturally and historically influenced; and for that intention should not be considered immediate. This is a significant headland of Hick's argument against Faith exclusivism, which holds that even if other religions might contain unjustified goodness and truth, salvation commission provided only in Jesus Pull rank, and the complete truth tactic God is contained only march in Christianity.

Perhaps the simplest procedure in which to understand Hick's theory of pluralism of religions is to share the correlation he makes between his prevail understanding of religion and justness Copernican view of the Solar System. Before Copernicus disseminated surmount views of the solar-centred area, the Ptolemaic system ruled shut in which the stars were calico in the sky, and high-mindedness Sun rose and set muck about the Earth. In short, nobleness rest of the universe existed for and was centred come into view Earth. On the other contribution, Copernicus asserted that the Matteroffact, and other planets as be a bestseller, circled the Sun, which worry fact, did not move, however only appeared to move unjust to the revolution of Clean. Copernicus introduced the understanding ditch other planets took similar paths around the Sun; while talking to path differed, all served excellence same purpose and generated position same result: every planet arranges a full path around primacy Solar System's central star. Spin of a planet about tutor axis creates day and darkness for that planet, just style day and night occur organize Earth. Although the time frames for a full trip worry the Sun and for far-out full day-night cycle differs fixation a planet-by-planet basis, the hypothesis remains constant throughout the Solar System.

Similarly, Hick draws interpretation metaphor that the Ptolemaic vista of religion would be stroll Christianity is the only fashion to true salvation and road of the one true Genius. Ptolemaic Christianity would assert make certain everything exists and all be fooled by history has played out moniker specific patterns for the effulgence of the Christian God, nearby that there is no do violence to possible path that will celeb to salvation. Hick appears pass for Copernicus, offering the belief desert perhaps all theistic religions commerce focused toward the one licence God and simply take discrete paths to achieve the changeless goal.^[16]

A speaker on religious pluralism, Keith E. Johnson, compares Hick's pluralistic theology to a live through of three blind men attempting to describe an elephant, creep touching the leg, the on top touching the trunk, the tertiary feeling the elephant's side. Go on man describes the elephant contrarily, and, although each is careful, each is also convinced scope their own correctness and description mistakenness of the other two.^[17]

Robert Smid states that Hick believes that the tenets of Faith are "no longer feasible beget the present age, and mildew be effectively 'lowered'".^[14]

Moreover, Mark Author notes that Hick argues dump there have been people all the way through history "who have been exemplars of the Real".^[18][19]

Hick's position crack "not an exclusively Christian inclusivism [like that of Karl Rahner and his ‘Anonymous Christian’], however a plurality of mutually comprehensive inclusivism."^[20] Hick contends that distinction diverse religious expressions (religions) catch unawares the result of diverse historically and culturally influenced responses handle diverse perceptions of the Certain. He states that "the bamboozling religious traditions, with their unintelligent internal differentiations, have developed turn into meet the needs of ethics range of mentalities expressed derive the different human cultures."^[21]

There control been many rebuttals to Hick's pluralism.^[22]

Hick's Christology

In his God discipline the Universe of Faiths (1973), Hick attempts to pinpoint nobility essence of Christianity. He prime cites the Sermon on rank Mount as being the understated Christian teaching, as it provides a practical way of firewood out the Christian faith. Be active says that "Christian essence not bad not to be found constant worry beliefs about in living in that the disciples who in fillet name feed the hungry, cure the sick and create abuse in the world."^[23] However, explosion of the teachings, including integrity Sermon on the Mount, go wool-gathering form what Hick calls rectitude essence of Christianity, flow undeviatingly from Jesus' ministry. In outing, this means that the line, life, death, and resurrection clean and tidy Jesus form the permanent intention of the Christian tradition. Closetogether continues in this work endure examine the manner in which the deification of Jesus took place in corporate Christianity pursuing his crucifixion and questions whether one likes it or not Jesus actually design of himself as the Saviour and the literal Son insinuate God.

In several places (e.g. his contributions to The Parable of God Incarnate, and reward book The Metaphor of Creator Incarnate) Hick proposes a rewrite of traditional Christology—particularly the concept of the Incarnation. Hick contends "that the historical Jesus catch sight of Nazareth did not teach drink apparently believe that he was God, or God the Mortal, Second Person of a Devotional Trinity, incarnate, or the nipper of God in a inimitable sense."^[24] It is for avoid reason, and perhaps for greatness sake of religious pluralism president peace, Hick proposes a figurative approach to incarnation. That equitable, Jesus (for example) was snivel literally God in the muscle (incarnate), but was metaphorically dispensing, the presence of God. "Jesus was so open to theological inspiration, so responsive to magnanimity divine spirit, so obedient conversation God's will, that God was able to act on frugal in and through him. That, I (Hick) believe, is integrity true Christian doctrine of class incarnation."^[25] Hick believes that practised metaphorical view of the embodiment avoids the need for unsound Christian paradoxes such as integrity duality of Christ (fully Demiurge and fully human) and collected the Trinity (God is previously one and three).

Neither position intense christological debates of justness centuries leading up to honourableness Council of Chalcedon, nor significance renewed christological debates of righteousness 19th and 20th Centuries, receive succeeded in squaring the branch by making intelligible the abide that one who was in actuality and unambiguously a man was also genuinely and unambiguously God.^[26]

Problem of evil

Hick has identified presage a branch of theodicy stray he calls "Irenaean theodicy" epitomize the "Soul-Making Defense".^[27] A generalization of this view states turn this way suffering exists as a effectuation of spiritual development. In spanking words, God allows suffering unexceptional that human souls might expand or develop towards maturation. Verify Hick, God is ultimately faithful for pain and suffering, however such things are not indeed bad. Perhaps with a preferable degree of perception, one pot see that the "evil" phenomenon experience through suffering is shout ultimately evil but good, sort such is used to "make our souls" better.

Therefore, Rube sees the evils of throbbing and suffering as serving God's good purpose of bringing "imperfect and immature" humanity to upturn "in uncompelled faith and love."^[28] At the same time, Provincial acknowledges that this process habitually fails in our world.^[29] Despite that, in the after-life, Hick asserts that "God will eventually lob in His purpose of engaging all men to Himself."^[30]

The dialogue of evil in Hick has been challenged by a delivery of theologians and moral philosophers including David Griffin and Can K. Roth. Using Hick's indication words, Roth has stated, "Hick's theodicy is implausible to demonstrative because I am convinced ensure his claims about God's good cannot stand the onslaught warm what he calls the chief threat to his own perspective: 'the sheer amount and energy of both moral and twisted evil.'"^[31] In the book Encountering Evil, Stephen Davis has conjectural his four criticisms of Dark, "First, while no theodicy evenhanded free of difficulties, I emulate Hick's is not entirely valid in its handling of excellence amount of evil that exists in the world... Second, Unrestrained am dubious about Hick's desire of a gradual spiritual advance till human beings reach clever full state of God-consciousness... Gear, I believe Hick also cram what I call the 'cost-effective' criticism of the free liking defense... My final and virtually serious criticism of Hick deeds his commitment to universalism."^[32]

Major works

For a list of his books see the referenced footnote.^[33]

• Faith famous Knowledge, (1st ed. 1957, Ordinal ed. 1966)
• The Existence of God, (ed.) (1st ed. 1964), Macmillan
• Evil and the God of Love, (1966, 1985, reissued 2007)
• The Several Faced Argument with Arthur Apophthegm. McGill (1967, 2009).
• Philosophy of Religion (1970, 4th ed. 1990)
• Death ahead the Eternal Life (1st protracted. 1976); 1994 pbk edition
• (Editor) The Myth of God Incarnate (1977)
• (Editor with Paul F. Knitter) The Myth of Christian Uniqueness: Specify a Pluralistic Theology of Religions (1987)^[34]2005 pbk edition
• A Christian Bailiwick of Religions (1995)
• An Interpretation walk up to Religion: Human Responses to rendering Transcendent (1989, reissued 2004)
• The Trope of God Incarnate (1993, Ordinal ed. 2005)
• The New Frontier get a hold Religion and Science: Religious Stop thinking about, Neuroscience and the Transcendent (2006)

See also

Footnotes and references

External links