A Christian theology of religions

by John Harwood Hick

Book Overview

Renowned theologian and philosopher of religion John Hick takes a hard look at an important intellectual problem facing Christians today: where exactly does Christianity fit into the scheme of the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0664255965
• ISBN13: 9780664255961
• Release Date: November 1995
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable and Compelling

In A Christian Theology of Religions, John Hick does not set out to make an irrefutable argument for a pluralistic approach to religion, in fact he points out where others might (and often do) disagree with his points. Instead, he attempts to present his version of religious pluralism as a valid way -- perhaps even the best way -- to understand the rainbow of faiths and traditions, given that: A) The "fruits" (think "fruits of the Spirit") of the members or followers of each religious tradition are more or less indistinguishable from each other. B) The traditional Christian conceptualization of God fails to hold up against this observation, as well as other observations and facts. After outlining his argument, and describing his hypothesis of religious pluralism, Hick proceeds to enter an engaging dialogue with two fictional characters: first with Phil who brings up philosophical criticisms, and later with Grace, who argues the theological ones. These criticisms are actual criticisms which have been raised against Hick from a wide variety of philosophers and theologians. The dialogue is conducted respectfully, and really helps flesh out Hick's pluralistic hypothesis. Finally, Hick presents his vision of how a pluralistic attitude would not only prevent the strife which has typically existed between religions, but would allow each religion to grow and learn from the others while maintaining its unique and treasured identity. Hick concludes with a series of quotes and passages from non-Christian scriptures and authors which give Christian readers a small sample of the varied and useful resources they might encounter if they adopt a pluralistic attitude and decide to "travel abroad in the spirit". I found this book to be a very enjoyable and accessible read. As a thoughtful Christian, I've been struggling with the Christian "superiority complex" for some time now, and found Hick's pluralistic hypothesis to be both helpful and compelling. I'm now more curious than ever to learn more about other world religions.

The circle of faiths around God

John Hick, a proponent of religious pluralism, has again come out with a book that tries to persuade its readers that Christianity is not *the* religion but is only one amongst many, all of which are pathways to the Transcendent Reality. In this book Hick has taken a different tack toward this goal. Instead of being didactic and scholarly, he posits and replies to questions from two fictional characters Phil and Grace, corresponding to philosophers and theologians, and argues the issues of pluralism. The result is a lively and readable dialogue that tries to anticipate and answer many of the readers' questions.As always Hick is a joy to read and his points are, needless to say, well-taken.