An Interpretation Of Religion: Human Responses To The Transcendent (humanity's Varied Response To The Transcendent)

This investigation takes full account of the findings of the social and historical sciences while offering a religious interpretation of the religions as different culturally conditioned responses to a transcendent Divine Reality. The work is based on the author's Gifford Lectures, 1986-7. It treats the principal topics in the philosophy of religion and establishes both a basis for religious affirmation today and a framework for the developing worldwide inter-faith dialogue. John Hick is the author of many books on the philosophy of religion including "Problems of Religious Pluralism", "Evil and the God of Love", "Death and Eternal Life", "God and the Universe of Faiths" and "Faith and Knowledge". Front Matter....Pages i-xv Introduction....Pages 1-17 Front Matter....Pages 18-18 The Soteriological Character of Post-Axial Religion....Pages 21-35 Salvation/Liberation as Human Transformation....Pages 36-55 The Cosmic Optimism of Post-Axial Religion....Pages 56-69 Front Matter....Pages 71-71 Ontological, Cosmological and Design Arguments....Pages 73-95 Morality, Religious Experience and Overall Probability....Pages 96-110 The Naturalistic Option....Pages 111-125 Front Matter....Pages 127-127 Natural Meaning and Experience....Pages 129-143 Ethical and Aesthetic Meaning and Experience....Pages 144-152 Religious Meaning and Experience....Pages 153-171 Religion and Reality....Pages 172-189 Contemporary Non-Realis Religion....Pages 190-209 The Rationality of Religious Belief....Pages 210-230 Front Matter....Pages 231-231 The Pluralistic Hypothesis....Pages 233-251 The Personae of the Real....Pages 252-277 The Impersonae of the Real....Pages 278-296 Front Matter....Pages 297-297 Soteriology and Ethics....Pages 299-315 The Ethical Criterion....Pages 316-342 Myth, Mystery and the Unanswered Questions....Pages 343-361 The Problem of Conflicting Truth-Claims....Pages 362-376 Front Matter....Pages 297-297 Epilogue: The Future....Pages 377-380 Back Matter....Pages 381-412 Introduction -- The Soteriological Character Of Post-axial Religion -- Salvation/liberation As Human Transformation -- The Cosmic Optimism Of Post-axial Religion -- Ontological, Cosmological And Design Arguments -- Morality, Religious Experience And Overall Probability -- The Naturalistic Option -- 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 -- The Pluralistic Hypothesis -- The Personae Of The Real -- The Impersonae Of The Real -- Soteriology And Ethics -- The Ethical Criterion -- Myth, Mystery And The Unanswered Questions -- The Problem Of Conflicting Truth-claims. John Hick. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 381-404. A new and groundbreaking investigation which takes full account of the finding of the social and historical sciences whilst offering a religious interpretation of the religions as different culturally conditioned responses to a transcendent Divine Reality. Written with great clarity and force, and with a wealth of fresh insights, this major work (based on the author's Gifford Lectures of 1986-7) treats the principal topics in the philosophy of religion and establishes both a basis for religious affirmation today and a framework for the developing world-wide inter-faith dialogue.