Interpretation of Religion

JOHN HICK

• Preface - Introduction - PART 1 PHENOMENOLOGICAL - The Soteriological Character of Post-Axial Religion - Salvation/Liberation as Human Transformation - The Cosmic Optimism of Post-Axial Religion - PART 2 THE RELIGIOUS AMBIGUITY OF THE UNIVERSE - Ontological, Cosmological and Design Arguments - Morality, Experience and Overall Probability - The Naturalistic Option - PART 3 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 4 THE PLURALISTIC HYPOTHESIS - The Pluralistic Hypothesis - The Personae of the Real - The Impersonae of the Real - PART 5 CRITERIOLOGICAL - Soteriology and Ethics - The Moral Criterion - Myths, Mysteries and the Unanswered Questions - The Problem of Conflicting Truth-Claims - Epilogue: the Future - Bibliography - Index

'This book is a unique contribution to the development of a field theory of religion. It justifies religious belief on the basis of our experience, especially religious experience, and points out the existence of resources within the major world religions to resolve the contemporary urgent problems of religious pluralism. The author's new attempt is very valuable for all world religions including Buddhism.' - Professor Masao Abe, Pacific School of Religion, California