noumena: a Kantian term to describe really as it really is, unfiltered by the human mind

phenomena: a Kantian term to describe reality as it appears to us, filtered by the human mind

pluralism: the view that there are many ways to salvation through different religious traditions of which Christianity is one path

key concepts

• pluralism holds that all religions can lead to salvation, independent of jesus christ.

• pluralists believe different religions share the same ultimate goal and have value.

• religious differences are seen as cultural, with shared underlying truths.

• all religions offer paths to god, making conversion unnecessary.

• gavin d’costa links pluralism to kant’s idea that revelation is accessible through moral reason, not historical events.

• john hick’s pluralism is heavily influenced by kant.

john hick

• he contributed to theodicy, eschatology, christology, epistemology of religion, and religious pluralism.

• hick is considered one of the most significant philosophers of religion of the 20th century.

• initially an evangelical, he embraced pluralism to reconcile God’s love with religious diversity.

• his pluralism was influenced by kant’s idea that human minds obscure reality for comprehension.

• hick’s views were criticised by joseph ratzinger, later pope benedict xvi, for promoting relativism.

• the declaration dominus iesus was seen as a condemnation of hick’s theories

hick’s views

• Reflection on the solus Christus assumption (salvation only possible through faith in unique revelation of Christ) shows conflicts with Christian teaching on God’s desire to save all humanity

• it is unchristian to think that God has ordained that salvation only possible for a small minority

• Hick argues that it is God, not Christianity or Christ, that is fundamental - religions derive their salvific efficacy from their orientation towards God

• Hick proposed a theocentric rather than a Christocentric or ecclesiocentric notion of revelation (the latter two falsely dominated Christianity)

• Hick posed the question ‘how should we understand the Christian teaching of Christ as the singular self-revelation of God? The answer is that the Incarnation should be understood mythically as the expression of devotion towards God.

critiques

• Hick’s project actually ends up like that of Kant’s , in “divesting all religions of any revelatory power”. He rejects the specific tenets of different religions that makes them distinct​

• The solus Christus principle does not necessarily mean all non-Christians are damned according to inclusivists​

• In stressing God rather than Christ he introduces a God ungrounded in any particular revelation - this is mistaken as the three main monotheistic traditions have all understood their own revelations in very specific historical and cultural situations​

• The revelatory shape of God is different in three monotheistic religions and not present in eg. Buddhism - Hick’s theocentrism cannot account for this​

raimon panikkar

• panikkar was educated at a jesuit school and studied chemistry, philosophy, and theology.

• he earned doctorates in philosophy (1946), chemistry (1958), and theology (1961).

• his theology doctorate compared aquinas's philosophy with ādi śańkara's brahma sutras.

• born to an indian hindu father and spanish catholic mother, he grew up in spain and studied in india.

• inspired by christian monks living within hindu and buddhist traditions, he explored advaita (sacred unity).

• panikkar’s approach emphasised pure spirituality over intellectual reasoning.