Practical Theology

Practical Theology

John Hick and the Practical Aspect of Pluralism

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Abdurrazzaq Hesamifar
Professor, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Imam Khomeini International University (IKIU), Qazvin, Iran
10.22034/pt.2025.505366.1053
Abstract
One of the three basic approaches to the truthfulness and salvation of different religions is religious pluralism, according to which truthfulness is not exclusive to one religion, nor is salvation exclusive to one religion; therefore, there is not one direct path, but rather multiple direct paths to divine truth or ultimate reality. Religious pluralism can be evaluated from both theoretical and practical perspectives. From a theoretical perspective, issues such as: How can the truthfulness of a religion be proven in relation to other religions? Is there a reasonable and objective standard for assessing truthfulness and salvation of religions? If there is such a standard, which religion can be considered to have this privilege? However, from a practical perspective, attention is paid to the individual and social consequences of each approach in human life. The issue raised here and about religious pluralism is to what extent the belief in religious pluralism and its prevalence in a religious or secular society strengthens religious elements such as devotional joy in religious individuals and to what extent it promotes the participation of religious individuals in charitable social services. Also, to what extent will this approach, in comparison to the other two approaches, make the relations and relationships between religious and secular individuals peaceful. In this article, we examine some practical aspects of religious pluralism with a view to the thought of John Hick.
Keywords
Ultimate reality
religious pluralism
exclusivism
inclusivism
salvation
Subjects
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Practical Theology
Volume 1, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
February 2025
Pages 209-232