An Evaluation of John Hick's View regarding the Reasons for the Emergence of Different Conceptions concerning God

• Main Authors: Mohammad Reza bayat, Zeinab Amiri
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: University of Qom 2018-02-01
• Series: Pizhūhish/hā-yi Falsafī- Kalāmī
• Subjects: John Hick; the concept of God; the conception of God; Theism; pantheism; panentheism
• Online Access: http://pfk.qom.ac.ir/article_1032_1f20b0a3b376bfb0313853e1ae01865f.pdf

The present paper studies the reasons for the existence of different conceptions regarding God and the impossibility of attaining the concept of God according to John Hick, a contemporary, analytical philosopher of religion., The paper, while indicating the differentiation between the concept of God and conception of God, and basic features of different conceptions of God, based on Hick's principles, i.e. differentiation between Kant's noumen and phenomen, modern Wittgenstein's "seeing as", and the ineffability of God, shows that Kant's differentiation can only justify the differentiation between the concept of God and conception of God and cannot defend attaining the concept of God, because according to such a differentiation, there is no way to grasp the noumen of God,. Furthermore, based on modern Wittgenstein view, there is no pure experience that can enable us to talk about the concept of God; rather, we always have some conceptions of God. God's ineffability also multiplies the problem of our experience of Him and causes different conceptions of God. Finally, the paper addresses the results of Hick's view, such as his success in differentiating between the concept of God and conception of God, justifying the existence of different conceptions of God, opening the way to criticize and study Christian teachings, defending religious plurality, and his closeness to the panentheistic conception of God.