God Has Many Names

by John Harwood Hick

A major revolution in thinking about religion is called for in this challenging work by theologian and religious philosopher John Hick. The author persuasively argues for a true religious pluralism, respectful of the non-Christian traditions that have persisted over time--Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Theology

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 1980

Reviews

[John Martindale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hick seems to be someone who can only sing one tune, sure it is an interesting tune and there are some complexities, but it is one that raises lots of questions, many of which he indicates he'll address but never really does. In every chapter, he gravitates back to the same message, and instead of merely being able to reference it as a foundation for further thought, he fully rehashes and repeats what he has in every chapter previously. In one chapter this was understandable, for it was lecture he shared. It is interesting that every chapter ended up being like a lecture, where spent almost all his time hammering out his life message as if to a new audience.

What was the message? He thinks their needs to be a “Copernican” revolution of sorts, where instead of religions revolving around their particular revelation, be it Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, etc... it instead revolves around God. Though he doesn't use the metaphor, I think the Elephant and the blindmen expresses it well, we can liken God to the Elephant, who as a whole is unknowable, infinite, the ground of all being, the Absolution and eternal One in whom we live, move and have our being, the blind humans in the context of their presuppositions can grasp and experience something of the Divine, some will interpret it personal ways and other in non-personal ways. Once they do, they tend to make what they grabbed onto the end all and be all. Gradually, due to globalism, people learn how there are many others who claim to know God, initially there is exclusivity, a reaction that rejects every other experience of God as being wrong, but some finally some begin to let go of their bigotry and become inclusive. When we understand we cannot know God as he actually is, but only what we as finite human beings can perceive and interpret, we can recognize that maybe God has been revealing himself in all cultures, yet there has been radically different ways the finite have interpreted divine revelation. It is interesting how both Eastern and Western religions have the sense of God as the absolute, ground of all being, so possibly, at bottom when religions throughout the world refer to eternal God, the source of all being.
Now, as a proponent of religious pluralism, Hick doesn't want to allow Christianity to have a leg up above the rest—the ability to claim to have a more perfect revelation. So it is necessary for him to gut Christianity of its foundational truths claim; that God was incarnated as the God/Man Jesus, he buys into the scholarly fade (which I think is faulty and have been thoroughly debunked) that Jesus never saw himself or spoke as if he was God in the Synoptic Gospels, but it was a later development within Christianity. Hick has his reasons to believe the incarnation was a religious myth, as a necessary step to move away from religious bigotry, but I think one can embrace a more inclusive, generous form of Christianity without having to destroy the uniqueness of the Christian revelation. One could propose for example that God has revealed himself to people throughout history, and yet he actually became a man and laid down his life in history, to give us a fuller picture of the Father's embracing love. One could think that the atonement made it possible for all to be saved, holding hope for a postmortem opportunity for all. One could believe all truth is God's truth and that this can be found throughout the world in other religions, and we can be charity and learn from others.

One thing I wish Hick explored, was how if we don't have any concrete and clear divine revelation, no plumb line, no timeless immutable standard, by what basis do we, for example, declare India's caste system immoral, Islam's treatment of woman reproachable or slavery as evil.
I suppose that maybe within Hick's worldview, that since God exists, one can at least hope the standard does actually exist, that there is ultimate meaning, and value to truth, etc...(something of which Naturalist have no basis for at all). Though, it is still man gasping for it all in the dark, but I suppose one accepts that scripture is simply man's interpretation and commentary of what is perceived as divine activity, and no longer sees scripture as inerrant, immutable and timeless Truth dictated by God, we have absolutely nothing to firmly and dogmatically cling to.
Hmm... It seems one can move from the existence of God to man's innate moral sense and how thoughtful individuals throughout history have recognized some form of the golden rule. And now, using science, reason, religion, and experience, we can observe and strive for that which promotes others well-being and flourishing and be actively against those things which harm people.

[Jack R.]

While Hick never is explicit, "God Has Many Names" is essentially liberal religion cloaked under the new title of "religious pluralism." To Hick, there is one deity "The Eternal One"). Hick's general argument (which is repeated in nearly every essay of this slim collection) is thus: This deity is experienced in different ways by different cultures due to the limitations and function of our cognitive machinery. Such cultures, upon experiencing the divine, created religions in response to such experiences. These religions are responses to the divine. These religions have progressed overtime to become laudable, complete theological systems (which, following Jaspers, occurred during the "Axial Age."). Due to this philosophical-historical account, as well as the recognition of the increased interconnectivity of human beings with distinct religious traditions, one religion (particularly Christianity) can no longer proclaim its status as the one, truth faith. Through acceptance of every religion's contextual origin, and thus limited view of the truth of the Eternal One, we can forge a "global theology" that will one day allow for all humans to rely upon all the unique, diverse religious expressions of the divine so as to share in a "common human relationship to the mysterious transcendent reality which we in the West call God" (22).

Whig history, meet Whig theology. Written prior to the postmodern deluge, Hick allowance of religious pluralism does not constitute a discursive contestation of competing metanarratives or even a questioning of the ideological backgrounds behind such games as "God Talk." No, Hick believes in an objective truth, an objective reality, and that through reliance on different tools (i.e., the practice and expression of various faiths), we can approach an era of universal enlightened understanding about the divine. Where there is incompatibility between religions, or oppressive facets in particular traditions, these can be resolved through appropriation and annihilation. Taking what is good and discarding what is perceived as bad because it cut against the liberal grain.

[Rasmus Tillander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hyvä lyhyt johdanto pluralistiseen uskontoteologiaan.

John Hick on monella tapaa inspiroiva ajattelija ja lyhyt God Has Many Names on myös kaikessa suppeudessaan sellainen. Kirjassa Hick maalailee oman aikasemman uskonnonfilosofisen ja teologisen työskentelyn pohjalta mahdollista sille, että eri uskonnot nähtäisiin eri tulkintoina perimmäisestä Todellisuudesta tai Jumalasta.

Hick lainaa tässä työkalunsa pitkälti Kantilta ajatellen, että jumalallisuus todellisuus on jotain noumeenalista, jotain minkä käsitämme omien ymmäryksen kategorioidemme läpi. Tällainen teoreettinen lähestymistapa mahdollista Hickille sen, että uskonnot voivat periaatteessa olla tietyllä tapaa tosia yhtä aikaa.

Kirja on kirjoitettu kristillisestä näkökulmasta ja Hick käyttääkin useissa kohdin paljon palstatilaa pohtiakseen millaisia myönnytyksiä kristillisessä ajattelussa on tehtävä, jotta uskonnollinen pluralismi voisi olla mahdollista. Hick näki myöhäiskauden ajattelussaan esimerkiksi inkarnaation ja ylösnousemuksen tietyllä tapaa metaforisina, ja ajatteli että kristillisyys voisi "Jeesuksen seuraamisena" olla erillinen jopa näistä sangen keskeiseksi katsoituista dogmeista.

God Has Many Names on hyvä aloituspiste ja Hickin ajatukset ovat varmasti vähintään ajatuksia herättäviä. Kuitenkin kirja on auttamatta liian lyhyt, jotta tästä voisi saada tarpeeksi kokonaisvaltaista kuvaa aiheesta.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book shows that there are many paths to God, not just the way that you understand God. This book comprises a series of lectures. I think that this book may be helpful for those that may want to be more tolerant of other religions.

[Dian Mutia · Rating 4 out of 5]

terjemahan bisa dipesan di interfidei.or.id

[Clayton Tinervin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please see my review for 'Metaphor of God Incarnate'