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| Theologian John Hicks |
John Harwood Hick (20 January 1922 – 9 February 2012) was an English philosopher of religion and theologian, who taught in the United States for the larger part of his career. In philosophical theology, he made contributions in the areas of theodicy, eschatology, and Christology, and in the philosophy of religion he contributed to the areas of epistemology of religion and religious pluralism.
Introduction
John Hick (1922–2012) was a British philosopher of religion whose work reshaped modern theology by proposing a deeply pluralistic and ethically grounded vision of religious truth. Rooted in analytic philosophy, Hick fused Kantian epistemology, Irenaean theodicy, and global interfaith experience to build a theology that affirmed the value of all religions and the moral growth of all persons.
This document will also contrasts analytic philosophy with Process Philosophy to highlight the differences in methodology and metaphysical commitments. It will also explore how Christian theology would evolve differently if rooted not in analytic versus but in processual thought.
1. Kantian Epistemology and the “Real”
Drawing on Immanuel Kant's distinction between the noumenon (the unknowable reality-in-itself) and the phenomenon (what appears to us), Hick proposed that the divine or “Real” lies beyond all human comprehension. Religious traditions do not grasp God as God is, but as mediated through human culture, history, and experience. Thus:
Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc., are all phenomenological responses to the same noumenal “Real.”
This underlies his Pluralist Hypothesis—that no single religion has a monopoly on truth.
2. Irenaean Soul-Making Theodicy
Rejecting the Augustinian idea that humanity fell from a state of perfection, Hick advanced a vision drawn from Irenaeus: that human beings are created unfinished, with the purpose of moral and spiritual development.
Evil and suffering are not gratuitous but necessary conditions for soul-making.
God allows freedom and imperfection so that love, courage, and faith can emerge authentically.
This leads Hick to embrace universal salvation as the eventual outcome of all souls growing into divine likeness. (please refer to my past two recent posts on Universalism: part 1 and part 2, that universalism is not a guarantee but a processual hope et al.)
3. Religious Pluralism as Ethical and Philosophical Imperative
Hick saw religious diversity not as a threat but as a reflection of the many ways humans encounter the Real. Thus:
Religious exclusivism (e.g. “Only my religion is true”) becomes morally and epistemologically suspect.
Salvation is not tied to belief in specific doctrines but to the transformation of human beings into compassionate, self-giving persons. That heaven isn't the goal so much as valuative living in peace and harmony with others.
Truth is practical, not propositional - measured by ethical fruit rather than abstract creed.
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Process philosophy (especially Whiteheadian) views the universe as unfolding through becoming.
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Ethical development is not fixed or binary, but part of a long, evolving process.
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Suffering and struggle are ingredients in the creative advance of value—what Hick called soul-making.
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Unlike analytic ethics, which often stays abstract or momentary, process ethics considers the whole arc of existence and the relational effects of each decision.
✅ Resolution: Hick’s vision of soul-making is naturally at home in process thought, which values growth, participation, and moral becoming over time.
4. Context in Analytic Philosophy
Educated in the tradition of Anglo-American analytic philosophy, Hick approached theology with clarity and logical rigor. He countered positivist critiques by grounding religious belief in experience—arguing that religious perception is as valid a form of knowing as sensory perception.
Like empirical data, religious experiences are interpreted through frameworks.
Faith is justified not by proof but by transformation.
4b. Process Metaphysics as Relational and Dynamic
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Whereas analytic philosophy avoids metaphysics, process thought embraces it—but in a relational, non-static way.
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The “Real” in process theology is not distant and unknowable (impractical transcendence) but is deeply entangled with all becoming.
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God is dipolar—holding both permanence and change—working with the world through persuasion, not domination.
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This allows Hick’s intuitions about the divine drawing all things toward love and transformation to be metaphysically supported.
✅ Resolution: Hick’s need for a fluid, ethical metaphysic is better answered in process thought, where interconnection and becoming are the ground of reality.
5. Comparison: Analytic Philosophy vs. Process Philosophy
| Feature | Analytic Philosophy | Process Philosophy |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology | Clarity, logical analysis, argument structure | Relationality, becoming, metaphysical synthesis |
| View of Reality | Often dualistic or epistemologically limited | Holistic, dynamic, relational |
| View of God | Often transcendent, unknowable “Real” | Dipolar God: both changing and unchanging |
| Emphasis | Language, logic, justification | Creativity, novelty, interrelation |
| Religious Truth | Culturally mediated, logically defensible | Emergent, participatory, contextual |
While Hick remained within the analytic tradition, many of his conclusions—especially regarding religious pluralism and universal salvation—resonate with the relational and evolving vision of Process Theology.
6. Evolution of Christian Theology: Analytic vs. Processual Foundations
| Aspect of Theology | Analytic Philosophy Approach | Process Philosophy Approach |
| Doctrine of God | Focus on [impractical] divine transcendence and unknowability | Emphasis on divine relationality and becoming |
| Salvation | Often juridical or logical coherence in doctrines | Dynamic process of healing, becoming, and lure |
| Revelation | Emphasis on propositional truth and clarity | Ongoing, relational disclosure through experience |
| Ethics | Grounded in rational justification and moral law | Emergent from relational well-being and novelty |
| Church and Other Religions | May lean toward exclusivism or inclusivism | Fully pluralistic and participatory |
From an analytic standpoint - Christian theology tends toward propositional clarity, definition, and systematic coherence, focusing on divine constancy and doctrinal boundaries - often at the expense of valuative appreciation for humanitarian transformation or relational difference. Hence, Christianity's philosophical basis is inherently un-pluralistic (or, poorly suited to be pluralistic).
From a processual basis - theology becomes a dynamic, open-ended participation in the divine life, where God and the world evolve together in love, freedom, and creativity.
Here's why - in process-informed terms:
7. Analytic Philosophy Tends Toward:
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Propositional clarity and systematic coherence: Seeking truth in fixed statements that can be tested, defined, or logically parsed.
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Doctrinal boundaries: Emphasizing internal coherence and fidelity to tradition or systematic theology.
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Binary logic: Something is either true or false; this leaves little room for multiple coexisting truths.
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Epistemic suspicion: Discomfort with metaphysical or experiential claims that cannot be universally verified.
God is understood as ontologically fixed, perfect, and impassible.
Ethics are derived from revealed truths or norms, often seen as unchanging.
From an analytic standpoint, Christian theology tends toward "propositional" clarity, definition, and systematic coherence, focusing on divine constancy and doctrinal boundaries and less on valuative appreciation of humane or humanitarian difference.
Result: These tendencies reinforce exclusivist or inclusivist theological models (e.g., "Only Christ saves"), but resist pluralist frameworks that acknowledge the validity of multiple religious paths.
7b. Process Philosophy Tends Toward:
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Relational truth: Truth emerges in lived relationships and experience, not abstract propositions.
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Open-ended becoming: All faiths are evolving responses to the divine lure, and none are final or complete.
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Value pluralism: God is at work in all cultures, drawing each toward greater love and harmony.
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Persuasive, not coercive divine action: This necessitates theological humility and openness.
Ethics emerge from mutual responsiveness, context, and co-creation.
Salvation is viewed as transformative process, not merely legal declaration.
Thus, while analytic theology tends to privilege doctrinal exclusivity, process theology fosters pluralistic inclusion without abandoning theological depth.
Result: Process theology embraces pluralism without relativism - seeing diverse religions as culturally distinct responses to one divine reality.
While analytic philosophy can support interfaith respect or liberal theology, its structure tends toward:
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fixity of truth,
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one normative lens,
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and systemic coherence that resists diversity**.
By contrast, process thought starts from relational openness and thus naturally fosters pluralistic Christian theology.
8. Was John Hick Aware of Whitehead’s Process Philosophy?
John Hick does not seem to have explicitly engaged with Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy in his major works, nor did he adopt process terminology.
However, Hick's formation in analytic and Kantian traditions shaped his language, method, and concerns. However:
Hick’s pluralistic inclusivity, emphasis on moral becoming, and vision of universal salvation closely align with process themes, even if developed independently of Whitehead's process theology.
The resonance between Hick’s theology and process thought suggests convergent evolution—two streams of thought arriving at similar insights via different paths.
Had Hick fully engaged process philosophy, he might have found a metaphysical foundation more congruent with his ethical optimism and religious inclusivity.
In this light, Hick can be seen as a parallel thinker to process theology—his conclusions overlap with process frameworks, even if his philosophical tools were distinct. [This was also true of Pierre Teilhard De Chardin's and Brian Swimme's metaphysical theologies when we examined his works a few months back; there are 9 related articles herein).
9. Summary Table: Key Foundations
| Philosophical Basis | Role in Hick's Theology |
| Kantian Epistemology | Links religious traditions to the unknowable “Real” |
| Irenaean Soul-Making Theodicy | Frames evil as part of moral/spiritual growth |
| Religious Pluralism | Values all faiths as culturally mediated encounters |
| Analytic Philosophy | Grounds theology in clarity, reason, and lived experience |
| Process Philosophy | Embraces becoming, relationality, plural paths to truth |
Conclusion
John Hick’s philosophy of religion invites us to see beyond dogma to the shared human quest for meaning, truth, and transformation.
Though grounded in analytic clarity and Kantian humility, his thought reaches toward a process-like vision: one in which the divine is not confined to one creed, but encountered in diverse traditions and the ongoing journey of soul-making.
In contrasting analytic and process philosophy, we see that while Hick worked within the former, his conclusions anticipate the relational openness and pluralistic hope of process theology.
In doing so, he becomes a bridge between two philosophical worlds, each with something vital to say about God, humanity, and the mystery that binds them.
