Introducing the Book Between Faith and Doubt by John Hick

Several books by John Hick have been translated into Persian, and perhaps his most important work in the philosophy of religion is his book Philosophy of Religion, which was translated and published years ago by Behzad Saleki. The book Between Faith and Doubt, published in English in 2010 and translated into Persian and printed in 1396 (2017) by Adib Foroutan, contains John Hick's latest views in the philosophy of religion, which makes it significant in this regard.

John Hick is usually known for his pluralism, which views religion (God) as a Kantian noumenon, of which humans, according to their different cultures, have different perceptions; and although none possesses the complete truth, each partakes of the truth. However, Hick has other views in the philosophy of religion as well, such as considering religious experiences justifiable and building the foundations of justifying religious belief upon religious experience, and the Irenaean response to the problem of evil, which considers human spiritual growth impossible without free will and tries to justify the existence of evil through human free will.

The aforementioned book is the narrative of a dialogue between two fictional characters named David, as a materialist atheist, and John, as a theist, who is John Hick himself. The objections David raises to John are not very strong, and his words serve more as a means of introducing topics so that John (John Hick) can elaborate and expand upon his own positions.

This book is important because, on the one hand, it provides a concise yet complete account of Hick's views, and on the other, it also attempts to respond to recent criticisms; for example, in the area of religious experience, it refers to the research and objections of neuroscientists and offers a response to them.

Nevertheless, Hick's views on various subjects such as the definition of religion, religious experience, and the problem of evil are not very original. The roots of his definition of religion can be traced back to William James, his justification of religious experience to William Alston, and his response to the problem of evil to Irenaeus and even Plantinga. What ultimately remains is his pluralism, which still places Hick in an elevated position in the philosophy of religion and can serve as a basis for religious tolerance in an intolerant world.

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Introducing the Book Between Faith and Doubt by John Hick

Book Introduction by: Vahid Hallaj

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Bibliography:

Hick, John. Between Faith and Doubt: Dialogues on Religion and Reason; translated by Adib Foroutan, Tehran: Qoqnoos, first edition 1396 (2017)

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