John Hick Theodicy Flashcards
What did John Hick develop?
The Irenaean theodicy
What did Hick say about the world?
The World is a Vale of Soul Making, and in the world, pain is necessary because it teaches us what is valuable and dangerous
What did John Hick say genuine choice requires?
Genuine consequences
What are the three main points Hick makes?
Freedom of action, freedom of understanding and freedom to love
What did John Hick say about freedom of action?
Freewill is a valuable part of being a human being and without it we would be like robots always choosing the good. God does not prevent evil because it would interfere with free will
What does John Hick say about freedom of understanding?
Epistemic Distance: God’s existence is not obvious to humans in order to allow free will. God does not force himself on humans
What is Freedom to Love?
Genuine love/relationships most be chosen e.g story of the peasant girl. The King has the power to make the peasant girl love him but he dresses as a pauper so she can fall in love with him at her own accord
What is the counterfactual hypothesis?
Real virtues such as courage, charity and compassion are only possible in the face of real adversity e.g tsunami
What must perfection develop through?
Free choice
What did Hick believe in?
Universal salvation
What did Hick call the afterlife?
The Eschatological Dimention
What is universal salvation?
All will go through a process of “deification” (lifting humanity up to the divine)
What did Hick say happens in heaven?
Humans will complete developing into God’s likeness where suffering is long forgotten. Heaven is a compensation for the suffering on Earth
What does Hick not include?
Hell
