RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE: Hick's Response to Verification and Falsification

Question 1

What is Hick’s view on eschatological verification?

Answer 1

The facts of Christianity will be verified/falsified at death

Question 2

What does Hick’s Parable of the celestial city explain?

Answer 2

The travellers will find out the truth ‘when they do turn the last corner’
Religious language is cognitive and verifiable

Question 3

Strength of Hick’s response: Shows that Christian truth claims are cognitive

Answer 3

If we wake up in resurrected body, we will know that Christian claims are true

Question 4

Strength of Hick’s response: Experiencing as

Answer 4

Interpretation is an essential element of all factual experience
As soon as we try to talk about something we are interpreting it; experiencing it ‘as’ something

Question 5

Weakness of Hick’s response: Hick writes from the perspective of the believer

Answer 5

From a religious perspective, the CC will be reached

From atheist perspective, there is no possibility of the CC being verified