Introduction

History will probably judge John Hick to be one of the great philosophers of religion of the twentieth century. During his distinguished career, his thought has had a tremendous influence on debates in the philosophy of religion. This influence does not just reside within academic circles but extends into the classrooms where young people are studying commonly disputed questions in religion. A survey of Hick’s work will show that he has not just focussed on one particular area within his chosen field, rather he has made substantial contributions to just about every aspect within this field. Thus, terms like ‘experiencing-as’, ‘epistemic distance’, ‘eschatological verification’, ‘Irenaean theodicy’, the replica theory’, ‘many lives in many worlds’, ‘the Real’ have been woven into the very fabric of contemporary religious philosophical thought. In fact, most textbooks or ‘readers’ in the philosophy of religion will contain some reference to Hick’s distinctive contributions.