A Critique of Religious Pluralism

Following a scholarly dialogue between the author of the article and Professor John Hick, the theoretician of religious pluralism, on the December 13th 2002 in Birmingham University Professor John Hick was formally invited to visit The Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought. Addressing a gathering of Iranian Scholars held on 3/2/1384 in Institute for Islamic Culture and Thought he focused on explaining and defending religious pluralism. Prior to Hick's address the author briefed on the importance of Hick’s theory and its scientific vulnerabilities. The confusion in the definition of religious pluralism, the ambiguity and rather the puzzlement in the scope of the theory, ambiguity in the justifiability of the basis of pluralism (be it ontological, epistemological, or sociological basis) the difficulty in Kantian epistemological model which serves as the basis for the epistemological explanation of the theory, the theory's internal paradoxes, the improper authorities and citations to explain and defend the theory were among the flaws of religious pluralism pointed out by the author. This essay is an account of the key points raised in that session. On the request of Professor John Hick a detailed version of critiques along with Hick’s answers will be published in the coming issues of the journal.