Matt Latourelle excels in his presentation of the Christian views of devout CS Lewis of Chronicles of Narnia fame in distinction to the highly inclusivistic, even gnostic views of John Hick with his idea that all are on their way working towards salvation, whatever their religion. A must see! I think Latourelle makes his case that Hick is not a Christian in the classic, orthodox and standard way most understand this term.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Very nice video. Thanks for the upload bro.
Irenaeus,Clement along with Origen, were mighly gnostic type thinkers at that very early phase of Christian evolution. The church got more orthodox as time passed and the doctrine of the Incarnation formulated. The Gospel of John has a number of Gnostic passages. Much of gnosticism can be found especially among the Calvinist Protestants: castigation of Judaism as materialistic/legalistic, the idea that an individual can know the truth apart from the church…many things- Quakers most of all.
@opensourcebuddhism I would say he is how he defines himself to be. A religious pluralist who is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
1. Most believe salvation involves more than church attendance.
2. Hick’s theodicy is Irenaean (pre-Augustinian Christian) and Irenaeus wrote extensively against Gnostics.
3. What do you mean by ‘Classical’ Christianity? Most Christians are ‘Modern’ – they do not follow the teachings of Irenaeus or Gregory of Nyssa (Early Church theologians).
@god4dummies as for John Hick being a gnostic…well…depends upon whether one goes by strictly the classical definition, then you are right. if one goes for a small “g” definition, then salvation for him involves a higher awareness than mere church attendance. theodicy for him involves the awareness that beyond all religious distinctions, there is one spiritual presence behind all religions. not very classically christian either…so what is he if not a gnostic?
John Hick’s views are certainly not Gnostic.
Gnosticism believes:
1. The physical world was created by an imperfect God known as the Demiurge. This God was considered the Abrahamic god.
2. There is another God higher than the Abrahamic God. In some forms of Gnosticism, Jesus was the incarnation (Aeon) of this superior God who came to give people gnosis or knowledge.
3. Salvation is to receive gnosis of the truth of the physical world, and that they will escape it one day.
Not John Hick.
Thank you for this very knowledgeable video. John Hicks sounds like a very interesting author, i will certainly read his books sometime in the near future.