Abstract

In Japan, there have been various responses to John Hick’s religious pluralism. This chapter categorizes these responses into two groups: positive response and critical response. Hiromasa Mase, Emi Mase-Hasegawa, and others positively responded to Hick’s religious pluralism and developed Hick’s religious pluralism from within Japanese situation. Anri Morimoto, Kousuke Nishitani, and others critically responded to Hick’s religious pluralism and warned against easy assimilation between Hick’s religious pluralism and Japanese religious situation. Among these responses, this chapter pays attention to Morimoto’s argument in two points. First, he carefully distinguishes Japanese pluralist religious situation and Hick’s religious pluralism. Second, he situates Hick in Western philosophical contexts. To clarify Morimoto’s argument in context, this chapter situates Hick in the history of philosophy of religion and understands Hick as British Idealist.