ABSTRACT
John Hick's views are well known in the field of theology of religions, and there is no need to give a full exposition here. Hick compares his pluralistic theology of religions to Copernicus's astronomical model. The background for this pluralistic conception of God is Hick's understanding of the nature and functions of religious language. Hick divides the basic elements of religions into two categories: essentials and more superficial elements. Hick can understand the doctrine of the Trinity 'not as ontologically three but as three ways in which the one God is humanly thought and experienced'. In Hick's view, this kind of modalistic version of the doctrine of the Trinity has parallels with other religions such as Islam's threefold name of God as omnipotent creator and ruler of the universe, God as gracious and forgiving and God as intimately present to us.
