Religiosity of Reason

The studies in this volume portray Hegel’s attitude towards religion from varying historical backgrounds and conceptual frameworks. They demonstrate his intellectual debt to Christianity, of which he himself was a product.As a demythologizer of Christian beliefs and associated religious practices, Hegel saw himself as continuing a process of self-demythologizing that had been at work in Christianity—sua sponte—from its inception. This self-perception was reflected in his concept of reason. Hegel recognized that things religious are at root rational. Consequently, while historically conditioned, their validity as expressions of human existence remains unchallenged. Reason itself creates the social space where they originate, most notably in establishing communal identity. As the studies illustrate, Hegel’s pris de conscience regarding his culture brings him closer in attitude to earlier Christian thinkers while also making him a modern man. The studies’ richness of historical detail and novel insight make the volume of interest to both experts in German classical philosophy and the students of Hegel.