Schleiermacher and Religious Feeling

1. Auflage 2012
ISBN: 978-90-429-2567-0
Verlag: PEETERS PUB

Buch, Englisch, Band 49, 253 Seiten

Reihe: Studies in Philosophical Theol

Religious feeling lies at the heart of Schleiermacher's theology. In his

earliest monograph, the Speeches, he famously writes that

"religion's essence is neither thinking nor acting but intuition and

feeling." He portrays religious feeling as an eternal and universal state

of consciousness, which cannot be generated by individuals, the world or

anything within it, but must have a transcendent "whence", namely God. Yet

his critics have often missed this point, assuming that his emphasis on

feeling makes religion transitory and individualistic. This

misinterpretation is furthered by philosophical, psychological,

anthropological and popular understandings of feeling, which characterise

emotions as selfish and moods as inward looking.

This book traces

the development of Schleiermacher's concept of feeling, comparing the

first edition of the Speeches with his later works, especially The

Christian Faith. It points to a fundamental continuity in

Schleiermacher's stance, despite the increasing orthodoxy of his language,

and his growing interest in the collective feeling of the religious

community. Taking account of recent developments in psychology and

philosophy, this study sheds light on the elements of Schleiermacher's

account that are tenable today, clearing the way for future reappraisals

of his theological project.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Dumbreck, G.

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Philosophie: Allgemeines, Methoden