An Analysis of Friedrich Schleiermacher's On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers

by Ruth Jackson

On Religion is a major text for the development of modern religious thought in the West and its author, German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher, is remembered as the Father of Modern Protestant Theology, as well as for his contributions to philosophy, ethics and hermeneutics. Comprising five lively speeches, which defend religion as a universal element of human life, the text was addressed to the young intellectual elite of early nineteenth-century Berlin. It demonstrates Schleiermacher’s critique of Kant’s religious and moral thought, while also showing his indebtedness to the divergent movements of Enlightenment rationalism and Romanticism.

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 11, 2018

Reviews

[Greg Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up at the end. I get the impression that perhaps a series of short lectures are meant to be attached to this book, but I don’t know enough about MACAT LIBRARY to know if this is the case. This book is most helpful for those curious for the broad (emphasis on broad) contours of Schleiermacher’s On Religion speeches, some of their historical background, and reception.