1st Edition

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

By Ruth Jackson Copyright 2018
    112 Pages
    by Macat Library

    112 Pages
    by Macat Library

    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.

    Ways in to the text 

    Who was Friedrich Schleiermacher? 

    What does On Religion Say? 

    Why does On Religion Matter? 

    Section 1: Influences 

    Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context 

    Module 2: Academic Context 

    Module 3: The Problem 

    Module 4: The Author's Contribution 

    Section 2: Ideas 

    Module 5: Main Ideas 

    Module 6: Secondary Ideas 

    Module 7: Achievement 

    Module 8: Place in the Author's Work 

    Section 3: Impact 

    Module 9: The First Responses 

    Module 10: The Evolving Debate 

    Module 11: Impact and Influence Today 

    Module 12: Where Next? 

    Glossary of Terms 

    People Mentioned in the Text 

    Works Cited

    Biography

    Dr Ruth Jackson did postgraduate work in theology and religious studies at the University of Cambridge. She is currently a Research Fellow in theology at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Previously, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities in Cambridge, where she worked on the ERC-funded project "The Bible and Antiquity in Nineteenth-Century Culture."