1st Edition
An Analysis of Friedrich Schleiermacher's On Religion Speeches to its Cultured Despisers
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."