Hossein Esfandiar; Ali Fallahrafie
Abstract
Hegel's philosophy of religion seeks to cultivate a concept of religion that fosters cohesion within a modern society undergoing transformation and diversification. The Absolute ...
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Hegel's philosophy of religion seeks to cultivate a concept of religion that fosters cohesion within a modern society undergoing transformation and diversification. The Absolute Spirit is the central axis of Hegel's philosophy. He investigates the manifestations of the Absolute Spirit throughout history in art, religion, and philosophy. Hegel explores how the evolution of religion and its integration into philosophy can provide a rational justification for the authentic teachings of religion in the modern world. He also aims to demonstrate the role of religion in the stages of the self-consciousness of the Absolute Spirit. The primary question of this research is to examine how religion becomes rationalized within Hegel's philosophical system in a manner suitable for modernity and the modern era. The research, conducted using an analytical method, reveals the following key findings: Only a complete religion, in harmony with absolute philosophy, shapes the self-awareness of humanity as a self-conscious spirit. According to Hegel, only Christianity, with its doctrines of incarnation and the Trinity, can reconcile the historical determination of the spirit with its absoluteness. Therefore, the doctrines of incarnation and the Trinity bring about the realization of absolute religion.Furthermore, Hegel's rational interpretation of Christianity leads to the unification of religion and modern reason, the secularization of religion, the centrality of reason, and the rejection of rituals. This perspective raises criticisms that leave Hegel's conception incomplete, including: a limited definition of religion, a focus on Christianity, insufficient awareness of Islam, dialectical internal contradictions, secularization, and the depletion of religion's sacredness.
