To feel with and for Friedrich Schleiermacher: On religious experience
D. Veldsman
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies July 30, 2019 DOI: 10.4102/hts.v75i4.5537 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that revisiting Schleiermacher's 'feeling of absolute dependence' through the lenses of affectivity and narrative identity, drawn from contemporary hermeneutical discourse, can yield a more comprehensive understanding of religious experience as embodied personhood. |
Abstract
The German systematic theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher has shaped Western Christian theological thinking in many ways. One such influential way has been his formulation and exposition of religious experience, and specifically the concept of the ‘feeling of absolute dependence’ (Gefühl der schlechthinnigen Abhängigkeit). From a brief account of his understanding of the ‘feeling of absolute independence’, a few critical remarks are made from the broader context of contemporary hermeneutical discourses, focusing on the constitutive role of affectivity and narrative identity in religious experiences of embodied personhood. It is argued that these two themes in revisiting Schleiermacher’s understanding of the ‘feeling of absolute dependence’ can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of religious experience.