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Friedrich Schleiermacher 's Views On Religion And Religion Essay

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Known as the “Father of Modern Liberal Theology,” Friedrich Schleiermacher was a German philosopher and theologian who directed his attention on the nature of religious experience from the viewpoint of the individual and human nature itself (Mariña 3). Highly influenced by German Romanticism, Schleiermacher attempted to settle the criticisms of the Enlightenment with conventional Protestant Christianity (Crouter 261). By doing so, he abandoned the Moravian theology that had neglected to gratify his growing reservations and he embraced the sensible outlook of Christian Wolff and Johann Salomo Semler. He then became accustomed to the methods of historical criticism of the New Testament and of Johann Augustus Eberhard, from whom he attained an adoration of the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. Consequently, he began reforming Immanuel Kant’s structure by implementing thoughts from the Greek thinkers (Mariña 3). On this basis, this essay will clearly articulate Friedrich Schleiermacher’s conception of religion and religion’s association with Christianity as expressed in Speech I: Defense and Speech II: The Nature of Religion of his work, On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers. The essay will explore Schleiermacher’s refutation of three notions of religion possessed by the despisers, clarify his recognition of the true religion with sensation as well as express his understanding of the association involving religion and Christianity.
REFUTATION OF VIEWS OF RELIGION HELD

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