Reading Schleiermacher's On Religion, for the lecture today, I came across the following passage in his first speech (Apology):
Presented it to the students for discussion to see what they thought was the pinnacle, the sanctuary and the rest, that Scleiermacher is referring to in this passage.
While sitting with one of the groups it struck me that the passage can be viewed from a totally different perspective. The normal reading of this gives one the impression of religion being a very special fact of human life. That it is grand, large and tall. How religion helps one achieve the best and the highest of human possibilities. That religion is at the highest point of human experience, from which you can look down and see how the other aspects fare. In the light of what precedes this passage and the whole mood of the speech, it is quite easy to arrive at this interpretation.
However, what struck me was that while religion does offer a different perspective, it is not a hierarchical standpoint that religion facilitates. Even if it does, from that position there is nothing hierarchical. From a birds eyeview there is no tall, or big or great. The whole dimension of viewing reality changes. Nothing is tall, great, mighty, lofty, high, low... the viewpoint is totally different! So the same passage can also mean that religion offers a totally different view of the world and ourselves, something not possible for other aspects of life to offer or atleast offer easily.
I wish to lead you to the innermost depths from which religion first addresses the mind. I wish to show you from what capacity of humanity religion proceeds, and how it belongs to what is for you the highest and dearest. I wish to lead you to the pinnacles of the temple that you might survey the whole sanctuary and discover its innermost secrets.[Schleiermacher, F. (1996) On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers, Crouter, R. (ed.), Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 10-11].
Presented it to the students for discussion to see what they thought was the pinnacle, the sanctuary and the rest, that Scleiermacher is referring to in this passage.
While sitting with one of the groups it struck me that the passage can be viewed from a totally different perspective. The normal reading of this gives one the impression of religion being a very special fact of human life. That it is grand, large and tall. How religion helps one achieve the best and the highest of human possibilities. That religion is at the highest point of human experience, from which you can look down and see how the other aspects fare. In the light of what precedes this passage and the whole mood of the speech, it is quite easy to arrive at this interpretation.
However, what struck me was that while religion does offer a different perspective, it is not a hierarchical standpoint that religion facilitates. Even if it does, from that position there is nothing hierarchical. From a birds eyeview there is no tall, or big or great. The whole dimension of viewing reality changes. Nothing is tall, great, mighty, lofty, high, low... the viewpoint is totally different! So the same passage can also mean that religion offers a totally different view of the world and ourselves, something not possible for other aspects of life to offer or atleast offer easily.
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