Paul -I am quoting parts of'Lectures on the Philosophy of
Religion vol.1p. 126- 37for the sake of brevity ==Hegel begins by
deploring the state of his contemporary theology and philosophy
for making God only the representation,definition, or abstraction
of the supreme being=a vacum.==He says this theology has
been nothing but abstract understanding masquerading as
reason= the result is one knows only in general what God is==
the result is that the supreme being is inwardly empty and
dead.= I quote here"It is not to be grasped as a living God,as
concrete content:; it is not to be grasped as spirit.If spirit is not an
empty word ihen God must[ be grasped] under this
characteristic,just as in the church theology of former times God
was called 'triune'. This is the key by which the nature of God is
explicated.God is thus grasped as what he is for himself within
himself;God [the father]makes himself an dbject for himself[the
Son]], then.in this object ,God remains the undivided essence
within the differentiation of himself within himself.,and in this
differentiation of himself loves himself,i.e.remains identical with
himself-this is God as Spirit.Hence if we are to speak of God as
spirit, we must grasp God with this very definition,which exists in
the church in this childlike mode of representation as the
relationship between father and son- a representation that is not
yet a matter of concept.Thus it is just this definition of God by the
church as a Trinity that is theconcrete determination and nature
of God as spirit:and spirit is an empty word if it is not grasped in
this determination."I woud like to continue this but at this point I
have to cut it off here = but aside from ones religious or non
religious stance I feel this concept of spirit would be the same.
Best wishes=Bob