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

In response to the Fri02Jan04 post by Bob Sharloo:

> Paul -- I am quoting parts of 'LECTURES ON THE PHILOSOPHY
> OF RELIGION vol. 1 p. 126- 37 for 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 vacuum.

Thanks, Bob, for your contribution to this thread. Hegel's
lectures on the philosophy of religion have been too long
neglected. We should disseminate them with some effort,
since they disprove the notions that Hegel was either a
Christian bigot or a secret atheist -- two of the more
prevelant ideas about Hegel in the 20th century.

You are quite right to emphasize this section, Bob. Hegel
does indeed deplore the neo-Kantian trends in theology in
his own day -- that God can only be known by Myth, or we
can only know God exists, but nothing else. It is mainly
human conceit -- combined with sloth -- that thinks this way.

> == Hegel says this theology has been nothing but abstract
> understanding masquerading as reason -- 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." (Hegel, LECTURES ON THE PHILOSOPHY
> OF RELIGION, ed. Hodgson, vol. 1 p. 126-37)

Right, Bob. The lazy, agnostic neo-Kantian approach to God
has devalued theology in the eyes of everybody, including
the children of the insiders as well as the outsiders. The
agnosticism of the neo-Kantian view has done enormous damage
to the Revealed Religion. God is not Spirit for the modern
reader, rather, God is dead.

> "If spirit is not an empty word then 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." (Hegel, LPR, ibid.)

Right, Bob. I have often quoted this text from Hegel on
this e-list. Hegel's Dialectical Methodology is a logical
method with a Triadic procedure. Abstract-negation-concrete
(or as the Kantian-Fichteans said, thesis-antithesis-synthesis).
This procedure is no mere hobby-horse -- it is presented as a
breakthrough in the science of logic. It is coincidental that
this same Triadic procedure was used in ancient and medieval
Christian theology. It is no accident; still Hegel gives a
higher value to his own scientific developments of this new
and Trinitarian methodological procedure, while recognizing
the important precedent that the ancient Trinity doctrine
provided in former times.

> "God is thus grasped as what God is
> God within God; God [the Father]
> makes God an object for God [the
> Son], then, in this object, God
> remains the undivided essence
> within the differentiation of God
> within God, and in this differentiation
> of God loves God, i.e. remains identical
> with God. This is God as Spirit."
> (Hegel, LPR, ibid.)

Excellent, Bob. If anybody doubted Hegel's direct alignment
of his Dialectical Logic with the ancient Trinity, this text
gives them lots to think about. I've always loved that quote.

> "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." (Hegel, LPR, ibid.)

Very good, Bob. This leaves no doubt that Hegel aligns his
own Dialectical Logic with the Trinity -- and also that Hegel
finds the ancient Trinity portrayal to be picture-thinking
insofar as it uses a metaphor from family life; the father
and the son. Certainly God is not a male with a beard. That
is plainly absurd, and literalists weaken the case they hope
to strengthen. (But even the New Testament emphasises this
same point, that Spirit is beyond gender. As the Apostle
Paul is famous for saying, the letter kills but the spirit
gives life.) Just because the *literal* grasp of the Trinity
as a Father and a Son is now corrected by Hegel's Dialectical
Logic is no reason to believe it is *canceled*. It is actually
clarified and made more substantial than before by Hegel's
System.

> "Thus it is just this definition of God by
> the church as a Trinity that is the concrete
> determination and nature of God as spirit:
> and spirit is an empty word if it is not
> grasped in this determination." (Hegel, LPR)

Right, Bob. Spirit is an empty word if it is not seen to be
the same Spirit that all the religions of the World have taught
to the millions. Spirit is the substance of Divinity, of Nirvana,
of the Tao. It is not an impersonal, abstract term that simply
stands for abstract and merely formal Reason.

> ...aside from one's religious or non-religious stance I
> feel this concept of spirit would be the same.
>
> Best wishes
> =Bob

Thanks, Bob, for this contribution. Hegel speaks about Spirit
in theological terms so much that it is entirely a mystery why
so many modern readers simply ignore this aspect of his System,
and seem to hope it will just go away.

Best regards,
--Paul Trejo, M.A.