Dale M. Schlitt presents a study of trinitarian thought as it was understood and debated by the German Idealists broadly—engaging Schelling's philosophical interpretations of Trinity as well as Hegel's—and analyzing how these Idealist interpretations influenced later philosophers and theologians. Divided into different sections, one considers nineteenth-century central Europeans Philipp Marheineke, Isaak August Dorner, and Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov under the rubric "testimonials." Another section studies twentieth-century Germans Karl Barth, Karl Rahner, and Wolfhart Pannenberg, who share "family resemblances" with the Idealists, (...) and a third addresses the work of twentieth- and twenty-first century Americans, Robert W. Jenson, Catherine Mowry LaCugna, Joseph A. Bracken, and Schlitt himself, whose work reverberates with what Schlitt terms "transatlantic Idealist echoes." The book concludes with reflection on the overall German Idealist trinitarian legacy, noting several challenges it offers to those who will pursue creative trinitarian reflection in the future. (shrink)

SummaryThis work examines the historical origins of topological dimension theory with special reference to the problem of the invariance of dimension. Part I, comprising chapters 1–4, concerns problems and ideas about dimension from ancient times to about 1900. Chapter 1 deals with ancient Greek ideas about dimension and the origins of theories of hyperspaces and higher-dimensional geometries relating to the subsequent development of dimension theory. Chapter 2 treatsCantor's surprising discovery that continua of different dimension numbers can be put into one-one (...) correspondence and his discussion withDedekind concerning the discovery. The problem of the invariance of dimension originates with this discovery. Chapter 3 deals with the early efforts of 1878–1879 to prove the invariance of dimension. Chapter 4 sketches the rise of point set topology with reference to the problem of proving dimensional invariance and the development of dimension theory. Part II, comprising chapters 5–8, concerns the development of dimension theory during the early part of the twentieth century. Chapter 5 deals with new approaches to the concept of dimension and the problem of dimensional invariance. Chapter 6 analyses the origins ofBrouwer's interest in topology and his breakthrough to the first general proof of the invariance of dimension. Chapter 7 treatsLebesgue's ideas about dimension and the invariance problem and the dispute that arose betweenBrouwer andLebesgue which led toBrouwer's further work on topology and dimension. Chapter 8 offers glimpses of the development of dimension theory afterBrouwer, especially the development of the dimension theory ofUrysohn andMenger during the twenties. Chapter 8 ends with some concluding remarks about the entire history covered. (shrink)

_Landmark study of Hegel’s arguments for God as Trinity._.

This paper treats Bernard Bolzano's (1781–1848) investigations into a fundamental problem of geometry: the problem of adequately defining the concepts of line (or curve), surface, solid, and continuum.Bolzano's interest in this problem spanned most of his creative lifetime. In this paper a full discussion is given of the philosophical and mathematical motivation of Bolzano's problem as well as his two solutions to the problem. Bolzano's work on this part of geometry is relevant to the history of modern mathematics, because it (...) forms a prelude to the more recent development of topological dimension theory. (shrink)

With his important, history-contextualizing study, Jon Stewart has drawn renewed attention to Hegel’s often neglected philosophical interpretation of determinate religion. He focuses on Hegel’s philosophical reading of distinct historical religions, in which Hegel brings them together in serial fashion. In so doing, Hegel proposes a unique philosophy of determinate religion which constitutes an essential element in his philosophical argument in favor of the consummate religion, historically instantiated in Christianity. Stewart’s study is, in effect, an invitation to look again at Hegel’s (...) monumental effort to comprehend religion in its varied historical realizations. The present article proposes to respond to this invitation in a preliminary and modest way. We note various claims Hegel makes regarding his philosophy of determinate religion and then identify a number of challenges arising from these claims. Against this background of claims and challenges, we conclude with an appreciation of Stewart’s work. The appreciation proceeds in four steps: first, a recall of what Stewart intends to do, the focus he adopts, and the theses he argues; second, a review of his emphasis on Hegel’s contexts and sources; third, several remarks on his reading of Hegel on determinate religion; fourth, a reflection on important contributions Stewart makes to the present and future study of Hegel on determinate religion. (shrink)

So pervasive has been G. W. F. Hegel’s general impact on modern culture and apparently so persuasive his particular dialectical interpretation of Trinity that one would be hard pressed to name a significant 19th or 20th century western philosopher or theologian not in some way influenced by Hegel’s reconceptualization of the trinitarian God. This impact and influence come as little surprise in view of the insight and industry with which Hegel, in developing his trinitarian theory, handled such universal themes as (...) alienation, personhood and subjectivity, freedom, history, universality and particularity, community, infinity, revelation and knowledge of God. These themes will be touched upon in the course of this overview of how and why Hegel developed his trinitarian thought as he did. Such a summary presentation may contribute to an appreciation of Hegel’s thought itself while providing background for and further facilitating access to subsequent reconceptualizations of God and Trinity. It may, as well, make more available conceptualities useful in contemporary constructive philosophy and theology. (shrink)

One of the secrets to understanding Hegel is to read him on two levels, namely, the macro-level with its concern for the great themes and the overall movement of his thought and the micro-level with the concomitant concern to follow and exegete Hegel texts line-by-line and even word-by-word. The author of this study has opted for a macro-level study. Her intention is to present Hegel's major work, the Science of Logic, as the formulation of a speculative mysticism. Throughout this three-part (...) study the author remains on this macro-level, from the first contextualisation of Hegel's Logic as the continuation of the logos tradition on through the realization of this dialectical logic in aesthetics and in the philosophy of right. (shrink)

Divine Subjectivity is an in-depth examination of Hegel's theory of God as a dialectical movement of divine subjectivity.

Hegel's philosophy of religion lecture texts. Critical editions-continuing the Hegel renaissance -- Hegel's tripartite philosophy of religion. The concept of religion ; Determinate religion ; The consummate religion -- Hegel's religious dialectic of identity and difference. Identity and religion ; The whole truth: trinity ; Incarnation and otherness ; The kingdom of God.

In this study I propose that John E. Smith’s years-long argument for the importance of, and indeed his prolonged focus on, the notion of experience provides a particularly useful point of entry into the classical North American philosophical tradition and specifically into more pragmatist understandings of experience. Thisstudy of Smith on experience will proceed in three steps. After a brief reference in Part One to the Roycean background and context to Smith’s efforts toward a more adequate understanding of experience, it (...) will continue in Part Two with a review of the three-stage development of Smith’s own transformation, in a more distinctly pragmatist direction, of Royce’s idealist-pragmatist notion of experience as interpretation. This review of Smith’s thought lays the groundwork for a suggestion, in Part three of this study, toward the continuing formulation of a more explicitly developed philosophy of experience. The basic proposal will be to affirm the need, while profiting from Smith’s important contributions, to pay renewed attention to more idealist concerns for structure and totality. (shrink)

The long, complex editorial history of Hegel’s lectures on the philosophy of religion comes in a sense to a happy end now with this impressive penultimate German edition. The final, historical-critical Gesammelte Werke edition will apparently not be completed before the mid-1990’s. Nevertheless the present edition’s German test as critically secured by Walter Jaeschke in conjunction with Ricardo Ferrara and Peter C. Hodgson provides truly reliable access to Hegel’s lectures of 1821, 1824, 1827, and to a lesser extent of 1831 (...) as well. The present edition and particularly the first volume will be examined here in four steps: 1) historical context, 2) the first volume as a whole, 3) editorial principles concerning and remarks on each of Hegel’s four lecture series, and 4) further research opportunities opened by this edition. (shrink)

This volume contains Hegel’s Berlin lecture presentations of the consummate religion, which for Hegel is historically realized in and as Christianity. The publication of this volume should go a long way toward dispelling any lingering doubts as to whether Hegel the philosopher took Christianity and certain of its basic doctrines seriously. But, whether one will ever finally convert those still burdened with such doubts or not, there can be no doubt about the import for and influence of Hegel’s philosophical interpretations (...) of Christianity on subsequent Western thought both religious and more secular. These major Berlin efforts of Hegel’s at a speculative, dialectical presentation of the consummate religion are now for the first time in the original German conveniently gathered and intelligently arranged so as to be readily accessible. The presentation of this volume will proceed in three steps: 1) a review of the volume as a whole; 2) a resume of Hegel on the consummate religion; 3) reflections on further research opportunities opened by this volume. (shrink)

If at the turn of the nineteenth century it is Kant who stands out so significantly in the early history of the philosophy of religion, it is in turn surely Schleiermacher and Hegel who form a most important part of the early nineteenth century background to the twentieth century comparative, historical, theological, and philosophical study of the religions of the world. Both Schleiermacher, but especially the historically important earlier Schleiermacher of the Speeches, and Hegel gave a surprisingly appreciative reading of (...) the various religions at a time when learned reports and sacred texts became increasingly available on the European scene. The earnest effort with which Hegel, in particular, plunged into what was for his time a critical reading and constructive, systematic presentation of the religions of the world is given witness by this Volume 4, which contains the second part of Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion, namely, “Determinate Religion.” It is here that Hegel treats of the world’s religions other than Christianity. This volume will be examined in five steps: 1) the fourth volume as a whole; 2) the endnotes to the volume; 3) remarks on each of the four lecture series; 4) general observations on Hegel’s view of determinate religion, and 5) further research opportunities opened by this volume. (shrink)