Description
In his Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion, Hegel treats the religions of the world under the rubric "the determinate religion." This is a part of his corpus that has traditionally been neglected since scholars have struggled to understand what philosophical work it is supposed to do. In Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World, Jon Stewart argues that Hegel's rich analyses of Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Egyptian and Greek polytheism, and the Roman religion are not simply irrelevant historical material, as is often thought. Instead, they play a central role in Hegel's argument for what he regards as the truth of Christianity. Hegel believes that the different conceptions of the gods in the world religions are reflections of individual peoples at specific periods in history. These conceptions might at first glance appear random and chaotic, but there is, Hegel claims, a discernible logic in them. Simultaneously, a theory of mythology, history, and philosophical anthropology, Hegel's account of the world religions goes far beyond the field of philosophy of religion. The controversial issues surrounding his treatment of the non-European religions are still very much with us today and make his account of religion an issue of continued topicality in the academic landscape of the twenty-first century.
About the Author
Jon Stewart is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy at the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He is the founder and general editor of the series Kierkegaard Research: Sources, Reception and Resources, Texts from Golden Age Denmark, and Danish Golden Age Studies. He is the co-editor of the Kierkegaard Studies Yearbook and Kierkegaard Studies Monograph Series. He is the author of Soren Kierkegaard: Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity (Oxford University Press, 2015).
Reviews
Stewart has the requisite expertise, and he has written an important book. He possesses a mastery of the many sources utilized by Hegel; he shows the pivotal position of Determinate Religion in the lectures as a whole; he reveals many connections between the lectures on religion and those on the philosophy of world history and the history of philosophy; he discusses the rise of Orientalism in the nineteenth century and Hegel's role in it; he analyzes the impact of G. F. Creuzer on Hegel; and he demonstrates the connection between "the logic of the gods," human self-recognition, and the slow progression of freedom in culture and history. * Peter C. Hodgson, The Owl of Minerva *
Jon Stewart's important recent book Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World examines Hegel's account of what he called "Determinate Religion," the title of the second, massive part of the Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion...Stewart's careful sifting of the wealth of sources that Hegel used for this part of his lectures is key for any attempt at understanding Hegel's changing stance on issues like religious pluralism and the larger relation between his conception of history and the systematic concerns that lie behind Hegel's account of religion and Absolute Spirit more broadly. * Allen Speight, The Owl of Minerva *
With Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World, Jon Stewart has amply carried out his 'wish to explore in detail Hegel's historical interpretation of these various world religions.' In so doing, he has provided a context within which to appreciate the content of Hegel's interpretations. He has successfully argued in favor of the importance of the determinate religions for a fuller understanding of Hegel on the consummate religion. He has...prepared the way for further historically oriented studies in Hegel's philosophy of determinate religion. And he has, in effect, launched a challenge to develop a contemporary Hegelian phenomenology of determinate religion, namely, to paint a new philosophy's gray in gray. * Dale M. Schlitt, The Owl of Minerva *
...we all stand in debt to Jon Stewart's masterful new synthesis, Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World: The Logic of the Gods, for what he achieves is nothing less than an account of Hegel's philosophy of religion that begins to do justice to Hegel's own unique conception of what a history of religions must be... Stewart offers us a richly detailed overview, in the best sense of that term, one that is buttressed by significant discussions focused on the state of academic studies at the time when the various religions that Hegel examines were prominent...Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World marks a significant advance, in my judgment, in the burgeoning scholarship on Hegel's account of determinate religions and his project for a history of religions more broadly...students of Hegel's philosophy of religion will, no doubt, remain in Stewart's debt for years to come. * Kevin Thompson, The Owl of Minerva *
There is much to admire in Jon Stewart's recent book. His argument is clearly stated, judiciously elaborated, and persuasively defended. His prose is bracingly clear and mercifully devoid of jargon, pseudo-technical sophistications, and other writerly conceits. His erudition is on full display as he samples and measures a vast secondary literature spanning multiple languages and scholarly traditions... As a result, the Hegel who emerges from this study is appropriately contextualized and eminently accessible to curious readers. * Daniel Conway, The Owl of Minerva *
Stewart documents the way in which Hegel used his sources to explain how various world religions made sense in the broader context of their conceptions of humanity, divinity, and individuality ... Although the author does not spare Hegel from criticism, he demonstrates that the philosopher's approach to non-Christian traditions was far from an exercise in parochial apologetics; rather, it represented a decisive step in the direction of a contemporary multicultural understanding of religion ... Recommended. * J. A. Gauthier, CHOICE *
Jon Stewart has written the first major study of Hegel's treatment of the religions of the world since Reinhard Leuze's Die ausserchristlichen Religionen bei Hegel...Stewart has the requisite expertise, and he has written an important book. He possesses a mastery of the many sources utilized by Hegel; he shows the pivotal position of Determinate Religion in the lectures as a whole; he reveals many connections between the lectures on religion and those on the philosophy of world history and the history of philosophy; he discusses the rise of Orientalism in the nineteenth century and Hegel's role in it; he analyzes the impact of G. F. Creuzer on Hegel; and he demonstrates the connection between "the logic of the gods," human self-recognition, and the slow progression of freedom in culture and history. * Peter C. Hodgson, Vanderbilt University, The Journal of Religion *
Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World is a thorough study of a neglected aspect of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's philosophy of religion: the role of history in Hegel's overall philosophical construction. ... Stewart's work functions as a great reminder that, despite our departure from Hegel and his period, there are still valuable lessons to learn from one of the greatest philosophers of religion. * Nickolas P. Roubekas, Reading Religion *
Awards
Winner of Winner of the 2019 Book Prize of the Slovak Academy of Science, category 'Outstanding Monograph'.
Book Information
ISBN 9780198829492
Author Jon Stewart
Format Hardback
Page Count 342
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 241mm * 163mm * 27mm
About the Author
Jon Stewart is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy at the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He is the founder and general editor of the series Kierkegaard Research: Sources, Reception and Resources, Texts from Golden Age Denmark, and Danish Golden Age Studies. He is the co-editor of the Kierkegaard Studies Yearbook and Kierkegaard Studies Monograph Series. He is the author of Soren Kierkegaard: Subjectivity, Irony and the Crisis of Modernity (Oxford University Press, 2015).
Reviews
Stewart has the requisite expertise, and he has written an important book. He possesses a mastery of the many sources utilized by Hegel; he shows the pivotal position of Determinate Religion in the lectures as a whole; he reveals many connections between the lectures on religion and those on the philosophy of world history and the history of philosophy; he discusses the rise of Orientalism in the nineteenth century and Hegel's role in it; he analyzes the impact of G. F. Creuzer on Hegel; and he demonstrates the connection between "the logic of the gods," human self-recognition, and the slow progression of freedom in culture and history. * Peter C. Hodgson, The Owl of Minerva *
Jon Stewart's important recent book Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World examines Hegel's account of what he called "Determinate Religion," the title of the second, massive part of the Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion...Stewart's careful sifting of the wealth of sources that Hegel used for this part of his lectures is key for any attempt at understanding Hegel's changing stance on issues like religious pluralism and the larger relation between his conception of history and the systematic concerns that lie behind Hegel's account of religion and Absolute Spirit more broadly. * Allen Speight, The Owl of Minerva *
With Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World, Jon Stewart has amply carried out his 'wish to explore in detail Hegel's historical interpretation of these various world religions.' In so doing, he has provided a context within which to appreciate the content of Hegel's interpretations. He has successfully argued in favor of the importance of the determinate religions for a fuller understanding of Hegel on the consummate religion. He has...prepared the way for further historically oriented studies in Hegel's philosophy of determinate religion. And he has, in effect, launched a challenge to develop a contemporary Hegelian phenomenology of determinate religion, namely, to paint a new philosophy's gray in gray. * Dale M. Schlitt, The Owl of Minerva *
...we all stand in debt to Jon Stewart's masterful new synthesis, Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World: The Logic of the Gods, for what he achieves is nothing less than an account of Hegel's philosophy of religion that begins to do justice to Hegel's own unique conception of what a history of religions must be... Stewart offers us a richly detailed overview, in the best sense of that term, one that is buttressed by significant discussions focused on the state of academic studies at the time when the various religions that Hegel examines were prominent...Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World marks a significant advance, in my judgment, in the burgeoning scholarship on Hegel's account of determinate religions and his project for a history of religions more broadly...students of Hegel's philosophy of religion will, no doubt, remain in Stewart's debt for years to come. * Kevin Thompson, The Owl of Minerva *
There is much to admire in Jon Stewart's recent book. His argument is clearly stated, judiciously elaborated, and persuasively defended. His prose is bracingly clear and mercifully devoid of jargon, pseudo-technical sophistications, and other writerly conceits. His erudition is on full display as he samples and measures a vast secondary literature spanning multiple languages and scholarly traditions... As a result, the Hegel who emerges from this study is appropriately contextualized and eminently accessible to curious readers. * Daniel Conway, The Owl of Minerva *
Stewart documents the way in which Hegel used his sources to explain how various world religions made sense in the broader context of their conceptions of humanity, divinity, and individuality ... Although the author does not spare Hegel from criticism, he demonstrates that the philosopher's approach to non-Christian traditions was far from an exercise in parochial apologetics; rather, it represented a decisive step in the direction of a contemporary multicultural understanding of religion ... Recommended. * J. A. Gauthier, CHOICE *
Jon Stewart has written the first major study of Hegel's treatment of the religions of the world since Reinhard Leuze's Die ausserchristlichen Religionen bei Hegel...Stewart has the requisite expertise, and he has written an important book. He possesses a mastery of the many sources utilized by Hegel; he shows the pivotal position of Determinate Religion in the lectures as a whole; he reveals many connections between the lectures on religion and those on the philosophy of world history and the history of philosophy; he discusses the rise of Orientalism in the nineteenth century and Hegel's role in it; he analyzes the impact of G. F. Creuzer on Hegel; and he demonstrates the connection between "the logic of the gods," human self-recognition, and the slow progression of freedom in culture and history. * Peter C. Hodgson, Vanderbilt University, The Journal of Religion *
Hegel's Interpretation of the Religions of the World is a thorough study of a neglected aspect of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel's philosophy of religion: the role of history in Hegel's overall philosophical construction. ... Stewart's work functions as a great reminder that, despite our departure from Hegel and his period, there are still valuable lessons to learn from one of the greatest philosophers of religion. * Nickolas P. Roubekas, Reading Religion *
Awards
Winner of Winner of the 2019 Book Prize of the Slovak Academy of Science, category 'Outstanding Monograph'.
Book Information
ISBN 9780198829492
Author Jon Stewart
Format Hardback
Page Count 342
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 241mm * 163mm * 27mm
