Christian theology can, of course, only protest against the peculiar pantheism of Schopen hauer, which is reallymuch older than he, but never before attained wide currency, and against that of Von Hartmann. Theology, at least German theology, before Schleiermacher showed but little understanding of and interest in the problems regarding a proper conception and confirmation of the doctrine of God which had been laid before it in this development of philosophy beginning with Kant. This is espe cially true of its attitude toward Kant himaelf and not only of the aupranaturaliats who were sus picious of any exaltation of the natural reason, but also of the rationalists, who still had a superficial devotion to the Enlightenment and to Wolffian phi losophy. In Schleiermacher's teaching about God, however, the results of a devout and immediate consciousness were combined with philosophical postulates. In his mind the place of all the so-called proofs of the existence of God is completely sup plied by the recognition that the feeling of absolute dependence involved in the devout rg.
Christian consciousness is a universal macher.
For his reasoned philosophical speculation, however, on the human spirit and universal being, the idea of God is nothing but the idea of the abso lute unity of the ideal and the real, which in-the world exist as opposites. Marheineke believed it possible as a dogmatic This document is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library at Calvin College. Last updated on June 13, 2000.