Hegel's and Martin Luther's Views pivoting around the Eucharist : Between Enlightenment and Mysticism

Kobayashi Atsuko

doi:10.14989/jps_573_72

This paper seeks to examine the similarity and discrepancy between Hegel's speculation and Martin Luther's mysticism, concerning Luther's discussion on the Eucharist, that is, "Real Presence of Christ"(Realpräsenz Christi) or Consubstantiation. I shall attempt to confirm if Luther's"Real Presence of Christ"or Consub-stantiation in which Hegel found speculative character, actually coincides with Hegel's own standpoint, including it's negativity. Hegel consistently persists it is Luther's standpoint that place in contraposition: the Eucharist of the Catholic Church and that of the Reformed Church, in several lectures at Berlin university such as philosophy of religion, philosophy of world-history and history of philosophy. Luther defended the doctrine of Consubstantiation, to which after the consecration both the bread and wine and the Body and Blood of Christ coexisted. H. Zwingli, on the other hand, understood the doctrine in terms of Enlightenment, and affirmed that the Lord's Supper was primarily a memorial rite, and that there was no change in the elements whatsoever. As for this great controversy on the Eucharist, Hegel usually manifests he himself takes sides with Luther's interpretation. Hegel finds self-expression or self-estrangement of the Absolute in Luther's "Real Presence of Christ", and the logical structure of Luther's Consubstantiation coincides well with Hegel's speculation. The doctrine of Transubstantiation in Catholicism holds that the Eucharist universally conveyed to the believer the Body and Blood of Christ irrespective of the communicant's belief or sentiment. Hegel regards this as a superstition that adheres to the "externality" (Äußerlichkeit), referring to an example of "excretions of mouse" in his lectures on the history of philosophy. Against this Transubstantiation, Hegel offers positive support to Luther's assertion on the Eucharist that claims that Host is not the Body and Blood of Christ, but just a piece of bread and a drop of wine. The bread and wine will have validity as Host, only when they are accepted with an unwavering faith of the believer. Both Hegel and Luther understand religiosity is realized through direct and subjective contact with God in the Eucharist, however, they show opposing standpoint, that is, while Luther maintains mysticism that enjoy direct oneness with God, whereas Hegel asserts spiritualization of mysticism that realizes unity with God through negativity.

Hegel's and Martin Luther's Views pivoting around the Eucharist : Between Enlightenment and Mysticism

Bibliographic Information

Search this article

Abstract

Journal

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Export

Report a problem