We'll discuss Chapter 4 next Sunday. Here are some issues and questions to ponder in preparation for our discussion.
1. P. 60. According to Geering, Hegel thought that the central stories of the Bible are essentially mythical. Your thoughts?
2. Pp. 60-61. What do you know about Hegel's concept of God?
3. P. 61, middle of page. Can you characterize Feuerbach's "new philosophy"? How did Feuerbach turn Hegel's philosophical system upside down? (See pp. 61-62).
4. Pp. 61-62. What is the philosophical branch known as "idealism"? Can you explain Hegel's concept of "spirit engenders matter" and Feuerbach's concept of "matter engenders spirit? Which philosopher, in your opinion, is correct? Why?
5. P. 64, 2nd and 3rd Parags. These are two seminal paragraphs. Read them carefully. Geering states: "Hegel's God...is...something emanating from the human mind...and what is true of Hegel's God is true of God generally. In other words, Feuerbach maintained, 'God' is an idea in the human mind..." This caused an uproar in Feuerbach's time and it still causes an uproar. Did God create mankind or did our ancestors, eons ago, create the concept of God? Or, is it both, one before the other? Which? Your thoughts?
6. P. 65, end of 1st full Parag. Geering states: "Much more important for Feuerbach was...why the concept of God had been created in the first place and of appreciating what was really true about the word." (i.e., God). In the paragraphs that follow, Geering responds to the issue. From your reading, can you tease out Geering's answer? I pose the question to you [drawn from the middle paragraph on p. 66): Is the study of God an exercise in human self-understanding? Your thoughts are welcome, even if you don't answer the question directly!
7. P. 66, last Parag. Geering states: "We humans can benefit greatly from the symbols we create." That is true, but that sentence comes with a caveat: If you don't take symbols literally! Your thoughts?
8. P. 67, last Parag and continued on p. 68. Your thoughts on the issue of the reconciliation between God and humankind?
9. P. 68, end of 1st Parag. Geering states: It is a great misunderstanding "to attempt to trace religious facts, that exist only in faith, back to historical facts." Is this statement self-evident or are a lot of people confused about religious facts, based on faith, and historical facts, based on reality? Your comments?
10. P. 69, top of page. Geering writes on the issue of "God is love". Feuerbach poses a question: "Is it God who saves us or is it love?" Geering goes on to tease out an answer. Your thoughts?
11. P. 70, 1st Parag. Writing about the Holy Trinity, Geering addresses the issue of communal relationships. Your thoughts on this issue?
12. Pp. 70-72. Your thoughts about Martin Buber's idea of "I and Thou", which he borrowed from Feuerbach.
I look forward to a rich and perky discussion next Sunday. Best wishes, Ben____________________________
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