arne grøndoes a philosophical approach do to religion? What is the link between
religion and philosophy in philosophy of religion? Conceptualizing
originates in an awareness of a problem we encounter. Taking our
point of departure in the opening sentence, we face the problem: how
is it possible for us as humans to invoke a beyond that is beyond
ourselves? Where are we — in doing so? Conceptualizing is already at
work in turning the problems we face in understanding into an explicit
question: what is religion? Religion is conceptualized in the moment
it is a problem for us. Formulating the question is in itself to address
the problems we have in understanding what we call religion. The “is”
in the question (“What is religion?”) gathers problems each of which
can be formulated as a question unfolding the implications of the
question: what is religion? But if we take conceptualizing as an answer
that captures what religion is, something is changed. “Is” in the answer
then does not hold different questions together, as it does in the
question.^13
What does all this amount to? I think we should revise what we take
philosophical conceptualization to do. In using the concept of tran-
scendence we do not simply capture what religion is (religion is about
transcendence). Rather, the point in conceptualizing philosophically
is to capture the questions implied in talking about beyond (as in seeing
beyond what we see). This can be done in terms of horizon, time, pas-
sivity, and selfhood (as in this article). In dealing with religion the
philosophical challenge is to unfold the questions we face as humans.
When we try to capture what religion is about in terms of tran-
scendence and immanence, these concepts themselves turn out to be
problematic. “Beyond” in our example indicates a movement of seeing
beyond which points back to us: as the ones to see beyond ourselves.
But the problems we encounter when using the concepts of transcend-
ence and immanence are illuminating. They can help us to articulate
our awareness of the problems we as humans face in understanding
our world and ourselves. Reflecting on the enigmatic difference be-
- To put it differently, when we take ourselves to be saying what religion is, the
question is: is this what we are showing? How do we let religion appear in our ways
of dealing with religion? In conceptualizing, how do we “let be seen” (sehen lassen,
to use Heidegger’s phrase, cf. Sein und Zeit, 32f) what we think we conceptualize?