La teoria schellinghiana della religione come ‘rapporto reale’. Implicazioni per la filosofia della religione contemporanea

Abstract

This article pursues two main objectives. First, it aims to contribute to the debate on the origins and genealogy of philosophy of religion as an autonomous discipline and as an epochal framework of modernity. Specifically, it argues that Schelling’s Philosophy of Mythology represents a fundamental milestone in the emergence of philosophy of religion, following the crisis of theologia rationalis. Second, through an analysis of Schelling’s theory of religion as a ‘real relation’ (reales Verhältnis) between human consciousness and God, it addresses a key issue in contemporary debates in philosophy of religion: the need to distinguish between the concepts of ‘faith’ and ‘belief’ and to avoid reducing the former to the latter, as sometimes occurs in certain currents of analytical philosophy of religion. The article highlights how Schelling’s emphasis on the historical and existential dimensions of religious experience allows philosophy of religion to establish itself as an independent field, distinct from metaphysics and natural theology. Additionally, the notion of a ‘real relation’ between consciousness and God provides an alternative framework to doxastic approaches to faith, promoting a view of religion as a lived, existential engagement rather than mere assent to propositional beliefs. By situating Schelling’s insights within both the historical development of the discipline and contemporary philosophical debates, the article underscores the relevance of his thought for addressing enduring challenges in philosophy of religion