Page 54 - Eclipse of God

Religion and Philosophy 27

is the attainment of a condition freed from intention, from
arbitrariness. The search for salvation is concerned with the
effect of salvation, but the “Way” itself is the unarbitrary. Phi-
losophy really means philosophizing; the realer religion is, so
much the more it means its own overcoming. It wills to cease
to be the special domain “Religion” and wills to become life.
It is concerned in the end not with specific religious acts, but
with redemption from all that is specific. Historically and bi-
ographically, it strives toward the pure Everyday. Religion is
in the religious view the exile of man; his homeland is unar-
bitrary life “in the face of God.” It goes against the realest will
of religion to describe it in terms of the special characteristics
that it has developed rather than in terms of its life- character.
Religion must, of course, be described in such a way that its
special characteristics do not evaporate into universality but
are instead seen as grounded in the fundamental relation of
religion to the whole of life.

5

When we look at the history of a historical religion, we see the
reoccurrence in different periods and phases of an inner battle
which remains essentially the same. It is the struggle of the re-
ligious element against the non- religious elements which in-
vade it from all sides— metaphysics, gnosis, magic, politics, etc.
This medley seeks to take the place of the flowing life of faith
which is renewed in the flux. It finds helpers in myth and cult,
both of which originally served only as expression of the reli-
gious relationship. In order to preserve its purity the religious
element must combat the tendency of this conglomerate to
become autonomous and to make itself independent of the
religious life of the person. This battle is consummated in pro-
phetic protest, heretical revolt, reformational retrenchment, and