Revealed Religion Summary and Analysis

In this chapter, Hegel introduces revealed religion through one particular type of artwork. In this case, he refers to the statue. Perhaps because this requires such craftmanship, and since it so clearly expresses the transformative powers of the human mind to imitate life and to pay homage in a culturally and distinctively human centered way to 'the Divine Being'.

While this image of the divine is initially external, Hegel also looks with reference to the inner nature. Upon examination he reports that the statue represents the Absolute within self-consciousness as Subject, and also sees it revered through the external. He thanks the Grecian pre-Christian cults and their artworks as providing him with an excellent method of understanding and sharing these religious insights.

As readers would expect by this point, what transforms at this stage through this religious modality are...