Returning to Religious Experience

The Contemporary Challenge in the Dialogue Between Philosophy and Theology

Abstract

This essay examines the relationship between philosophy and theology from the perspective of religious experience, drawing on the arguments developed by Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti and the insights offered in Max Scheler’s philosophy of religion. Tanzella-Nitti’s extensive scholarship provides a framework for understanding the interplay between philosophy and theology, avoiding confusion while fostering a synergy grounded in a renewed engagement with religious experience. By drawing on the sciences of religion and a philosophy of religion, theology uncovers traces of God’s self-revelation in creation and history. It provides a framework to clarify the foundations of religious phenomena and what makes them possible. Engaging deeply with religious experience allows philosophy and theology to renew their dialogue, addressing metaphysical questions and the quaestio Dei.