Hegel's Philosophy is Religion: Bonhoeffer's Critique of Hegel in His Early Texts

Although Bonhoeffer explored a broad range of philosophy during his brief life, Hegel played an especially significant role in his intellectual development. His interest in and attention to Hegel are evident from the fact that he taught a seminar on Hegel at the University of Berlin in 1933. In his early writings, Bonhoeffer offered intensive commentary and explanation of Hegel's philosophy, but his comments were primarily critical in nature. This article analyzes Bonhoeffer's critique of Hegel's philosophy from socio-philosophical and sociological perspectives, as presented in Sanctorum Communio. He believed that due to the lack of a social dimension in Hegel's philosophy, it is incompatible with the revelation of Christianity. Additionally, in Akt und Sein, Bonhoeffer contended that Hegel's philosophy swallowed up the concept of boundaries. This article emphasizes that Bonhoeffer's critiques of Hegel revealed the inner logic of critique of religion.