Religious Non-Realism as a Border Zone? Reflecting on Feuerbach’s Anthropological Theology

Abstract

In the present paper I examine the issue of religious non-realism with a special focus on its expression in Feuerbach’s anthropological theology. First, I discuss the distinction between religious realism and non-realism exploring the recent popularization of the latter by Don Cupitt. Second, I present Feuerbach as a representative of religious non-realism and outline the critiques of his anthropological theology by Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Augusto del Noce, and Jon Stewart. Third, I analyze Martin Buber’s presentation of religious non-realism as a restless position. In the conclusion I suggest that religious non-realism is a border zone between religious realism and atheism, both of which tend to be critical of it. Non-realism is subject to pressure from both sides and might be considered a weak position between two strong positions.