The ‘German Fathers’ of the Theological Turn in Phenomenology: Scheler, Reinach, Heidegger

This essay returns to the origins of the phenomenology of religion, offering an introduction to and a discussion of seminal contributions to the field. Three figures are examined: M ax S cheler, A dolf R einach and the early M artin H eidegger, who are presented as the ‘ G erman F athers’ of the phenomenology of religion. Each conducted a radical foray into the religious life‐world, sometimes in accord with the project of their M aster E dmund H usserl, sometimes opposing or radically revising his project, but typically developing new methods and proposing radical insights. They attempted to define the proper attitude a phenomenologist – who might possibly also be a religious person – should adopt in the face of phenomena and lived experiences clearly beyond the ordinary. This enterprise led to heated debates and a rich analysis described here.