Kant on Religion

This chapter examines Kant’s views regarding religion, including both rational theology and revealed religion. It illustrates Kant’s views regarding the content of religious belief, including both the concept of God and the contents of scripture, by focusing on the importance of symbolism in Kant’s treatment of religion. While some commentators have interpreted Kant’s appeals to symbolism as furthering a deflationary or ‘as if’ approach to the contents of religious belief, the chapter illustrates that Kant’s views regarding religious symbolism include both inflationary and deflationary elements.