it implicitly or immediately； is； and is the process of attaining the state where the shape and form； in
which it appears as an object for its own consciousness； will be perfectly adequate to its essential
nature； and where it will behold itself as it is。
In this development of religion； then； spirit itself assumes definite shapes； which constitute the
distinctions involved in this process： and at the same time a determinate or specific form of religion
has likewise an actual spirit of a specific character。 Thus； if consciousness； self…consciousness；
reason； and spirit belong to self…knowing spirit in general； in a similar way the specific shapes；
which self…knowing spirit assumes； appropriate and adopt the distinctive forms which were
specially developed in the case of each of the stages — consciousness； self…consciousness； reason；
and spirit。 The determinate shape； assumed in a given case by religion； appropriates； from among
the forms belonging to each of its moments； the one adapted to it； and makes this its actual spirit。
Any one determinate attitude of religion pervades and permeates all aspects of its actual existence；
and stamps them with this common feature。
In this way the arrangement now assumed by the forms and shapes which have thus far appeared；
is different from the way they appeared in their own order。 On this point we may note shortly at
the out；set what is necessary。 In the series we considered； each moment； exhaustively elaborating
its entire content； evolved and formed itself into a single whole within its own peculiar principle。
And knowledge was the inner depth； or the spirit； wherein the moments； having no subsistence of
their own； possessed their substance。 This substance； however； has now at length made its
appearance； it is the deep life of spirit certain of itself； it does not allow the principle belonging to
each individual form to get isolated； and become a whole within itself： rather it collects all these
moments into its own content； keeps them together； and advances within this total wealth of its
concrete actual spirit； while all its particular moments take into themselves and receive together in
common the like determinate character of the whole。 This spirit certain of itself and the process it
goes through…this is their true reality； the independent self…subsistence； which belongs to each
individually。
Thus while the previous linear series in its advance marked the retrogressive steps in it by knots；
but thence went forward again in one linear stretch； it is now； as it were； broken at these knots；
these universal moments； and falls asunder into many lines； which； being bound together into a
single bundle； combine at the same time symmetrically； so that the similar distinctions； in which
each separately took shape within its own sphere； meet together。
For the rest； it is self…evident from the whole argument； how this co…ordination of universal
directions； just mentioned； is to be understood； so that it becomes superfluous to remark that these
distinctions are to be taken to mean essentially and only moments of the process of development；
not parts。 In the case of actual concrete spirit they are attributes of its substance； in religion； on the
other hand； they are only predicates of the subject。 In the same way； indeed； all forms in general
are； in themselves or for us； contained in spirit and contained in every spirit。 But the main point of
importance； in dealing with its reality； is solely what determinate character it has in its
consciousness； in which specific character it has expressed its self； or in what shape it knows its
essential nature。
The distinction made between actual spirit and that same spirit which knows itself as spirit； or
between itself qua consciousness and qua self…consciousness； is transcended and done away with
in the case where spirit knows itself in its real truth。 Its consciousness and its self…consciousness
have come to terms。 But； as religion is here to begin with and immediately； this distinction has not
yet reverted to spirit。 It is merely the conception； the principle； of religion that is established at first。
In this the essential element is self…consciousness； which is conscious of being all truth； and which
contains all reality within that truth。 This self…consciousness； being consciousness ＇and so aware of
an object＇； has itself for its object。 Spirit； which knows itself in the first instance immediately； is
thus to itself spirit in the form of immediacy； and the specific character of the shape in which it
appears to itself is that of pure simple being。 This being； this bare existence； has indeed a filling
drawn neither from sensation or manifold matter； nor from any other one…sided moments；
purposes； and determinations； its filling is solely spirit； and is known by itself to be all truth and
reality。 Such filling is in this first form not in adequate agreement with its own shape； spirit qua
ultimate essence is not in accord with its consciousness。 It is actual only as Absolute Spirit； when it
is also for itself in its truth as it is in its certainty of itself； or； when the extremes； into which spirit
qua consciousness falls； exist for one another in spiritual shape。 The embodiment adopted by spirit
qua object of its own consciousness； remains filled by the certainty of spirit； and this self…certainty
constitutes its substance。 Through this content； the degrading of the object to bare objectivity； to
the form of something that negates self…consciousness； disappears。 The immediate unity of spirit
with itself is the fundamental basis； or pure consciousness； inside which consciousness breaks up
into its constituent elements ＇viz。 an object with subject over against it＇。 In this way； shut up within
its pure self…consciousness； spirit does not exist in religion as the creator of a nature in general；
rather what it produces in the course of this process are its shapes qua spirits； which together
constitute all that it can reveal when it is completely manifested。 And this process itself is the
development of its perfect and complete actuality through the individual aspects thereof； i。e。
through its imperfect modes of realization。
The first realization of spirit is just the principle and notion of religion itself…religion as immediate
and thus Natural Religion。 Here spirit knows itself as its object in a 〃natural〃 or immediate shape。
The second realization； is； however； necessarily that of knowing itself in the shape of transcended
and superseded natural existence； i。e。 in the form of self。 This therefore is Religion in the form of
Art。 For the shape it adopts is raised to the form of self through the productive activity of
consciousness； by which this consciousness beholds in its object its own action； i。e。 sees the self。
The third realization； finally； cancels the one…sidedness of the first two： the self is as much as
immediate self as the immediacy is a self。 If spirit in the first is in the form of consciousness； and in
the second in that of self…consciousness； it is in the third in the form of the unity of both； it has then
the shape of what is completely self…contained （An…und…Fürsichseyns）； and in being thus
presented as it is in and for itself； this is Revealed Religion。 Although spirit； however； here reaches
its true shape； the very shape assumed and the conscious presentation are an aspect or phase still
unsurmounted； and from this spirit has to pass over into the life of the Notion； in order therein
completely to resolve the form of objectivity； in the notion which embraces within itself this its own
opposite。
It is then that spirit has grasped its own principle； the notion of itself； as so far only we ＇who
analyse spirit＇ have grasped it； and its shape； the element of its existence； in being the notion； is
then spirit itself。
1。 Vorstellung。
2。 Begriff。
A
Natural Religion （1）
SPIRIT knowing spirit is consciousness of itself； and is to itself in the form of objectivity。 It is； and
is at the same time self…existence （Fürsichsein）。 It is for itself； it is the aspect of
self…consciousness； and is so in contrast to the aspect of its consciousness； the aspect by which it
relates itself to itself as object。 In its consciousness there is the opposition and in consequence the
determinateness of the form in which it appears to itself and knows itself。 It is with this
determinateness of shape that we have alone to do in considering religion； for its essential
unembodied principle； its pure notion； has already come to light。 The distinction of consciousness
and self…consciousness； however； falls at the same time within this notion。 The form or shape of
religion does not contain the existence of spirit in the sense of its being nature detached and free
from thought； nor in the sense of its being thought detached from existence。 The shape assumed by
religion is existence contained and preserved in thought as well as a something thought which is
consciously existent。
It is by the determinate character of this form； in which spirit knows itself； that one religion is
distinguished from another。 But we have at the same time to note that the systematic exposition of
this knowledge about itself； in terms of this individual specific character； does not as a fact exhaust
the whole nature of an actual religion。 The series of different religions； which will come before us；
just as much sets forth again merely the different aspects of a single religion； and indeed of every
single religion； and the imagery； the conscious ideas； which seem to mark off one concrete religion
from another； make their appearance in each。 All the same the diversity must also be looked at as
a diversity of religion。 For while spirit lives in the distinction of its consciousness and its
self…consciousness； the process it goes through finds its goal in the transcendence of this
fundamental distinction and in giving the form of self…consciousness to the given shape which is
object of consciousness。 This distinction； however； is not eo ipso transcended by the fact that the
shapes； which that consciousness contains；