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religious consciousness。 This immediacy means not only an existent self…consciousness； but also
the purely thought…constituted or Absolute Being； and these meanings are inseparable。 What we
＇the philosophers＇ are conscious of in our conception； — that objective being is ultimate essence；
— is the same as what the religious consciousness is aware of。 This unity of being and essence； of
thought which is immediately existence； is immediate knowledge on the part of this religious
consciousness just as it is the inner thought or the mediated reflective knowledge of this
consciousness。 For this unity of being and thought is self…consciousness and actually exists； in other
words； the thought…constituted unity has at the same time this concrete shape and form of what it
is。 God； then； is here revealed； as He is； He actually exists as He is in Himself； He is real as Spirit。
God is attainable in pure speculative knowledge alone； and only is in that knowledge； and is
merely that knowledge itself； for He is spirit； and this speculative knowledge is the knowledge
furnished by revealed religion。 That knowledge knows God to be thought； or pure Essence； and
knows this thought as actual being and as a real existence； and existence as the negativity of itself；
hence as Self； an individual 〃this〃 and a universal self。 It is just this that revealed religion knows。
The hopes and expectations of preceding ages pressed forward to； and were solely directed
towards this revelation； the vision of what Absolute Being is； and the discovery of themselves
therein。 This joy； the joy of seeing itself in Absolute Being； becomes realized in self…consciousness；
and seizes the whole world。 For the Absolute is Spirit； it is the simple movement of those pure
abstract moments； which expresses just this…that Ultimate Reality is then； and not till then； known
as Spirit when it is seen and beheld as immediate self…consciousness。
This conception of spirit knowing itself to be spirit； is still the immediate notion； it is not yet
developed。 The ultimate Being is spirit； in other words； it has appeared； it is revealed。 This first
revelation is itself immediate； but the immediacy is likewise thought； or pure mediation； and must
therefore exhibit and set forth this moment in the sphere of immediacy as such。
Looking at this more precisely； spirit； when self…consciousness is immediate； is 〃this〃 individual
self…consciousness set up in contrast to the universal self…consciousness。 It is a one； an excluding
unit； which appears to that consciousness； for which it exists； in the as yet impervious form of a
sensuous other； an unresolved entity in the sphere of sense。 This other does not yet know spirit to
be its own； in other words spirit； in its form as an individual self； does not yet exist as equally
universal self； as all self。 Or again； the shape it assumes has not as yet the form of the notion； i。e。
of the universal self； of the self which in its immediate actual reality is at once transcended； is
thought； universality； without losing its reality in this universality。
The preliminary and similarly immediate form of this universality is； however； not at once the form
of thought itself； of the notion as notion； it is the universality of actual reality； it is the 〃allness〃； the
collective totality； of the selves； and is the elevation of existence into the sphere of figurative
thought （Vorstellung）； just as in general； to take a concrete example； the 〃this〃 of sense； when
transcended； is first of all the 〃thing〃 of 〃perception〃； and is not yet the 〃universal〃 of
〃understanding〃。
（b）。 in a Religious Communion
This individual human being； then； which Absolute Being is revealed to be； goes through in its own
case as an individual the process found in sense existence。 He is the immediately present God； in
consequence； His being passes over into His having been。 Consciousness； for which God is thus
sensuously present； ceases to see Him； to hear Him： it has seen Him； it has heard Him。 And it is
because it only has seen and heard Him； that it first becomes itself spiritual consciousness；（7） or； in
other words； He has now arisen in Spirit； as He formerly rose before consciousness as an object
existing in the sphere of sense。 For； a consciousness which sees and hears Him by sense； is one
which is itself merely an immediate consciousness； which has not cancelled and transcended the
disparateness of objectivity； has not withdrawn it into pure thought； but knows this objectively
presented individual； and not itself； as spirit。 In the disappearance of the immediate existence of
what is known to be Absolute Being； immediacy acquires its negative moment。 Spirit remains the
immediate self of actual reality； but in the form of the universal self…consciousness of a religious
communion；（8） a self…consciousness which rests in its own proper substance； just as in it this
substance is universal subject： it is not the individual subject by himself； but the individual along
with the consciousness of the communion； and what he is for this communion is the complete
whole of the individual spirit。
The conditions 〃past〃 and 〃distance〃 are； however； merely the imperfect form in which the
immediateness gets mediated or made universal； this is merely dipped superficially in the element
of thought； is kept there as a sensuous mode of immediacy； and not made one with the nature of
thought itself。 It is lifted out of sense merely into the region of pictorial presentation； for this is the
synthetic ＇external＇ connexion of sensuous immediacy and its universality or thought。
Pictorial presentation constitutes the characteristic form in which spirit is conscious of itself in this
its religious communion。 This form is not yet the self…consciousness of spirit which has reached its
notion as notion； the mediating process is still incomplete。 In this connexion of being and thought；
then； there is a defect； spiritual life is still cumbered with an unreconcited diremption into a 〃here〃
and a 〃beyond〃。 The content is the true content； but all its moments； when placed in the element of
mere imaginative presentation； have the character； not of being conceptually comprehended； but of
appearing as completely independent aspects； externally related to one another。
In order that the true content may also obtain its true form for consciousness； the latter must
necessarily pass to a higher plane of mental development； where the absolute Substance is not
intuitively apprehended but conceptually comprehended and where consciousness is for itself
brought to the level of its self…consciousness；…as this has already taken place objectively or for us
＇who have analysed the process of experience＇。
We have to consider this content as it exists in its consciousness。 Absolute Spirit is content； that is
how it exists in the shape of its truth。 But its truth consists not merely in being the substance or the
inherent reality of the religious communion； nor again in coming out of this inwardness into the
objectivity of imaginative thought； but in becoming concrete actual self； reflecting itself into self；
and being Subject。 This； then； is the process which spirit realizes in its communion； this is its life。
What this self…revealing spirit is in and for itself； is therefore not brought out by the rich content of
its life being； so to say； untwined and reduced to its original and primitive strands； to the ideas； for
instance； presented before the minds of the first imperfect religious communion； or even to what
the actual human being ＇incarnating the Divine Spirit＇ has spoken。（9） This reversion to the primitive
is based on the instinct to get at the notion； the ultimate principle； but it confuses the origin； in the
sense of the immediate； existence of the first historical appearance； with the simplicity of the
notion。 By thus impoverishing the life of spirit； by clearing away the idea of the communion and its
action with regard to its idea； there arises； therefore； not the notion； but bare externality and
particularity； merely the historical manner in which spirit once upon a time appeared； the soulless
recollection of a presumably （gemeinten） individual historical figure and its past。（10）
Spirit is content of its consciousness to begin with in the form of pure substance； in other words； it
is content of its pure consciousness。 This element of thought is the process of descending into
existence； or individuality。 The middle term between these two is their synthetic connexion； the
consciousness of passing into otherness； the process of imaginative presentation as such。 The third
stage is the return from this presentation and from that otherness； in other words； it is the element
of self…consciousness itself。
These three moments constitute the life of spirit。 Its resolution in imaginative thought consists in its
taking on a determinate mode of being； this determinateness； however； is nothing but one of its
moments。 Its detailed process thus consists in spreading its nature out in each of its moments as in
an element in which it lives： and in so far as each of these spheres completes itself in itself； this
reflexion