Revisiting Sartre on the question of religion

Stuart Z. Charmé

pp. 1-26

in: Continental Philosophy Review 33 (1), 2000.

Abstract

Jean-Paul Sartre's position on religion has traditionally been reduced to variations of his well-known atheism. This is a result of collapsing the distinction between religion and theism, as both critics and supporters of Sartre have commonly done. Consequently, attention to Sartre's persistent and pervasive concern with religious ideas, symbols, and experiences has been neglected. While the religious implications of Sartre's thought have mostly been considered in relation to Christian theology, other newer areas of religious studies suggest additional avenues for considering Sartre. Sartre's possible connections to four such areas are discussed: 1) Eastern religions; 2) Jewish studies; 3) feminist theology, and 4) the psychoanalysis of religion.

Cited authors

Sartre Jean-Paul