A theological re-description of the emergence of religion: In conversation with John Calvin on the semen religionis

Abstract

Where does religion come from? This article suggests that this question may be addressed from the perspectives of various disciplines. An investigation of theological re-descriptions of the emergence of religion may provide insights on the relation between theology and the study of religion. The article explores John Calvin’s views on the semen religionis as a case study of such a theological re-description. Calvin’s account is then compared with Karl Barth’s Christological account. It is observed that a fully trinitarian account of the emergence of religion may be required in this regard. The author concludes that any adequate theological account of this question would provide an ultimate perspective on the emergence of religion that cannot be captured under the generic rubric of “religion”. To do so would amount to a form of reductionism.