Since the emergence of philosophy, religion has become one of its problems. The fact is that most of the topics that philosophy is trying to develop - questions about the origins of the world, the location of a person in the Universe, the reasons for human actions, the potential and limits of knowledge - at the same time have become questions of a religious worldview.
Throughout its history, philosophy has felt the need for a critical separation from religion. The very name "philosophy of religion" arose rather late - in the 18th century, but already in classical philosophy one can find certain opinions about God, about the involvement of the divine in the ultimate reality. The philosophy of religion is philosophical thinking that considers religion as its subject. Not only a religious person can talk about religion, but also an atheist and an agnostic. The philosophy of religion is the property of philosophy, not of theology. The philosophy of religion as a cultural phenomenon emerged within the framework of the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Religion is older than philosophy and probably has its own roots. Rather, it is something "different" in relation to philosophy, since it deals with a reality that exceeds the limits and potential of the human mind. This state was especially clearly felt during early Christianity, which did not feel the slightest need for philosophical argumentation. And the subsequent history of Christianity provides many illustrations of how religion views philosophy as its opposite. But at the same time, in its origins, religion is realized as a human event, as a kind of human life. At any time there is a person who believes, reads prayers, takes part in a cult. Therefore, the philosophy of religion understands theological definitions primarily as a phenomenon of religious practice.
Religious practice is carried out in close connection with the human understanding of life. Religion is realized in human speech, types and groups of human thoughts. This explains the fact that religion is changing along with historical changes in the comprehension of man and life. Consequently, a philosophical theme of religion is possible, although what the questions are asked about turns out to be completely different in relation to philosophy.
Now you can try to define religion in order to clarify what philosophical thought happens to deal with. From time immemorial, religion has been regarded as the involvement of man in God or the realm of the divine. This concept could be interpreted differently, but the main concepts remained. We come to the theme of God as the principle of religion, man as a representative of religion, and man's involvement with God, which forms the foundation of the unity called religion. The philosophical elaboration of these themes differs from the categorical constructions of traditional religions. Philosophy proceeds from the natural environment of human life without attracting revelation. Already during early Christianity, apologists of the second century ask whether God exists. This topic implies a conceptualization of “what” God is, and it is a perception of reality that proves the potential of the intellect to answer such questions.
