GEORG FRIEDRICH HEGEL AND GOD

"Absolute knowledge... must not remain in its immediacy as an inner feeling or as a vague faith in an indefinite abstract being-in general, but must proceed to comprehend the Absolute in the mythical term "God." To know God is not above comprehension, but is above reason which is the knowledge of things finite and relative."
(Hegel, 1895, 277)

"God is the absolute spirit: In its non-mythical truth, it is the pure dialectical essence of all Being which objectifies itself in its own otherness, by means of which it returns eternally to itself; it maintains its identity in and through its non-absolute and finite manifestations."
(Ibid, 278)

"God is holy is that absolute whole which has nothing alien outside of itself; which has no "temptation." He is absolute power insofar as He actualizes its concrete wholeness in all individuations."
(Ibid, 278)

"Sin is alienation from God . The human individual abuses his freedom in declaring his independence from the whole and in striving and clinging to his finite exclusiveness as if he were absolute in and for himself. But this very freedom to sin, is and remains nevertheless a divine gift. Even in evil, the divine and human nature are not totally alienated. This truth assumes man of divine grace. He may grasp it whereby the reconciliation of God with the world comes to pass and the alienation of man from God is cancelled. To "serve God" means that the individual strives to effect this unity with God, not only by concentrating his thoughts and feelings on him in order to receive the assurance of being affirmed in the divine will, but also by proving in its actual life with other individuals that his will and intention is in conformity with the divine will."  (Ibid, 278)

__________________________________________

Hegel, G. W. F.  Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion, Vol. I. Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co. Ltd., 1895.